Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from The Sea The Sea to Coyotes in Boxes, Qiet to Bud Carroll and beyond.
But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with The Spanglers, a rock’n, folk’n family band out of Lewisburg, West Virginia. Between the six of them, The Spanglers have over 80 years of combined experience as musicians, not to mention hours and hours of original material. Which begs the question…
Credit Jim Logan & Jacob H. Logan
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The Spangler family have been playing music for over 30 years.
How did The Spanglers start playing music?
Mark Spangler has been playing music since the 1980s and has had a couple songs chart on the West Coast scene as a solo artist. His children–Hannah, Josiah, and Evan–grew up surrounded by different instruments and genres of music, and at young ages, started playing music and writing songs together and with their dad. Now, Mark, Evan, Josiah, and Hannah collaborate as The Spanglers who consist of: Mark Spangler on lead vocals and guitar, Josiah Spangler on drums and percussion, Evan Olds on bass and percussion, Hannah Logan on background vocals, Bill Clapham on keyboards, Abigail Reynolds on background vocals, and Jeremiah Hatfield on lead guitar.
Why did you choose your last name for the band name?
We are known around our hometown as a musical family and are often referred to as The Spanglers. Accordingly, we’ve adopted The Spanglers as our band name. We think it has a ring to it.
Where do The Spanglers play around West Virginia?
We frequent Southern West Virginia, playing festivals, clubs, coffeehouses, theaters, and private events. We recently played The Walker Theater with Ron Sowell and friends at Tamarack, and we’re slated to play the Wanderlust Festival at Snowshoe Resort and the West Virginia State Fair, to name a few.
What’s been the highlight of The Spanglers’ musical journey?
We have enjoyed writing, arranging, recording, and now releasing our latest album, Restless. The album is completely original, recorded by our friend, Kenneth Clutter, and featuring artwork by our friend and West Virginia artist, Jacob Logan.
Credit Josiah Spangler
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The Spanglers, pictured here recording at Turkey Knob Studios in Fayette County.
What advice would you give to anyone starting to make music?
Have fun. Practice hard and frequently. Don’t try to sound like your musical heroes; find your own voice. Don’t let your preconceived notions of what others may think squelch your creative process. Be creative, do your best, and trust the listener.
What’s it like making music in West Virginia?
Our music has been well-received, and we’ve been fortunate to have a pretty full schedule. We encounter a wide variety of venues, and fortunately we have the capability of playing both as a full-scale rock band and as a stripped down acoustic ensemble, depending on the size of the venue.
The Appalachian culture is musically and artistically diverse, so we’ve noticed a wide age-range represented in our fanbase.
Credit Jim Logan & Jacob H. Logan
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Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia? Or does it feel like a musically-supportive place?
We’ve long enjoyed a very strong network of musical friends. From attending the songwriters group that meets at Tamarack the first Friday of every month, to swapping shows with other bands from other places, we feel creatively validated by the musical camaraderie here in West Virginia–where musicians are each others’ biggest fans.
Credit Abigail Reynolds
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Catch The Spanglers around the state, including at Charleston’s Taylor Books.
What, in your opinion, needs to happen in the West Virginia music scene for it to move forward?
Externally, West Virginia tends to draw stereotypes that are inaccurate, including in the musical community. When folks hear “a family band from West Virginia,” they are not likely expecting to hear what The Spanglers play. Nonetheless, we’ve been pretty well-received, and we do like to surprise people with our sound. Mediums like radio programming, social media, and festivals can promote the eclectic sounds of West Virginia and strengthen West Virginia’s musical image and offerings to the world.
Internally, West Virginia artists and businesses/venues need to be mindful of how they benefit one another. Many artists operate at a loss financially, and some artists hurt good business by lack of professionalism. We think an open dialogue among venues and artists could help West Virginia’s music scene and promote business and tourism.
The Spanglers’ latest release is Restless. Keep an eye on their social media for their summer tour dates, including June 11 at Melody’s in Beckley and July 30 at The RailYard in Bluefield. To hear more #WVmusic, tune in to A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVMusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Rozwell Kid to Bishops, Goodwolf to Coyotes in Boxes.
But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with What’s Missing, an alternative rock outfit out of Morgantown, West Virginia, who aren’t afraid to put a little pop in their punk step. If there were ever a band name to capture the current political climate and self-questioning concern in the Mountain State, What’s Missing would be the name to bear. But what is the actual meaning behind the band’s name? And, in their opinion, what’s missing from the #WVmusic scene? Let’s find out…
How did the band begin?
We formed in the fall of 2013, once Zane Miller, Molly Ranhart, and Aaron New got to West Virginia University. We had all been friends before that (Zane and Molly were dating at the time), and had been planning on doing music once we were all in the same place. We decided, “Well, we’re more independent now, so let’s take a shot at this music thing and see what happens!”
So we got Matt Herrald in on the deal to play drums. Zane and Aaron were on guitar and vocals, and Molly grooved on the bass. We got our first gig at the Main Street Cafe in Clarksburg, did a little recording with a friend in Fairmont, and then the summer of 2014 rolled around.
Aaron got busy working, so he left the band, and we became a five-piece with a few line-up changes until March 2016 (though in that time, we managed to release an EP and play a few shows).
