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Morgantown's 'Bad News Bears': Chico's Bail Bonds More Social Club Than Softball Team

Editor’s Note: This story is featured on an episode of Inside Appalachia focused on the impact of baseball throughout the region. To listen to this episode and others, subscribe to the podcast.

It’s an early August evening on Libertore Field at White Park in Morgantown. The orange prison jumpsuit jerseys of Chico’s Bail Bonds are impossible to miss — and so is our play. But, that’s not necessarily a compliment.

On this evening, the team loses in typical Chico fashion.

The team name, of course, comes from the 1976 film The Bad News Bears, in which a down-and-out and cheap beer-swigging Walter Matthau coaches a group of rag-tag Little Leaguers and tries to whip them into shape.

Morgantown’s Chico’s aren’t too far off from their fictitious counterparts.

On this night, there are flashes of defensive greatness in the outfield from Chico veteran Sean Kelley and rookie Dave Lawson. A few Chico batters turn infield errors into a few runs, thanks to some heads-up baserunning.

We hold our own against an outmatched and much younger rival, Gene’s Beer Garden, only to crumble when we needed to come through.

But all isn’t lost, as it never is with Chico’s. The night is still young. Win or lose, the team had yet to get to the best part of the Chico’s game-night experience.

Becoming a Chico

I found myself a part of this group of gentleman misfits somewhat by chance, but looking back on it all, it makes perfect sense.

It was a Wednesday night in late winter or early spring of 2017, and I had popped into 123 Pleasant Street after a long day at work. I sat down, looking for some sort of reprieve from the heaviness that can be my job. I stopped in to catch up with my friend, Tyler Grady.

“You said, ‘Hey dude, is there a softball team around here or anything?’ And I don’t remember if I even said anything other than, ‘Come with me — follow me right now,’” recalled Grady, a Morgantown musician, car salesman, entrepreneur and a bartender at 123 Pleasant Street.

Chico’s part-time first baseman and the author of this article swings mightily at a pitch on June 16, 2017. His arms do not normally appear this muscular — although, they do in this photo because of pure grit, determination and zen-like focus.

“We walked around the bar and I took you downstairs to the lower bar that was not open at the time. I stood up on the liquor shelf, I climbed up and I got down our trophy that was given to us — the Olivia Newton-John trophy, our 0-and-23 trophy. And I was like, ‘The greatest softball team of all time is here,’ ” Grady, who plays right field, remembers.

The Olivia Newton-John trophy is a reference to Tommy John surgery — a procedure baseball pitchers undergo after tearing a tendon in the elbow of their throwing arm. Any baseball fan surely would get the joke.

I immediately understood the sense of humor that informed Chico’s. I could also tell I didn’t necessarily have to be good — this was about goofing off and having fun.

But Chico’s is an institution — with a history far longer than my two-season career platooning at first base.

Among the many stories of Chico’s lore include a player being picked up from jail to make a game, a player buying an orange Miata and getting a vanity license plate with ‘CHICO84’ and strange nicknames like ‘Meatball.’

A Staple of Morgantown Softball

With just one season under their belt as the Nyabinghi Dance Hall, the team took on the Chico-moniker 20 years ago — in 1998 — the same year the bar took on the name of its address, 123 Pleasant Street.

Morgantown native Louis “LJ” Giuliani took over ownership of the bar and sponsorship of Chico’s. He says Chico’s immediately embodied the open-minded identity of 123.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re white or black, straight or gay, or whatever. It’s all kinds that take the field when Chico’s takes the field,” Giuliani said, noting that 123 has held the same values from the beginning.

Chico’s utility player Jon Vehse, who works in construction and other odd jobs, remembers the early days of 123 Pleasant Street the same way.

“This bar — especially when it started — it was the bar for everybody that didn’t have a bar. Everybody got along. You know, it was the place for everybody that didn’t have a place. In a lot of ways, Chico’s is kind of like that,” Vehse said.

Chico’s rookie right fielder Dave Lawson rounds first base during a June 6, 2018 game against Davis Cabinetry. The game proved to be the only outright win for Chico’s during their 2018 campaign. His dreadlock-friendly hats and visors are known on the team as a “helmet.”

After 20 years, many Chico’s have come and gone from the team and from Morgantown. But even those who have moved on still stay connected to the team and look back on the early days with fondness.

“It was probably, really, to do something healthier besides sitting in the dark bar. I think to go out and do something that was more participatory and less spectator-driven — because, we all sat around and watch baseball together at that time. So, it was nice for us to go out and do something [and] get out in the sun and see the day together,” said Greg Leatherman, a journalist now living in Florida who was around when the team began.

Morgantown’s Music Scene and 123 Pleasant Street

Giuliani, now retired from the softball field, says Chico’s was always rooted in Morgantown’s music and art scene.

“A lot of the players that they grabbed on to just happened to be musicians. Brian Porterfield, Tom Batchelor, you’ve got Jeff Goodwin who is a musician. He’s playing on the team now,” said Giuliani, recalling some of the players who have exercised their musical talents from the stage at 123 and other local venues.

Softball wasn’t their first talent — nor their second, third or fourth, Giuliani said with a laugh.

Top photos: Tom Batchelor is well known around the region for his work with rock and reggae groups like Rasta Rafiki and The Tom Batchelor Band, as well as his time as a Chico. Bottom: Jeffrey Goodwin has been a part of punk and metal bands such as Law Biting Citizens and Ghost Road.

“It was a way to bring like-minded folks [together] that liked talking about music or art or how many shots of Jameson they had. It was based more on like-mindedness,” he explained.

Following each Chico’s game, as it has been since the beginning, the Bonders gather at 123 for cheap beers like Black Label and Pabst Blue Ribbon — and, as Giuliani mentioned, celebratory shots of Jameson.

For Vehse and other Chico’s, the post-game celebration is the perfect cap — with seemingly disparate people milling about, discussing music, sports, politics and sharing stories of life’s misadventures.

