Blank Range will be opening for Two Gallants at The Southern Cafe & Music Hall May 3. The Nashville-based group packs a timeless sound and powerful rock energy and will be touring the United States until the start of the summer. Arts & Entertainment had the opportunity to talk with guitarist/vocalist Jonathon Childers about the band and their upcoming show.
Arts & Entertainment: For people who might not be familiar with the band, can you give some background about your style?
Jonathon Childers: We’re a five piece rock ’n roll band — bass, two guitars, drums and keyboards. We like doing vocal harmonies. [I would] tell everybody that we’re a rock ’n roll band, because that’s easier than trying to make something up!
A&E: Who are some artists who have influenced your band?
JC: For sure I would say classic rock has been a big thing in all of our lives: Neil Young, the Eagles, the Beatles. Actually, more so than the Beatles, I would say the Beatles’ post-Beatles work, like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison solo stuff.
A&E: You’re based in Nashville. Has being a part of that music scene impacted the way you work?
JC: Yeah, I would say absolutely. I think Nashville, there are so many great bands here that it’s very competitive. Competitive in a good way. It kind of raises everybody’s standards a little bit. You work really hard here, everybody’s really hard-working and supportive of other bands that are in town. So it’s been a great experience, getting to know other musicians. We’ve all played in different groups with other people, so that’s good practice.
A&E: When you started out, you guys were involved in making cassette tapes for your own band and others. Can you talk about what drew you to that?
JC: When we moved here, we started a cassette label called Sturdy Girls Records. We put out our record on there and we put out some other records, duplicated cassettes for people. It was a really good experience, owning our own label, and we put a lot of energy into that. And then as we got this band going we didn’t have as much time to do that, the band kind of took over that realm of things. But we still have the label, and … we’re putting out our EP on vinyl in collaboration with Gravitation Records.
A&E: You’ll be opening for some pretty huge acts this year: Two Gallants and the Mountain Goats. Where do you see your band headed from here?
JC: We’re going on tour … until June. And then we come back from L.A., have about five days home … and then we’re going to go record a record in Athens, Georgia. Our first full length.
A&E: Have you already started doing any work for that record?
JC: Yeah, we are working with a guy named Billy Bennett, who’s an engineer here in town, and a guy named Drew Vandenberg, who’s from Athens … Billy’s dad has a warehouse in Athens, and we’re gonna go set up a studio there and go for three weeks … We definitely liked the idea of being in a place where we can just hole up … We’re going to live in the studio, too. Just hole up there and focus entirely on this record. There’s plenty of great places in Nashville but we just want to get out of town, just have the five of us and the two guys recording it.
A&E: How would characterize your live performances? If someone is coming to see Two Gallants and will be seeing you for the first time, what would you say to expect?
JC: We have these recordings out, but I think that the live show brings something else to it that you don’t necessarily get from the recordings we have right now. A lot of dynamics … and you try to make sure it’s a journey from start to finish.
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