Now we’re back to our original line-up. We’re working on a new single to release in the coming weeks, and we’re writing a new album and picking up some shows in and around West Virginia.
Where does the band’s name come from?
The idea came from Zane. He had a void in his life that was left after his old band, Playground Mentality (of which Matt was also in), broke up. The name evolved out of the nature of the project, which was to fill that gap of musical creativity that was missing in his life.
How has the band’s sound changed over time (if at all)?
There’s definitely a lot of pop punk influences in the earlier stuff we wrote and recorded. As time’s progressed, we’ve tried to adopt and craft our own sound, drawing from influences from a variety of bands, like Brand New, Basement, Rozwell Kid, and so on.
<a data-cke-saved-href=”http://whatsmissingfromwv.bandcamp.com/album/under” href=”http://whatsmissingfromwv.bandcamp.com/album/under”>Under by What's Missing</a>
What’s it like making music in West Virginia?
It’s such a unique place to be an artist. One thing we love is that it gives us a wonderful place to be creative, and it’s so simple to travel out to bigger places because everything is so close. We face the struggles everyone faces in trying to grow and support a scene, but the people are here just as they are everywhere else. The music scene here is super tight. We have friends across the entire state. I don’t know if that can be said about artists in other states, but I think it’s amazing that those connections can be made here so easily.
Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia? Or does it feel like a musically-supportive place?
Saying this place is holding us back isn’t necessarily true. In our perspective, West Virginia may not have the opportunities that people may have in, say, Philly for example, but the opportunities are definitely here (just look at Rozwell Kid). This place has been a gateway to connect with many other scenes and musicians, allowing us to get to know people everywhere. West Virginia is a hub of musical growth, and while the insane amount of activity isn’t always evident on the surface, it’s always there.
Credit U92 FM
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U92 FM has a long history of being Morgantown’s source for indie/alternative music discovery.
How has U92 FM [West Virginia University’s college radio station] played a role in the band’s development?
Aaron is currently the program director for the station. In his time out of the band, U92 gave Aaron the foundation to learn more about the music industry, to make a lot of connections to other artists, and to apply his new knowledge to help other Morgantown bands. Once he rejoined the band this past March, Aaron was able to take those skills and apply them to band functions. Out of that, we’ve gotten opportunities to go all over the Northeast to play shows, record with established musicians and producers, and meet amazing new people.
What’s been the highlight of What’s Missing’s musical journey?
The biggest thing has to be writing, recording, and releasing an album. That alone is something none of us have done before (sans Aaron, but he wasn’t in the band at the time we did all of this).
What, in your opinion, needs to happen in the West Virginia music scene for it to move forward?
We just need to open it up to the people here and make them more aware of it. Convince more kids to pick up an instrument and play with friends. Make really terrible music even! Throw house shows, even if five people show up! It’s encouraging people to get more involved in the arts. I’ve seen people turn their living rooms into art exhibits! Let people know that expressing yourself through art is an amazing thing we can do.
What projects/announcements can we expect from What’s Missing in the coming months?
Working on a new single to release this summer. Some shows in and around the state coming up. And we’re currently writing for a new album to come out (hopefully this fall).
Tracking drums for a new-ish tune. #recording #drums #music #studio A video posted by What's Missing (@whatsmissingwv) on Mar 13, 2016 at 1:09pm PDT
Any advice you’d like to pass along to West Virginians wanting to get into music?
It’s something that’s been said time and time again, and no matter how often it’s said, it rings true: just get out and do it. You only have one life, so make the most of it. We’re lucky to be still be young. We’ve heard it from people even just ten years older than us, how they wish they’ve gotten into it sooner and stuck with it. That’s something we’re extremely appreciative of, and this opportunity is something we don’t want to take for granted. No time like the present, eh?
What’s Missing’s latest release is Under. Keep an eye on their social media for tour dates and new releases in the coming weeks, including a new full-length album by the end of fall 2016. To hear more #WVmusic, tune in to A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVMusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Tyler Childers to The World is a Beautiful Place…, The Sea The Sea to Qiet and beyond. But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with recent Davis & Elkins College graduate Kaia Kater, a singer-songwriter who traveled from Quebec to West Virginia nearly four years ago to learn more about Appalachia‘s old-time music and culture. We sat down with Kaia in our Charleston studios to talk about her musical journey, her love of bluegrass and R&B, and her recent feature from Rolling Stone magazine.
Kaia Kater’s newest release is Nine Pin, now available for purchase, download, and streaming. You can hear more of her music on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVMusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.
Interview Highlights
On being from Canada:
I’m from Montreal, Quebec. I grew up there for most of my life. Then I spent a little bit of time in Winnipeg, Manitoba. And I’m currently based in Toronto, Ontario.
It’s funny because I had very little appreciation for Canada until I left Canada. And then I was like, “Wow… things are pretty ok in Canada!” And so I think, living home was probably the best thing because now I have more of an appreciation for my country.