“More often than not, it is the highlight of the evening. But there’s just a certain camaraderie. I think there’s a genuine affection between people,” he said.

Among Chico’s, Vehse is known for his love of curating the music from the jukebox in the lower bar.

“From Beethoven to Bob Wills, from the Rolling Stones to Prince Far I. There’s everything on that jukebox. It is an eclectic evening. It is awesome,” Vehse said of the musical selections.

Chico’s shortstop Jim Antonini (center) and loyal fans hoist a shot of Jameson at 123 Pleasant Street during a post-season party to celebrate a successful 3-25 season. With an expanded roster in 2018, it’s possible the Bonders broke a single-season record for most fluid ounces of alcohol consumed.

Creating the Chico Mythology: Game Summaries Recap the Misery

But, even after a few drinks at 123, a Chico’s game night isn’t over until it’s been recapped and shared on the team’s Facebook group.

Part comedy, part mythology, the game write-ups exaggeratedly highlight the ups-and-downs over an always hard-fought seven innings. If Chico’s doesn’t get clobbered into a 10 or 15-run mercy rule before getting through all 7 innings, that is.

“There’s three of us that have kind of done this and that’s myself, David Foreman and Jim Antonini,” Greg Leatherman said. “And, basically, it is sort of like the literary connection to Chico’s softball team — is that we’ve always captured the games win, lose or draw and written up how the game went — in both a serious, professional, sort of sportscaster way but also with a lot of humor.”

Shortstop, team manager, Morgantown native and occupational health science researcher Jim Antonini has taken over the write-ups in recent years.

A commemorative Jeff Ryan bobble head sits on the liquor shelf at 123 Pleasant Street. Catcher Eric Ramon gifted Ryan with his bobble-head likeness on Jeff Ryan Bobble Head Night at BOPARC on August 9, 2018.

“It’s the same story and it’s gotten harder to write them — because, we continue to lose. There’s only so many ways you could describe a loss and drinking beer after a softball game,” Antonini explained.

If you were at any given game, you would know what is and isn’t absolutely true. If you weren’t, well, that’s left to your own imagination to decide.

Here’s one of Antonini’s write-ups from a game back in 2011:

The clock struck midnight. Down 19-18 in the last inning with two outs and two Bonders on, hot-hitting Ethan Wells hit deep, majestic drive to center field, bringing the roaring Chico followers to their feet. To the Bonders’ dismay, the Colasonte’s left center fielder dashed out of the darkness and fog of the thick, hazy summer night and made a diving, stabbing, tumbling, catch — ripping the hearts out of the Chico followers and team members. In disbelief, first baseman Leatherman retreated to his car and wept — not about the loss, but about the pride he felt for his fellow Bondsman. On this night, Chico’s were everything they had not been this forgettable season: Daring, hustling, bold, youthful. Not wanting to go home, six or seven Chico’s milled aimlessly around the closing 123 bar at 3 a.m. An exhausted and worn down Vehse stood over the darkened jukebox — with the power long shut off after last call — still trying to make selections…just wanting to hear Peggy Lee sing “Is That All There Is” one more time.

Another Losing Record, But No Giving Up

Chico’s finished their 2018 campaign with a record of 3 wins and 25 losses. Two of those wins came as a result of a no-show forfeit from the opposing team, while the third came on a gloriously executed 7 innings against Davis Cabinetry.

Such a pathetic record should make anyone reconsider their motivations to keep playing softball. But, if you can’t tell, Chico’s isn’t about winning. Antonini says no matter what happens over the course of a season, it’s hard to imagine hanging it up.

“I think every year there’s a point in the year — probably after you’ve played 18, 20 games and it’s like ‘Why are we doing this?’ We come out and sometimes we really get humiliated,” Antonini said. “But, then, the game ends and then you get together and everybody has a few beers and then it doesn’t seem that bad. It’s a pretty good way to spend a night.”

Chico’s Bail Bonds poses for a team photo on June 16, 2018, following a win against Davis Cabinetry. The game served as the team’s only outright win of the 2018 season.

Giuliani, despite having not played in recent years, feels the same.

“Chico’s is kind of a state of mind in the sense that we’re not here to judge, we’re here to support and we’re here to spend time with each other. And that’s the bottom line. We’re a softball team that’s more of a social club than an actual softball team,” Giuliani said.

So, if you ever find yourself around 123 Pleasant Street surrounded by orange softball shirts, you’ll know you’re hanging out with the Chico’s. Buy a few of them a drink and strike up a conversation. After all, we assuredly just got beat.

To see a gallery of Chico’s Bail Bonds in action, click on the story’s main photo at the top of the page.

Front and Center with Morgantown's William Matheny

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 Bud Carroll to Goodwolf, Rozwell Kid to Coyotes in Boxes and beyond.

But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day was this month (and with A Change of Tune’s second birthday on the horizon), 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 Morgantown singer-songwriter-rocker William Matheny, who joined a band and began touring when he was but a wee lad. Flash-forward to today, and he has a great new release to his name, and he’s primed to make his NPR Music debut on Mountain Stage. We chatted with William about his experience playing music up in Mountaineer Country, the friends he’s made over the years in West Virginia, and what we can expect at his June 26 Mountain Stage…

William Matheny’s newest release is the Blood Moon Singer EP, which is a preview of his upcoming full-length Strange Constellations. You can hear his music on his website. Catch him on Mountain Stage on June 26 with his band friends Bud Carroll, Ian Thornton, Rod Elkins, and Adam Meisterhans. Hear more #WVmusic 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 and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!

William Matheny, performing at The Empty Glass in 2016.

Interview Highlights

On his family’s roots in music:

My great-grandfather was a regionally known gospel singer, and then his son (my grandfather) was a regionally known country singer named Mansfield Matheny. He had a band with some of his friends called The Rhythm Rascals, this would’ve been in the late ‘40s/early ‘50s. My grandfather was the lead singer of the group and played rhythm guitar.