On falling in love with old-time music at a young age:
Actually my grandpa is a luthier. He used to build harpsichords and guitars, but he cut some of his thumb off in 2013… he’s ok! [Laughing] But I think that sort of cut his career short, but he was retiring anyway. At family gatherings and Christmases and birthdays, we would always gather around and have a kitchen party where we would play tunes. And it was always really exciting for me because it was the time I could stay up past my bedtime to listen to people sing and play. And sometimes I would just fall asleep listening to people singing. It was just really special for me.
I got into old-time music in a really odd way. My mom fell in love with bluegrass music when I was eight. And she was like, “Ok. We’re going to go to a bluegrass festival now!” So I just got carried along, and registration was free if you were under 11. It was actually Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in Oak Hill [in New York], and they ran this Bluegrass Academy for Kids. It’s a really successful program, but at the beginning, it was basically [where] parents could drop off their kids at 9am and pick them up at 3pm and during that time, you would pick either banjo, bass, fiddle or violin. You would bring your own instrument, and all of these kids from 8- to 11-years-of-age would just hang around and learn how to play bluegrass music.
So I tried all of the different instruments. I tried fiddle and bass, and then I settled on the banjo. And I was determined to be a bluegrass banjo player, and somehow old-time swooped in like a hawk and picked me up, so I switched to clawhammer. And I think it’s because a lot of the teachers around me at home were clawhammer players and influenced me that way.
On becoming a professional musician:
You know when you discover your passion is when you trudge through your daily activities and chores and classes, and then at the end of the night, you’re like, “Ok. What do I really want to be doing?” And that was playing music for me.
And I think I was scared because I had seen a lot of musicians around me deal with touring. My mom was the executive director of the Ottowa Folk Festival and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. So a lot of musicians crashed at our house and hung out, and I think it was a really interesting education for me because I did see the darker side of touring, which is not being able to see your family. And some folks had drinking problems (not anything that was overwhelming, but it was a different way of life). And I think I was apprehensive about that, but there is a way to tour in a healthy way, I think.
Credit Susan Bibeau – Beehive Productions
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Quebecer singer-songwriter Kaia Kater.
On deciding on West Virginia for old-time music education:
I had been going to a lot of old-time camps. I went to the Swannanoa Gathering outside of Asheville [in North Carolina], which is a little slice of heaven to spend a week to play clawhammer banjo and living in this community who are nerding out as much as you are. [Laughing] Like “I never want to go back to the outside world!” So I went there twice, and it was really my first introduction to the Southern United States because the furthest I had been was New York State.
I had actually wanted to go to Warren Wilson [College in Asheville, North Carolina] for the longest time, which is the location of the Swannanoa Gathering. It’s funny. I remember the exact moment I clicked on their website, wondering what their tuition was. And it was $42,000 a year or something. And I thought, “What?! Is that even possible?” I took a year off of school, and I didn’t expect to be going to school because I didn’t feel like anything interested me enough and the programs that did interest me, I couldn’t really afford. And I was ok with that. I just played a lot of music out in Montreal.
I casually applied to the Augusta Heritage Center, which is where Davis & Elkins College is. And I got this Facebook message from this guy named Jerry Milnes, who’s quite well-known. At first I thought it was spam. “Who is this person contacting me, offering me free college tuition to go to a school in Appalachia. Are they messing with me? Do they know my deepest dream somehow? [Laughing] Luckily I read through the whole thing, and I called him. My family and I went down exactly four years ago, we checked it out, and I loved it, and they offered me a financial package that made it so that I wouldn’t have to pay $42,000 a year. And the rest is history.
On the meaning behind Nine Pin, her latest release:
It’s named after a particular square dance formation where you have eight people (four couples) and in the middle you have one person, which what makes it a nine pin, and you dance around it. To me, it’s one of the most fun because everybody swings, and then everyone holds hands and dances around the nine pin, and then the caller says something like, “Break,” and basically the nine pin has to try and find a partner. And whoever doesn’t find a partner becomes the new nine pin. So it’s almost like musical chairs.
I started doing a lot more songwriting in my junior year of college, and I was thinking a lot about those formations and the deeper symbolism of being one person surrounded by a lot of people swirling around you (in both good and bad ways).
On her last four years at Davis & Elkins’ Augusta Heritage Center:
In many ways, it was a really beautiful experience. I was not even from this country, and I had so many people offer to have me over to their house for dinner. I don’t have a car, so I had a lot of people say, “Do you need me to take you to Kroger or Wal-Mart?” So I was met with a lot of warmth, and I think that made all the difference for me because there’s a certain amount of challenge moving to a new place and a new school.
There was a certain amount of what I call “ugly face crying,” which is when you cry so hard, your entire face turns red from sobbing and your snotting over yourself. So there was a fair amount of that from the experience of doing that for the first time. But at the end of the day, I settled into a routine, as you do. At the end of the four years, I wouldn’t be the same artist, I wouldn’t release the same music if I hadn’t spent these last four years here because I knew old-time music, and I was good at playing tunes, but I don’t think I understood the communities behind the music or the stories behind the music. And that takes time. That just takes time.
My publicist Devon Leger told me, “Listen I pitched your album [Nine Pin] to Rolling Stone, but I don’t know if they’re going to pick it up because they must have people flinging albums at them left and right.” [Laughing] And then all of a sudden, I get this frantic message from him and he’s like, “I need you to answer these four questions… it’s for a certain journalist.” I was like, “Ok…” So I answer them, sent them back. And he said, “That was for Rolling Stone!”