My dad also plays music. He was in a really good bluegrass band in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. They traveled around, did some stuff, and recorded an album, and then they all got married and had kids. Basically, I broke up the band. He still plays guitar in the church choir. He taught me how to play music, and we actually played in bands together when I was a kid. We played in cover bands when I was an adolescent and in early high school.

It was a long series of different bands, and I really have to give my father a ton of credit on this. I always stress this with people: my parents weren’t stage parents at all. This all was my idea. Basically I’d been playing guitar, and I told my parents I wanted to play in a band. And when you’re a small kid in a really small town, maybe you know people who play music, maybe you don’t. My dad got on the phone and said, “Hey, my son plays music. He wants to start doing stuff. Would you be interested in joining a band?” I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but I’m incredibly grateful for it now just because I’m imagining being an adult and getting that call from one of your acquaintances like, “Hey, would you want to join a band with my 9-year-old son?” [Laughing] I would be obviously be incredibly skeptical of that.

On beginning his music career in Morgantown:

I grew up about an hour south of Morgantown. By that time I’d become acquainted with the scene up here and all the bands, [not to mention] making music and doing albums and touring and stuff, I really wanted to get involved with [the scene]. At that point, I started playing with this guy named Brian Porterfield who had this band in the ’90s called Cheap Truckers’ Speed. Brian doesn’t really play anymore, but I say this to anyone who listens: he’s probably the best songwriter I know personally. In terms of people I can call on the phone and say “hello,” he’s just really, really great. Like one of those unknown treasure people.

I wanted to join his band. I looked him up in the phonebook, we knew some mutual people so it wasn’t totally like a cold-call, and I tried to pitch myself. It took a few phone calls, but eventually I joined as his drummer. That was my first proper band that was doing original material. I did that for like two years, like the second half of high school.

That band stopped playing like three or four months after I graduated from high school and turned 18. That was sort of when I [began playing front-and-center]. I was writing songs the whole time and played them a little bit, but it wasn’t my main focus. By that point, I was itching to get back to playing guitar, and I wanted to have a band that was playing my own material. I didn’t go to college; instead, I just moved to a college town and joined like five bands. I didn’t say no to any gig for a really long time. I was playing with a bunch of different groups, and it was a wonderful learning experience. I’m super happy about doing it. It meant I could learn how to play a lot of different genres and have a really good time doing it. There’s no shortcut into doing that. I wouldn’t recommend the same thing if you want to be a brain surgeon, but for music? Do it.

William Matheny performed at U92 FM’s inaugural Moose Fest at 123 Pleasant Street.

On playing in Morgantown:

123 Pleasant Street is obviously the biggest venue here in terms of ones that do things consistently. I’ve played at 123 for 16 or 17 years at this point. It’s been a really long time, and I’ve always really enjoyed it. It’s still my favorite club. Whatever place you latch onto when you’re young and impressionable, it will always be that gold standard for you. Every time I go out of town, I’m always comparing it to 123.

Gene’s [in Morgantown] is great. It’s this really nice neighborhood bar that’s a block away from my house. The owner Al [Bonner] is one of the best people in the world, just a great human being. It’s a very small place with a little PA, and it almost feels like you’re playing a house party more than anything. But it’s really great. He’s been very cool about getting in touring people. Sharon Van Etten played their once, and so did Lydia Loveless, John Paul Keith, and Webb Wilder. Gene’s is wonderful.

On recording his new record and forming a band of friends for it:

When we started recording, there wasn’t a concrete band line-up. Southeast Engine had stopped, and I knew I wanted to make a record. I wanted to get back to doing what I do. At the time, Rozwell Kid’s Adam Meisterhans was hanging out with Bud Carroll trying to make a record of his own (titled Best Vibrations, which I have to point that out because the title’s great), and I guess Adam sent me a text while he was down there saying it’d be fun for the three of us to work on a record. That seemed as good as an idea of any, so we went down, and we didn’t know what any of us would be playing on it. While we made it, Adam plays most of the bass, Bud plays most of the drums. I used to joke and tell people that if you’re going to make an album, you need to find the best two guitar players you know and have them play something else.

We also brought Tyler Childers & the Food Stamps‘ Rod Elkins and Ian Thornton on board so we could move Bud and Adam to guitar. Everyone is doing what they really excel at.

William Matheny’s upcoming full-length is ‘Strange Constellations.’ In the meantime, check out his 3-song EP ‘Blood Moon Singer’ at this week’s Mountain Stage.

On the new album and the band sharing the name of Strange Constellations:

Initially, I decided it was going to be the name of the record, and I wanted some continuity sort-of between the album and then name of the band. It comes from this thing in Moby Dick where Ishmael is talking about being in the Southern Hemisphere under different stars. What I took that to mean was if you’re astrologically inclined at all, you’re not really sure about the star signs that are guiding you, which is one of the main themes of the record. We wanted to tie the name of the band into that.

On playing Mountain Stage on June 26 in Charleston:

This is my fourth time. I did it twice with Todd Burge and once with Southeast Engine. It’s the first time under the guise of doing my own material. We’re obviously really excited. We’re doing the rarest of things in our band where we’re practicing. We’ve decided what we’re going to play, sharpening our knives and getting ready for the street fight.

A FestivALL favorite, William Matheny has been performing in Charleston for years.

On advice to anyone getting into music:

The big thing is to don’t quit; that will get you further than anything you can do. After that, you just have to get out of town and play as many places as you can. That can be really discouraging at first, especially when you don’t know what that’s supposed to be like. If you’re playing popular shows in your hometown, you kind of immediately think everything should be like this. You’re going to do this, and it won’t be fun as playing in your hometown is initially, but if you keep coming back, it will. While it may not seem like you’re having an impression, you really are. So the best thing you can do is stay with it.

I’d hardly call myself qualified to give advice, but keep working and don’t get discouraged. That’s the important thing. Keep working, everything will improve. Don’t let it get you down.

Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:

William Matheny- “29 Candles”

William Matheny- “My Grandfather Knew Stoney Cooper”

William Matheny- “Living Half to Death”

How to Get Gigs: A Guide to Booking Concerts in West Virginia

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 Bishops to Rozwell Kid, The Sea The Sea to Bud Carroll and more.

But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is upon us (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 on this West Virginia Day, we’re turning the focus from the artist to the places that they play, the venues where #WVmusic starts on a Friday night, ends in the wee hours of Saturday, and kicks off again that evening. But how does a band end up in one of these venues? And what can fans do to help? We spoke with some of West Virginia’s favorite venues (including Charleston’s The Empty Glass, Fayetteville’s The 35th Star, Huntington’s The V Club, Morgantown’s 123 Pleasant Street, and Thomas’ The Purple Fiddle) to come up with a guide on how to get your band booked across the Mountain State and beyond.

Morgantown’s William Matheny rocks out with Huntington’s Bud Carroll during this 2016 gig at The Empty Glass.

Before you start looking around for a gig, it might be good to brush up on your #WVmusic venue history.

Since its doors first opened in 1985, Charleston’s The Empty Glass has been a staple for both national and local acts in West Virginia. The Drive-By Truckers, Justin Townes Earle, NRBQ, Joss Stone, and John Inghram’s Slugfest have all hung their musical hats at this #CharlestonWV establishment at one time or another.

Although it’s the new #WVmusic kid on the block, Fayetteville’s The 35th Star has hit the ground running with acts like Dinosaur Burps, Sly Roosevelt, and Black King Coal since opening its musical doors late last summer. The venue is located on the grounds of Cantrell’s Rafting, a space that hosted West Virginia bands for well over a decade before The 35th Star’s opening. Any local band that played there can testify to Cantrell’s being an enormous asset to the #WVmusic scene, so when the opportunity arose to make the area bigger and better, the space was revamped with a stage and professional in-house PA system to turn it into a year-round destination rather than just a spot for rafting season. Oh, and the venue’s name? It comes from the 35th star on the American flag, representing West Virginia’s statehood.

A mix of local and regional talent, this recent show at The V Club featured Huntington’s Ona and Ohio’s Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… The V Club! In the 1930’s, Huntington’s The V Club was actually a split building that housed a neighborhood grocery store and ice cream parlor. Once prohibition was repealed in 1933, the ice cream parlor began selling beer, and that was the end of that. This summer actually marks The V Club’s tenth anniversary as a #HuntingtonWV music destination, and there’s a lot to celebrate when you look at the venue’s gig history. Before they were household names, once little-known acts like Chris Stapleton, Josh Ritter, and Jason Isbell performed at The V Club. The same could be says for up-and-coming locals like Ona, Tyler Childers, and The Horse Traders.

In the 1980’s, it was known as The Underground Railroad. In the 1990’s, folks referred to it as The Nyabinghi Dance Hall (or The Nyabinghi for short). But for almost two decades, Morgantown music fans and friends alike have called this little piece of heaven 123 Pleasant Street. Consider this West Virginia’s 9:30 Club, with acts and styles ranging from Guided By Voices to Bo Diddley, The Flaming Lips to My Morning Jacket and even local talent like Todd Burge‘s 63 Eyes and upcoming Mountain Stage guests William Matheny and Qiet.

Greensky Bluegrass. The Avett Brothers. Crooked Still. These are just a few of the acts that have called Thomas’ The Purple Fiddle their musical home away from home (three times, in fact, when it comes The Avett Brothers). Located in one of the coolest and coziest towns in West Virginia, The Purple Fiddle is a combination healthy food restaurant, high quality beer bar, and music venue with a colorful name that shows how differences can blend and dissipate (red + blue = purple) when we share the common experience of a great concert.

So how do these venues scout for talent?

For some venues, booking isn’t a problem. John Bright of The Purple Fiddle says the venue has had no trouble filling the schedule with bands that contact them. “More times than I can name, I have heard that musicians are told by other bands that they have to play here,” Bright says.

“Being as old as it is, The Empty Glass is on almost every touring directory there is in the United States and abroad,” says Jason Robinson of The Empty Glass. “I don’t have a lot of time to scout for new local talent since we book seven days a week, but I try and keep my ear to the ground and find new local talent.”

The 35th Star is located in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Word-of-mouth obviously plays an important role in getting booked, especially if you have someone outside of your band being able to vouch for you. Whether it’s fans, band friends, or local radio figureheads, it’s all about leaving a great impression with your music and professionalism.

“We are fortunate to personally know many of the bands that we book and count them as our friends,” says Sean Kinder of The 35th Star, “Our friends in bands turn us on to new bands that they enjoy and respect, which gives us a deep well of talent to draw from.”

What is the best way to reach out to a venue for booking consideration?

A well-written e-mail with links to your band’s audio or video seems to be the venues’ preferred way of being contacted. While you might be tempted to message them through Facebook or another social media outlet, using the channel they set up specifically for booking (i.e. email) will help them help you.

Bright says, “300 shows a year is a lot to juggle. E-mail is searchable, so I can always return to previous conversations about specific dates, times, and money. E-mail prevents simple mistakes based on miscommunication.”

“E-mail is preferred,” agreed Patrick Guthrie of The V Club. “Don’t be discouraged if there is no response to your email the first time. Sometimes there are too many to filter through.” But, he says, he will get to it.

Morgantown’s Hello June performs a tribute to Bowie at this recent 123 Pleasant Street gig.

L.J. Giuliani of 123 Pleasant Street says, “[Make sure to send] links to the music, so we can get an idea if there’s interest in the band. Also find out if there are local bands interested in partnering [for a show]. If you see bands you want to play with, let us know, or contact them yourself so they can play [with you at the venue].”

Kinder adds, “It’s also helpful to include a specific, finely-tuned description of your band’s sound and influences. Hopefully that will let talent buyers and venues know what kind of energy you bring and how to best promote your music.”