Credit Polina Mourzina
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Last May, Kaia Kater was listed as one of the best new artists to watch by Rolling Stone magazine.
So we knew they were going to say something about it, but we didn’t know that they would have such kind words about it. I felt totally honored and excited that more people would be hearing the album.
I almost peed my pants when they said I sounded like Gillian Welch. [Laughing] I was like, “Really? She’s my idol!” If I could have a shrine to Gillian Welch in my house, I probably would.
On advice to folks looking to pursue old-time music in West Virginia:
Go for it. Literally nothing bad can come of it. Classical music, you just have to sit in a room and practice and do scales and scales and scales. But with old-time music, you just find someone, play banjo and fiddle tunes for an hour, and you’ve gotten better at your instrument and having fun at the same time.
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats that range from Heavy-Set Paw-Paws to Qiet, Sean Richardson to Goodwolf and beyond. But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia day is coming up, not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday, we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new West Virginia music interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers to Parkersburg singer-songwriters to venues and management and artists, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with Parkersburg’s own Todd Burge, who’s often named one of West Virginia’s premier singer-songwriters. From choir boy to punk rocker to folky acoustic musician, Todd Burge has played it all and seen it all. He’s even co-hosted Mountain Stage with Larry Groce, but we’ll get to that in the interview.
Todd Burge’s newest release is Todd Burge: Live on Mountain Stage. You can find him, his music and his tour schedule on toddburge.com. You can hear him on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.
Interview Highlights
On playing in bands over the years:
It really was the punk rock scene of Morgantown in the eighties [that led me to being a musician]. It really struck me. I can pin-point the second that I decided I had to be a songwriter and get into the music scene. I was turning the corner of Kingwood and Wilson, and I heard a band called Gene Pool on U92 there in Morgantown on the radio, and it was a song I heard the night before called “Pilots are Melting.” It was my first venture into the Underground Railroad there, what’s now 123 Pleasant Street. I heard that song on the radio, and as silly as it sounds, it was like a bolt of lightning. I thought, “I’ve got to do that! Here’s a local band… on the radio? Are you kidding me?!” That didn’t happen in Parkersburg. It was unheard of, and it just blew me away.
Six or seven weeks later, I learned three chords, got together with some buddies, and we were in the garage writing songs. There was an attitude there, a do-it-yourself attitude… Live music is crucial. I went from a choir boy to literally weeks later playing at some club in Parkersburg.
On his “bad record business” story:
Everybody who’s been in it long enough and has been signed to a label has their little “bad record business” story, and this is kind of mine. I had a falling out, I couldn’t get tour support and the label went under, and I could never get those [Bunj and the Beats] tapes for that record, which I really liked. And 30 years ago this year, literally a month ago, I got those tapes back and had it digitized. [Laughing] So I have this record that has never been released, which was my first full-length record with this band, Bunj and the Beats. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it, but I still like it.
Credit Courtesy of Todd Burge
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Todd Burge, performing with his band 63 Eyes back in 2013.
On transitioning from playing in bands to being a solo singer-songwriter:
It didn’t just happen. I always wrote songs on acoustic guitar. Always. I would take those songs to whomever I was around. The music became something different depending on whatever room I was in and whoever was with me. A lot of people say Dylan, Black Francis or Jello Biafra was my biggest inspiration. For me, more realistically, it’s the people you’re sitting in the room with, whether it’s Mark Poole of the Phantom Six (who I was with in 63 Eyes), Jimmy Clinton, Tim O’Brien or William Matheny. The songs become what they are depending on who you’re surrounded by.
I was always really writing what I considered acoustic-based, folky-sounding stuff, and then I would put it in whatever weird blender. 63 Eyes was really melodic, and I still consider it folk stuff, but nobody would say that about that kind of music [because] I had to sing over top a chain saw and [laughing] some bone-crunching rhythm section.
I started playing some acoustic shows for fun at Maxwell’s in Morgantown. I would play two sets by myself and realize, “Jeez, I could make more money by doing this.” That’s really where the acoustic stuff started. That’s really where the acoustic solo stuff started. It was an ego trip for me to pull off a show by myself, too. [Laughing] I’m willing to admit: I’m here for the attention, folks.
On the difficulty of making original music (and the value of playing covers) in West Virginia:
When I came back to West Virginia and started this band, 63 Eyes, there was no way I wanted to do a regular job, even though I had four years at WVU. I took psychology and English, and I wasn’t going to go into psychology and have [63 Eyes] as my backburner thing. The music had to be number one for me. And we realized that there was a big demand for cover bands… everywhere. So how could we be a cover band, an offshoot band, a different band with the same members so we didn’t have to depend on other people, and make that our day job and our way to pay the bills while we were home. Because you couldn’t play original music in this area. Nobody was doing it in the Parkersburg area at that point.
So we started going to the animal lodges and seeing what they’d do there, and they were all playing Bob Seger and stuff that just wore us out. And we thought, “Well Jeez, no one is doing Dwight Yoakam and Hank (as in the original Hank).”
Credit Courtesy of Todd Burge
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63 Eyes’ alter ego (Triple Shot) made an appearance for this 2013 show.