How does social media play a role in booking talent?

Being active on social media is important for a variety of reasons. For starters, it gives venues a way to gauge a band’s popularity and guesstimate how many folks will come out to see them live. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also give the venues a taste of the band’s interactions with fans and whether they use the platform enough to promote their music, their shows, and their venues.

“We think the best use of [band] social media is to showcase high-quality audio and video that really reflects a band’s live show,” says Kinder. And when they say “high-quality,” they mean no shaky hands and no weird filters. Keep it clean, keep it crisp, and have it be the best representation of what you can bring to the venue.

Zach Deputy has brought his island-infused soul to The Empty Glass more than a few times.

“I think what buyers are looking for is that the band is working hard to promote their band and staying busy touring,” Guthrie says. “It’s certainly a good rule of thumb for bands to have [an active] social media presence to help them grow their fan base.”

“It has become a very important and handy part of the business… and sometimes a necessary evil,” says Robinson. “It’s always good to check Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and see how well the bands promote themselves and how organized they are with promoting.”

A band has booked the show. What do they do next?

A recurring theme for all venues was promotion. Yes, it is the venue’s responsibility to promote a show, but they also believe the bands needs to promote it themselves.

“It’s the responsibility of both venues and bands to promote and get people excited about events,” Kinder says. “Sharing videos on social media sites, posters, and inviting friends are all very important parts of getting people interested in an event and getting the band repeat gigs.”

“More bodies in the room means more money for your band and a higher chance of performing at the venue again,” Giuliani says.

Chocolate 4-Wheeler is a band on the rise in Huntington. Catch them at The V Club if you have a chance.

“Just because the show is booked doesn’t mean the work is over,” Guthrie says. “They need to take responsibility of help getting the word out by promotion.”

What are mistakes a band will want to avoid?

“One mistake we see local bands make is overbooking themselves in a small area. While you may be able to get booked five nights a week, the band and the venues both lose out when you oversaturate the market,” says Kinder. “Showing up late to a show can make for a stressful environment. Crowds definitely pick up on that, [so] show up on time and be happy to be there.”

Robinson echoes those sentiments. “Not promoting themselves or being unprofessional during the show [are the worst attributes of a booked band]. Being organized and professional goes a long way.”

“For our venue specifically, [the worst mistake is] a band thinking a great crowd one time means they will get [another great crowd] the next time [or] every time,” says Bright. “Very rarely does a band bring us their crowd. A few do bring maybe up to half, but we always match it with unsuspecting tourists who just happen to be in the area and know to come here to see a good band.”

Is it important that a local opening act match the sound of a headlining national touring act?

Attaching a local opener to a show with a larger draw as the headliner is important for all parties. It exposes the audience to new local artists that they might not have gone out to see on a normal bill. But is it important that the two acts sound similar?

When you have a #WVmusic line-up like this, who needs sleep?

“It’s not always necessary to have the same genre, but it really depends on the type of show,” Guthrie says. “It sometimes makes for an interesting night. There are times when a patron walks away from a show exposed to new music they would not have found otherwise.”

Other venues would prefer the genres complement each other, but they realize this isn’t realistic due to regional availability. “Being in Charleston, we don’t always have that option, so it’s good to at least have a good contrast of music and try and make sure that the listeners of one type would like or appreciate the other genre,” Robinson says.

“It’s nice, but a lot of times it’s not possible,” Giuliani says. “So at that point, you try to recognize a band whose audience is the kind that would still dig the band. You try to match them up the best you can, think of the audience that would come to see a show like that. If you have a local band drawing well, then it’s easier to bring in a regional or national act that isn’t too well known in the area. The biggest thing is originality, if they can draw heads, and if they can engage an audience.”

Bright agrees. “It’s more important to us that the energy of the acts is complementary, so they don’t necessarily need to be the same genre. We’ve had some really fun nights blending bands that don’t play the same sort of music. There can be a common thread between bands outside of having the same instrumentation or style. It works when you really deliberate (read: obsess) over the headliner/support dynamic, and it’s incredibly satisfying to give our audience those unexpected match-ups.”

At the end of the day, how important is #WVmusic to the venues?

“The West Virginia music scene is the life blood of our venue, and us as people. It’s why we’re here. We are truly fans of these artists,” says Kinder. “Our favorite thing is to see our regional and nationally-touring bands’ reactions to the level of talent our local acts bring to the table. They’re blown away by what we have going on in our music scene. If we can provide a space that supports our state’s exceptional musicians and songwriters while still exposing people to new artists from across the country, we have accomplished our mission.”

The Horse Traders are another band to put on your #WVmusic list, especially if they’re playing at The V Club.

Guthrie says, “The local shows are our heartbeat of the club and community. They are our friends and family that create our music scene, and if they’re not playing a show, they are the ones supporting another show at the venue. [So] we try and support as much West Virginia music as possible without oversaturating the market with the same local bands. There is certainly a lot of different formats and genres to West Virginia’s music scene, and we try accommodate as much of it as we can.”

“It’s very important [to foster local talent at 123 Pleasant Street], but I also know that West Virginia is a very regionally-dictated kind of state,” says Giuliani. “A band that might be doing really well in Huntington or Charleston might not do well in Morgantown, and vice-versa. [Due to Morgantown’s waning and waxing student population], the audience can be somewhat fickle. Cultivating talent can sometimes be a tricky thing, [but at least] we’re blessed with a lot of great local talent.”

The Purple Fiddle is a little slice of #WVmusic heaven in Thomas.

“It sets a standard of excellence that makes West Virginians very proud,” says Bright. “People like Kathy Mattea and Tim O’Brien keep the mountain music traditions alive. [It’s] important to stretch the limits of what a ‘hillbilly band’ sounds like, [which is] nothing like you think.”

Final words of wisdom from venues to bands?

“Raise the bar until you have all the facets of a great band combined in one,” says Bright. “Strive to improve the smallest of your weaknesses. Find a successful model in another act or other musicians, people doing what you aspire to do and emulate their dedication and practice. Surround yourself with people better than you are, and then rise to the challenge (and, if you can, put them in your band).”

“Open mics are always the best way to get a foot in the door,” Guthrie says. “And just because you played here before doesn’t ensure you another spot on the calendar. Another way [to get booked] is to try and make friends with local bands that have an established fan base at the club and see about opening for them.”

As Mountain Stage host Larry Groce says, “Go out and hear some live music wherever you are just as soon as you can.”

“Take it serious. Be organized, have fun, and be professional,” says Robinson.

“The biggest thing I could say is, yes it’s the venue’s responsibility to promote your show, but it’s not our only responsibility. It’s yours as well,” says Giuliani. “A venue won’t have your back if you’re not going to bring heads in and generate business, [so] go out there and spread the word!”

“Work! Write, practice, and interact with your audience,” says Kinder. “West Virginia’s a small market with a huge amount of talent to choose from, with more bands popping up constantly. Skill is great, but audiences also want to see acts with heart and soul going for it as hard as possible.”

The Secret to Making #WVmusic Look as Good as it Sounds

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 Coyotes in Boxes’ Sean Knisely, Twin Cousins Records 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 37-year-old Jimbo Valentine. He’s not exactly a singer or a songwriter. But even though you don’t hear his work, you’ve undoubtedly seen it around the West Virginia music scene. From concert posters in Morgantown and Huntington to album artwork for Charleston bands to listening party signage down in Fayetteville, Jimbo’s work makes West Virginia music just as eye-catching as it is ear-catching. Since he’s worked on over 1200 pieces for various artists over the years, we asked him about his creative process, his favorite pieces and how music plays a role in his artistic life.

Jimbo Valentine is a graphic designer with Brand Yourself, not to mention a freelance artist. Hear #WVmusic (some of which he’s created posters for) 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 and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!

Credit Jimbo Valentine

Jimbo Valentine regularly designs Huntington Music & Art Festival promotional material, including this poster from last year’s festival.

Interview Highlights

On the art he creates in and around West Virginia:

I do a lot of graphic design around the area and the state, making posters for The V Club and Black Sheep Burrito and Brews, as well as bands and events and festivals and really whoever needs whatever they need. I do a lot of album layouts and T-shirt designs and sticker designs. I also… oh man, I don’t know where to start [laughing]. Designing the cards for West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s #WhyListen: First Listen Music Party was a fun event to do.

A lot of people like to look down on West Virginia and don’t think we have much of anything to offer. But we actually have really good artist communities that have been building and building. I started working at The V Club in 2009, and I had been doing a little stuff before that, but that was when I really started getting more involved with everybody in the region. Ever since then, it’s been non-stop growing. Just all kinds of people you don’t expect who play music and make art and do all kinds of stuff. That’s really one of the best things we have to offer. But it’s getting people to recognize that.

On moving from Fairmont to Huntington:

I’m from Fairmont, from up in-between Morgantown and Parkersburg. Actually, this May marks my 14^th anniversary of living down here in Huntington. I’ve almost lived here in Huntington as much as I’ve lived up in Fairmont. At this point of time, Huntington feels more like my home than Fairmont actually is.

Like most stories, it was a failed love story. I moved down here with a girl who was from Huntington and who graduated from West Virginia University. Give a year or so, she was out of the picture, and I was just left here. I started going to Marshall University for a little bit, and it didn’t work out too great. Now I’m here [laughing], trying to do something. I don’t know what, but…

On getting into art:

I had grown up doing art in high school, and I started taking art at Fairmont State for a year-and-a-half, but I dropped out of there. I didn’t do any art for a long time, but after I moved down here, I had a bunch of time on my hands and started learning how to use Photoshop. I bought some screen printing gear and taught myself how to screen print. I decided I’d try to make a go at this for a living, which I’m still working towards. So I tried learning how to do it around 2007, but 2009 is when I really kicked it off.

Credit Jimbo Valentine

This 2006 Todd Burge / 63 Eyes / Tripleshot show marked Jimbo Valentine’s first as a #WVmusic graphic designer.

On his first gig poster:

It was for New Year’s Eve at a show at 123 Pleasant Street for 63 Eyes and Todd Burge. That was the first gig poster I had ever done. I got hooked up through the poster community because I would go to website called gigposters.com and post on their forums, and a guy on there from Saint Albans hooked me up with that gig.

I definitely listened to 63 Eyes and Todd Burge a bunch [prior to making that poster]. In high school and my formative years, that was my band. 63 Eyes were some of the earliest shows I had ever seen, back when 123 Pleasant Street was still The Nyabinghi. So it was really cool to make that my first poster because it was something I had grown up with. Todd is obviously one of the greatest West Virginia musicians we have, and I still have a big place in my heart for 63 Eyes.

On the number of artists he’s worked with in West Virginia:

Honestly, at this point of time, there’s not many bands in West Virginia or the region that I haven’t done something involving them. Which is pretty awesome. I’ve done over 1200 gig posters at this point of time, and some of them I have had the opportunity to do multiple things for. Working at The V Club has gotten me to be able to do posters for national acts and other regional acts. Like I just did a poster for The V Club for Kiefer Sutherland’s band, which is a weird thing to add to your list because I never in a million years would expect to be doing something like that. And that’s some of the cool stuff that I’ve gotten to do: the stuff I didn’t expect.

Credit Jimbo Valentine

Jimbo Valentine designed the gig poster for actor-turned-musician Kiefer Sutherland’s recent concert at The V Club.

I’ve done posters for the legendary bands that I like, including Saint Vitus and The Obsessed, people who have been around for a long time. I’ve also gotten to do posters for really cool bands like Man Man and The Felice Brothers.

On listening to #WVmusic growing up:

There was a band from Morgantown called The Law Abiding Citizens, and I used to go see their shows. They were a punk hardcore band. Fast-forward after their break-up, they did a reunion show, and I got to do a poster for them. That was really cool.