So we started this rockabilly traditional George Jones-like cover band called Triple Shot. Same three guys, but totally different band genre-wise, but we realized those places didn’t want to hear that stuff. [Laughing] But we forced our way through and finally started getting gigs, and we played every honkey-tonk imaginable as Triple Shot. And then we’d sneak in Replacements covers, and no one would notice. We would do some Neil Young, and we would throw in some originals. It was such a music education to learn those covers in that genre, and it really was where I learned how to do bass. It was an invaluable education to come up with 50 songs.
We would play the Pub 47 in Parkersburg. We would start on Wednesday and play till Sunday, five sets a night. It was a physical work out, and you were getting these classic songs embedded into your nervous system. It was valuable.
On live recordings vs. studio recordings:
I always say that the CD is small but the music’s been enlarged to show texture, and that’s what happens in the studio. You take the songs and you expand them, and it’s nothing like what the live experience is like. But people are always asking me when I play live, “What CD is most like what you just did?” And I’ve thought, “Well… nothing really.” [This new CD] is real, and it is live, and it’s a totally different vibe. There’s an energy you just can’t get in a studio. There’s a huge difference really. It’s a totally different beast.
On staying motivated as a musician:
You have to struggle through. A lot of times, what I chose to do was to answer to myself. People think that I sit here and write songs all day. “Oh god, that would be great to be you and sit around and play music all day!” I have to carve out time to do that, to write, and it’s a must because it doesn’t survive without that. But it’s just like anything that anybody does, really. You have to be tenacious, you have to stick with it if you’re self-employed. My challenge to myself is to always do something new and to not repeat myself, and that’s a blast and a challenge. And to realize that eventually, something interesting will come along that I like that I can present it. I try not to get wrapped up in the dry spots creatively. I try to stay calm in that regard. But the frustrating part is that people don’t understand what I’m doing [laughing], but the beautiful part is also that as well.
Credit Josh Saul
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Only Todd Burge could convince Bob Thompson (normally known for his role as the Mountain Stage Band’s pianist) to sing along with Ron Sowell and Julie Adams during this 2015 Mountain Stage performance.
[Mountain Stage] was like being on Saturday Night Live. It was huge, and it still is in my mind. It’s not like I’ve gotten used to being on Mountain Stage (even though I’ve done a few of them).
I think I tried to get on [the show] for a year-and-a-half or two years, as people do.
The story goes that I opened up for [The Dukes of Hazard’s] Tom Wopat in Parkersburg here at the Smoot Theatre. And I asked Deni Bonet from the Mountain Stage Band to play fiddle with me. I didn’t know her at all. I just called her and asked her to do it, expecting her to say no. Because in the music business, they say no. I would say 90 percent of the time, the things you ask or want to do or are reaching for, “no” is the answer. That’s just the way it is. But she said “yes,” and I freaked out. She played with me, so I came in through that backdoor. She listened to my music, and I started bugging Larry Groce. I sent every newspaper article that was written about me. I sent postcards. I would invite them to shows when I would come to play Charleston. On and on and on.
And then Larry told me I was supposed to be on a show with Joan Baez, and that just blew my mind. I mean, she used to date Bob Dylan! But then I got bumped by Bob Mould for my first Mountain Stage. And then I waited another six months before I was on that first one. But from there on out, I was able to say that I was on Mountain Stage and I would literally book shows (pre-Internet) on the road by saying I had been on Mountain Stage, without even sending stuff. Through the years, it’s worked for me in that way. It gives you “cred.”
On performing on Mountain Stage since 1991 but releasing Todd Burge: Live on Mountain Stage with performances starting in 2006:
I started performing in 1991, but if people want to know why [the record] started in 2006… One reason was a technical reason: around that time, [Mountain Stage] went digital. So it was much easier to get those recordings from 2006.
Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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For Todd Burge, this 2006 Mountain Stage performance was a career reawakening of sorts.
Now, there’s another thing: in 2006, at that Tamarack show, something clicked in me. Nothing before that time for me made sense musically. Those performances were crucial before that time, between 1991 to 2006, but I was not really happen with [my performances] on Mountain Stage. I was a wreck. I was a mess. I was a bundle of nuts. And so I never really relaxed and performed on that show, and that was a long freak’n stretch. People have told me, “Jeez, I would have never known,” but I can’t even exaggerate how flakey I was on that show. I was glad to get it over with, [laughing] but I’m on freak’n Mountain Stage! I just couldn’t get over the nerves. I didn’t really get comfortable on stage as a solo performer until the year 2006. It was around that year where I got to the point where I had a show, I had an act, and I had a comfort level where I was real on stage. I was just faking it up till then. That’s another thing I can’t exaggerate: what Mountain Stage has meant to what I do.
On what it takes to be a musician from West Virginia:
The West Virginia thing is brought up almost like it’s a weight that we’re carrying, or like we’re trapped on this side of the mountain or living in a bubble or whatever. People make a lot of that. But what I’d say is get in your car, drive out of the state, play some shows and come back. [Laughing] It’s that simple.
Being from West Virginia is a big plus. I’ve lived in Austin, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh, and I’ve lived most of my life in West Virginia. What I’d tell people is work your ass off, organize your work, and book your shows and go. Make your shows as good as they can be. Once you do that, make your show better and keep doing that. Make that your priority.
I’m here because I want to be. Maybe I have to be in West Virginia. Maybe if I was working a regular job (whatever a regular job means) and had to tend to that every day, I don’t know if I could do that. I think it’s a plus, especially when I go up north. I’ve got a little bit of a twang in my voice and people dig that. There’s this thing about West Virginia.
Music Featured in this #WVmusic chat:
Todd Burge- “Time to Waste Time – Live on Mountain Stage”
Todd Burge- “The Longer – Live on Mountain Stage”
Todd Burge- “Enough About Me – Live on Mountain Stage”
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Ona to Tyler Childers, Rozwell Kid to Qiet and beyond. But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
Today, we’re chatting with Huntington’s own Ian Thornton, a 30-something who has become a sort of father figure to the West Virginia music scene, and no wonder: he’s played here, he’s booked shows here and he’s even put on a local music festival that’s grown exponentially over the last 7 years. But we’ll let him describe what he’s done and what he hopes to do for West Virginia music.
On his start in music and his father (the namesake for Whizzbang Booking and Management):
I guess it ultimately goes back to my dad. Huge music buff. Couldn’t snap his fingers in rhythm, but he could tell you everything about the Kinks or Dublin Bagpipes or folk music. The guy was incredibly intelligent on a lot of fronts. That’s where I got a love of music from the get-go, getting into the Beatles or the Stones or Buddy Holly.
Then I got my first instrument in high school [as a] freshmen, hanging out with friends and playing music. But I really started taking part in the music scene with The Love Coats, which was my first band that was really doing stuff in Huntington. With them we saw moderate regional success. We weren’t huge or anything, but we did well in our area.
I was in another really cool band called Desolation Row, [where] we were a little heavier. [Then] AC30 came from a band called Whirling Dervish, [which] lost a couple of members, added a couple of members and turned into AC30.
On wanting a career in music at a young age:
I knew I wanted a career in music since middle school, [but] I didn’t know how. Everyone wants to be in a famous band. Who doesn’t want to play Wembley or Madison Square Garden? Always carry day jobs, that’s the thing about music. You always need some other income. If you depend on music from the get-go, you’ll be in a lot of trouble, [and you’ll] be really hungry.
On opening a bar in Huntington:
We got ahold of Shamrocks, my brother and I, in ’08. The Love Coats had broken up already, and I was still in love with playing shows, meeting bands and that whole atmosphere. The Shamrocks venue was actually where I played my first rock’n’roll show, [which] was called Marley’s Doghouse at the time, and it came up for sale. None of us had ever been in the bar business or ran a bar, we kind of jumped in with two feet and I took over the entertainment and booking side.
That’s kind of where it all started with me learning how to book shows, talk to bands, and handle events of that nature. It was a long process, a lot of learning, but we caught our stride and were doing really well there for awhile.
It was a good venue, cool room. Dirty dive bar. Smelled terrible, concrete floors. That was the essence of it. I was going through Myspace, trying to find bands in the area. Most venues have to field so many emails about bands wanting to play, being picky-choosey. [But] at that time, I was like, “Please play this bar. We have to have music.”
I was putting really funny bills together. Which is something I’ve liked to do since then. I’d put a country act with a metal act, or a punk rock with a hip hop. At first it was out of desperation but I really like the eclectic style. I like more than one style of music; I think people like more than one style of music. If you limit yourself to only one, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
That first year was rough. It was slow going. But eventually we started catching some tread in the area. The thing about Huntington is there isn’t a lot of choices for live music. Today, we’re down to the V Club. There’s other places that will do music, but I wouldn’t call them venues. Like they’ll have music in their bar.
With Shamrocks, we were hitting a niche. We took the role of the dirty dive bar, and I like that. That’s what rock clubs are: musty and dark. That’s where the best things happen, I feel. We caught on with a lot of the scene, and people who couldn’t really get shows in Huntington. We were more open arms.
On the sustainability of #WVmusic:
If people aren’t getting behind it, and you aren’t having that thriving force behind it, it’s hard for people to sustain it. People get older too. That’s a thing with bands: it’s a lot of fun when you’re 22 or 23, but you get older and have to get more serious about your life, [so] bands take backseats. From our heyday, there’s only a few left [like] Sly Roosevelt and Deadbeats and Barkers. I think music scenes go in ebbs and flows, a lot of high points then it kind of drops off. Recently we’re on another upturn. People are getting inspired again, and you see bands popping up.
Credit Courtesy of Ian Thornton
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Ian Thornton began the Huntington Music & Arts Festival on a wing and a prayer. Now, it’s grown to a full week of music, arts and collaboration in Huntington.
There weren’t any festivals in town promoting our local scene other than two bars. And the problem with that is you’re cutting out 90 percent of your potential listeners. Not everyone wants to come to a bar and a show that starts at 10:30 at night. You’re limiting yourself to people listening to your music. I wanted to bring those bands out of the bars and to the forefront of Huntington. A daytime family-friendly event where they could enjoy some of these bands that I felt were doing really good and that I could get behind. You could have fun and still go home and get to bed at a decent hour if you needed to.