There weren’t really any bands from Fairmont. I mean, there were bands up there, but it was weird at that point in time because some of them were basically bar bands, and I wasn’t old enough to see too many of them. But 123 Pleasant Street (back when it was The Nyabinghi), sometimes they would do early shows that were all-ages and then at night, they would do an 18+ show.

Karma to Burn was a band that I grew up listening to. They blew up, disappeared for a little while, then got back together, and I got to screen print posters for all four of their West Virginia reunion shows and a poster when they played in England. I’ve done stuff for their side projects and such, which is cool because I grew up listening to them. Now I work for them, and now they’re my friends. To me, sometimes it feels like completing a circle of your life.

That’s why I got into doing this: I love bands, and I love music. And I want to make T-shirts for bands, which is totally a 12-year-old goal that I was doing in my 20’s. But that’s really where that started from.

Credit Jimbo Valentine

Were it not for Maryland rock band Clutch, Jimbo Valentine might not have gotten into #WVmusic graphic design work.

On his first gig poster for The V Club:

One of my all-time favorite bands is Clutch. They’re a Maryland / West Virginia-based band. I grew up loving them and going to their shows. I used to go onto their message board, and when I started getting into all this art, the guy who ran the message board hooked me up to make some screen printed posters for them. And then in 2009, the first time they played at The V Club, I had already contacted them and made a poster for them and showed up to the show with it. That’s when The V Club’s Patrick Guthrie saw it and found out that someone in town made it. That’s how I got hired at The V Club. That was all because of Clutch. That’s how all this happened.

On the process for making posters:

Once they have the opening acts and bands nailed down, I get to work. The next step depends on how familiar I am with the band. If it’s a band I already listen to, I might have an idea for the design. Sometimes I get an idea and then try to make that idea come to life. Other times I sit down and start trying to do things that might look cool. I’ll find old stock photos or a photo I’ve taken. Maybe I’ll get an idea from an illustration. Or a combination of all those things.

Credit Jimbo Valentine

Yep. Jimbo did this Jason Isbell gig poster back in 2014.

Then I try to match it to the feeling that I get when I listen to that band. Even if it’s a band that I don’t know, if they have something online to check out, I’ll listen to it to see what kind of vibe I get from it. I’ll look at the things they’ve released and see what kind of vive they go for, so I can play off that. I always try to match it to the feeling of the band. I never try to shoehorn a band into a piece of work that I’ve made. To me, it’s all about representing what the band is about or what the band sounds like.

It also depends on the opening act. Sometimes you have a show where all the bands are similar. And sometimes you have a show that’s like a grab bag, where all the bands are different. Say you have an Americana show; it’s easier to tie it all together with that kind of imagery. But then sometimes you have a show that has an Americana band, an indie rock band and an acoustic something: that gives me the opportunity to do something a little weirder, a little broader. It really is a show-by-show basis.

On his favorite poster creations:

Some of my favorite posters are the ones where, when I did them, they were creative turning points for me.

Credit Jimbo Valentine

It’s been a few years, but people still talk about this poster that Jimbo Valentine designed for Man Man’s 2014 show.

The Man Man poster that I did was one of my absolute favorite ones, because it was one of the first ones I did on a new tablet with a screen on it, so you could draw right in Photoshop. I loved how the poster turned out, and l lot of people have told me that’s their favorite poster that I’ve done.

I did one for the band called Universes. They broke up, and one of the guys moved away, but I did a poster for them a few years ago. It had a Native American in it, but the techniques I used in it? I had never done anything like that in Photoshop. It turned out so well, I ended up using it as a basis for painting a mural outside The V Club. So that’s one of my favorite ones.

I’ve done quite a few for Tyler Childers and Ona that turned out really well. I love working with those guys.

On the #WVmusic scene:

It’s really, really good now. I want to say that a few years back, we probably had more bands (at least in Huntington) and maybe a little more variety. At this point in time, there might be a little less bands, but all of them are top notch. So it’s a balance of quality over quantity.

Credit Jimbo Valentine

Tyler Childers is but one of the many regional artists that Jimbo loves to work with, not to mention listen to.

One of my favorite things is stoner rock and doom music, and we had more of those bands here in Huntington a few years ago. But now we don’t really have those bands anymore.

On advice to folks wanting to get into gig posters:

If you know somebody in a band and they’re going to put on a house show or a show at a bar, see if you can do a poster for them. Do some work, show’em what you’ve got. And then if you have the opportunity, do your best. If it’s good enough, people will notice and people will start asking you to do it. You have to fight tooth and nail to get really, really big. It takes a tremendous amount of skill to get there, but sometimes it just takes being in the right place at the right time to get the right set of eyeballs on it.

Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:

Of the Dell- “Runnin’”

63 Eyes- “Who”

Big Rock and The Candy Ass Mountain Boys- “Good Ole Wagon”

Tyler Childers- “Shake the Frost”

A Little Appalachia, A Little Americana: A Conversation with 18 Strings

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.

And today, we are chatting with 18 Strings, a Morgantown-based string trio with an Appalachian twist (which they refer to as Appalachicana). So we asked the band…

18 Strings’ members include Andy Tuck on vocals/guitar/harmonica, Chris Jones on mandolin/fiddle and Greg Thurman on bass.

How did 18 Strings start playing music together?

18 Strings started at the beginning of 2016. While the group is young in terms of band time, we’re all experienced and active members of the West Virginia music scene. In fact, Andy Tuck (vocals/guitar) had crossed paths with Chris Jones (mandolin/fiddle) long before 18 Strings began this past January. That was when Andy was performing a solo gig at Black Bear Burritos while Chris was eating (because the burritos there are delicious). Something grasped Chris to say, “Hey, why don’t we do a little something?” Chris wanted to get his mandolin back out, and that’s a good sign when he wants to get it out.