The first year… the event went well, but it was a hard thing to get together. I had never done it before, and I jumped into it. I’m a really particular person because “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” and I’ve been burned in the past. I wanted to take it upon myself to have a successful event, [where] I have to do a majority of the work to pull it off. I’ve probably put more work on myself than I should at times, and I’m getting to a point where I can rely on people. I can finally delegate some stuff out. I’m learning… [laughing] I’m slowly giving up!
When it comes to picking bands out, I try to see as many shows as I can throughout the year. My main concern is if a band is active, they’re actually doing something. I want them to have something to promote. I guess it’s kind of like Mountain Stage: you’re not just picking people to pick people. You’re [looking for] a working band, aspiring to do something positive, promote your music and do things. [So] that’s what I like to look for: bands on the rise, or are actively doing it.
It gets a lot tougher because I have to separate friends [from work]. I have to treat the Huntington Music & Arts Festival with a level of responsibility and can’t let everyone on it.
Like Of the Dell, those boys are a perfect example. They were hounding me last year, [and I would tell them,] “You guys are great, and I love you, but you’re just not ready.” Now they’re more than ready for a spot this year. They’ve hit the game hard and have over 25 original tunes [now]; they’ve put the work in and you can see it.
Credit Kaci Tallman
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Ian Thornton (far left) enjoying a break from a festival with his #WVmusic friends (who happen to be members of Tyler Childers & the Foodstamps and Ona).
Essentially what I’m doing is selling a band. I’m trying to sell a band to a venue who’s never heard of this person, or me, so if you’re just doing to make a little dough, it’s a half-hearted attempt. I refuse to act in that manner. So when it came to picking the roster, those are all people I have a lot of faith in, and I really enjoy their music personally. I could listen to it, and I listen to it often. I think that makes my job easier because you’re more sincere about it. I think sincerity is a big proponent of this sort of thing because if you don’t believe in it, how can you get someone else.
I try to rely on my credibility, that I’m passionate about what I do.
Credit Courtesy of Ian Thornton
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Ian Thonrton began Whizzbang Booking and Management in the Spring of 2016.
On being friends with (and managing) Morgantown’s William Matheny:
I’m incredibly excited about William. He’s one of the first ones I’ve contacted back in the Shamrocks days, and to this day I’ll stand behind the Born of Frustration album. We hit it off early, and I’ve been a huge fan of his for so long. At Shamrocks, I would only let sound guys play local music in-between bands. I don’t know how many times I’d only play Billy’s record back there.
From a managing sense, Billy’s incredibly intelligent. He’s been in the scene for a long time. He knows what he wants. In terms of managing, I only truly manage Tyler, Ona and Of the Dell; the rest I help out [with], give ideas, talk back-and-forth. I primarily book those acts. [But] William is a force of his own. He teaches me things. He asked me to join his band, [which] I think he and Bud [Caroll] came to the conclusion because Adam Meisterhans plays bass on a majority of the record [and] he wouldn’t be able to make all the gigs. So they invited me to play, and I jumped on it to play with a guy I’ve been a huge fan of for years. It’s kind of fun to be that involved in something and separate yourself to pitch it too. We’re a nice couple; we make it work.
Bud and I really hit it off! I knew who he was early on, [but] we weren’t really friends in the early Shamrocks days. [But] The Love Coats opened up for American Minor, we started talking and we’ve been incredibly close ever since. He’s been integral to the early days of the Huntington Music & Arts Festival. [Our band] AC30 was a really fun run, and we never really broke up; we kind of just stopped playing. Hopefully we play again. We’ve got some songs recorded that I’d like to get out there.
On being called a “father figure” in the #WVmusic scene:
It’s been a main goal of mine to treat bands well from the get-go, and I think that stems from me having a musician background to begin with. And I think when you treat people well, you get it in return. Ultimately when it comes to taking on the roll I have, it wasn’t intended by any means. If you told me 8 or 9 years ago that this would be where I was, I don’t know if I’d believe you or not. It’s a matter of doing it, really. It just became a passion of mine that kept going. When it comes down to it, people can talk all day, but until you take the effort and step forward and take the responsibility on, nothing’s going to change, nothing’s going to happen with it. I didn’t really see that getting done at the time.
So I just felt it upon myself, I had a great opportunity with a rock venue. One thing just kept leading to another. I was earning the respect from a lot of bands with the venue treating them right when they weren’t being treated right at other places.
I do get joked about with that stuff every now and then. All the Ona boys call me dad, and in return the Foodstamps starting calling me mom. [Laughing] So I have the whole thing there.
It’s a matter of wanting to do it, and actually enjoying it. Nothing I’ve done is for recognition or anything. The main goal is promoting WV/Tri-State music. I would put our scene against the Seattle boom in the ’90s or the Austin boom. I think we’ve got, per capita, just as good of stuff as anywhere in the nation. If I have to be the one to push it, that’s what I’m going to do. Until I can’t do it anymore, or for some reason it gets pulled out from under me but so far so good!
Credit Max Nolte
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Ian Thornton on public transportation in D.C. as he accompanied Ona to their Sirius XM The Loft performance.
On the highlight of his #WVmusic journey:
Huntington Music & Arts Festival. If I had to be proud of something, it’d be that. It brings a lot of people together. That thing takes months and months of planning, phone calls, hitting the streets and getting sponsorships myself. But then it’s over in a flash. You get there at 8 in the morning and before you know it, the last band is hitting the last note. It kind of shoots by. I did all this stuff and now it’s over. But it’s such a thrill. It isn’t just a Huntington thing; it’s West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio. Seeing these bands so happy and being together with other bands their friends with or love, and seeing them all onstage in one day, or it’s a whole week at this point. We’re growing this to something I think will be something Huntington pushes. I think it will be one of their attributes, and that’s my goal. People coming around to see it, filling up the hotels and businesses. Doing what we can to make Huntington a great city.
It’s obviously a grandeur idea, but like how SXSW is. All different art forms are expressed, people come from miles-and-miles, countries away. I mean, it’s Austin, TX. But I think we can do that on a small scale. And we’re finally getting noticed some of the people in Huntington…. We’re not just a bunch of rock n rollers renting out the amphitheater playing guitars loud. This is a serious thing; we all take it seriously. We’re here to promote it and show what your city has to offer you. All you have to do is buy a ticket.
On the future of the #WVmusic scene:
I think we’re on quite the rise, I think some great things are about to happen. I’m seeing new bands pop up; new bands I really dig. You know, I preach Tyler Childers and Ona heavier than anything. I’m closer to those guys. I believe in them more than anything. I’d risk life and limb for both of them. I think seeing them doing things that are quality and getting recognition across the country, literally. Even other countries at this point. I look at their sales and the attention they’re getting, and it’s inspiring. All it does is keep increasing passion. It’d be one thing to keep beating a dead horse, or run into a wall, but if you get behind something and it catches on, it does nothing but invigorate you, and make you want to push harder, get more acts doing things.
When I came into the scene, it was really funny. The Love Coats were the only pop-rock band around, so there was no one to play with. What we did was learn 3 hours’ worth of music, basically do our own shows because it was a really heavier scene.
The ’90s Huntington scene which was a little before my time was huge with bands like Chum doing huge things. We were a heavier scene, and it was starting to wain off when I started coming up to it. It’s transitioned now, I don’t think you put your finger on just one thing or another. We’re eclectic and I love it. Being eclectic will bring more music than being stifled. Seeing new bands pop up across genres is really inspiring, and I think we’re on a rise personally. There’s great things happening, past couple of years, and great things to come.
On advice to young West Virginians looking to get into music:
I would say just love what you do, and be passionate about it. And be ready to work hard, because that’s what it takes. And don’t put money as your ultimate goal, I know bands that do that and nothing good comes of it. If you love music, love music. If you love what you do, love what you do. Believe in what you do and push for it. You will reap benefits from hard work. Love what you do, practice, hone your craft and just believe in yourself. Network, meet other bands, become friends with other bands because nobody can do everything on their own. It takes that networking and comradery to make a music scene to help build everybody. It’s not a one-person thing; it’s a music scene for a reason. So you go watch other people’s bands so they’ll watch your band. You have to be a part of it. You can’t just jump in and expect anything. Work for it, earn it.
On his hopes for #WVmusic in the years to come:
I hope that we become a focus of the national music scene, and I hope we can set a bar because, I hate to be the guy to beat on West Virginia, but we have a stigma about us. [Laughing] Hell if they even know West Virginia is a state. It’s constantly a thing we have to battle. I’d like to have such an impact that people will be like, “We have to do what they’re doing in Huntington. A small city, but look at what they’re doing. Look at how active they are and in sync with each other.” I want to build a music scene that can be admired from the entire nation, not just West Virginia or the surrounding areas.
Now in its 33rd season, Mountain Stage will bring its live performance radio program to Davis & Elkins College on Saturday, August 13 to celebrate the Augusta Heritage Festival for a show at the Harper-McNeeley Auditorium at the Myles Center for the Arts in Elkins, WV. Audiences will participate in a recording that will be heard on over 170 NPR stations around the nation and on the top-ranking Mountain Stage Podcast.
Tickets are available starting today and can be purchased online or by phone at 304.637.1255. Click here, and read on, for ticket prices and festival information.
This August 13 concert will mark the Mountain Stage debut of Dori Freeman, a twenty-four-year-old singer-songwriter whose timeless Appalachian music has caught the ears of NPR Music, No Depression and even The New York Times, who had this to say:
“The purity of Dori Freeman’s voice and the directness of her songwriting reflect not only her Appalachian hometown — Galax, Va. — but also a determined classicism, a rejection of the ways modern country punches itself up for radio and arenas.”
Sample some of Dori Freeman’s latest release on NPR Music & WXPN’s World Cafe:
Joining Dori at this August 13 show will be the Grammy-nominated bluegrass bandBlue Highway, emerging bluegrass group Flatt Lonesome, and the Davis & Elkins Appalachian Ensemble, who were recently featured on an episode of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia as they traveled along the Mountain Music Trail.
Critically-acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and Carolina Chocolate Drops founder Rhiannon Giddens will also perform on this August 13 show. Listeners might remember her last set on Mountain Stage, which brought the entire theater to their feet (and for good reason).