We wanted to do a stripped-down, acoustic string band type of thing. Chris and Greg Thurman (bass) were previously in a band called Whitewater, so Chris immediately called Greg to join our new endeavor. We got together at Chris’ kitchen table for our first band meeting, and we just clicked. It felt good from the get-go, really.

We all really like to play music in an original way while maintaining connections to tradition. If anything, 18 Strings was brought together by a mutual desire to explore the sonic possibilities of a string trio and to push those boundaries.

Where does the name 18 Strings come from?

The name of the group comes from the number of strings in the group — 6 on a guitar, 8 on a mandolin, 4 on a bass.

The name just jumped out. That was the one that everyone in the group perked up at. Andy was set on the name “John Work Three” after reading a book about Muddy Waters and learning that John Work III was the guy who initiated the first trip to Mississippi to record blues musicians. So “John Work Three” sounded cool to him, but no one in the band’s named John Work, so people would have been confused.

Chris was the one who finally said we should go with 18 Strings. Greg went along with that. And Andy was the one who suggested 18 Strings in the first place, so that was that.

John Bright down at The Purple Fiddle brought up a good point and say, “What happens if you get someone else in your band? Are you going to change the name?” And Andy said, “It will have to be 18 Strings etc.” If we were to add another instrument, it would probably be a second guitar.

18 Strings are known for gigging at 123 Pleasant Street.

What’s been the highlight of 18 Strings’ musical journey?

Opening up for Larry Keel at 123 Pleasant Street on April 15. Up until that point, we had done mostly small, intimate venues. But that was the first show where we had a sound guy and an audience that was larger than what we had played in front of before. Plus we got to watch Larry Keel for free, so that was a highlight, for sure.

What’s it like making music in West Virginia?

Making music in West Virginia is an amazing experience. The cultural backdrop is already so rich in tradition, and it’s a wonderful to be a musician in an ever-evolving scene.

With that said, Morgantown is a strange little world. Andy has been around Morgantown for 15 years and has watched the scene become a bit cliquey. Even though there are heavy metal groups, bluegrass groups, indie rock groups, and jam band groups, there are very few bands that weave in and out of those particular genre styles. Luckily 18 Strings can fit in with multiple styles since we do multiple styles of music.

There’s also a cyclical nature to Morgantown because an entire new population comes through every so many years because of West Virginia University. In terms of how we’re getting along in Morgantown, we’re still working on getting a solid fanbase.

Where does the band play around West Virginia?

We play at Black Bear Burritos a lot and 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown. Even though Morgantown is our homebase, we’re not bound to Morgantown, by any means. The band’s been booked all over West Virginia, including Elkins, Parkersburg, Thomas, and Cleveland, West Virginia. We’ve also played in Pittsburgh and North Carolina. We’re just trying to get as many opportunities to play as we can right now.

18 Strings describe their bluegrass-rock hybrid as Appachicana.

Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia? Or does it feel like a musically-supportive place?

At times, West Virginia is very musically-supportive. The community that exists around the music can be very tight-knit.

With that said, if you’re just strictly talking about numbers in terms of places to play and people who come out to appreciate live music, one could say there’s a certain disadvantage to West Virginia’s music scene. If you take the city of Pittsburgh, for instance, there’s a million people in that metropolitan area. Whereas in West Virginia, there’s a million people in the entire state. If you take 10% of that million people who could be fans of your music, you would have a more concentrated fanbase in Pittsburgh compared to a less concentrated fanbase in West Virginia’s metropolitan areas.

This is where our music comes from. Our music is rooted here. But we can’t wait to go out and play in other areas so they can see that the music we represent, the Appalachian style of music, is being done in a new way.

You describe your music as Appalachicana. What does that term mean?

Chris came up with that name. What he was getting at is that we’re rooted in Appalachian musical styles, but we’re influenced by a lot of other American types of music, including acoustic classic rock songs like “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin and “Fearless” by Pink Floyd and artists like Bob Dylan, John Prine, Lead Belly, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Allman Brothers, and The Beatles. Appalachicana is geographical in location, but American music in scope.

What, in your opinion, needs to happen in the West Virginia music scene for it to move forward?

A Morgantown musician workshop would be great, where musicians who are interested in a larger scene could get together at a brew pub to cross-pollinate and be open to other styles. Most of the musicians that you talk to are into a wide range of music, but what they choose to do is focus on what the band is up to.

And there needs to be more promotion of West Virginia music. There’s a West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, and it’s great, but there needs to be more. It feels like there’s a cultural fence around West Virginia, and in order for the music scene in West Virginia to move forward, we need to kick down a couple walls and get out there. If you’re in Athens, Georgia and say, “I’m a musician,” then people will say, “Oh great! Where can I see you play?” Whereas in West Virginia, people would respond with, “Oh, how’s that working out for you?” I know West Virginia people love music, but it’s not taken seriously.

What advice would you give to anyone starting to make music?

The best thing to do is just to make music. Play with people at jam sessions, on your porch, in your garage, wherever. Just play with other people and learn how to collaborate and help each other learn. Because at the end of the day, playing music is supposed to be fun.

18 Strings’ self-titled debut will be out later this summer. Keep an eye on their social media for their music and tour dates. 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 and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!

Morgantown's Hello June on the Joys of Bummer Rock

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 Beach House drummer Graham Hill, Goodwolf to Teammate’s Scott Simons and beyond.

And today, we are chatting with Hello June, an indie rock four-piece that was started just a few years back by Morgantown native Sarah Rudy. The band has now grown to include Summersville’s Nate Snyder and Charleston buds Whit Alexander and Chad Brown. We sat down with the band to talk about their new release and what it’s like being a rock’n group of twenty-somethings in northern West Virginia.

How did Hello June come together?

Nate Snyder (bassist): Sarah started the band in 2013 with Whit. It started as a little project, mostly recording songs that Sarah was writing. And that’s how Hello June’s EP came out around that time. it kind of took off from there. Eventually, everything went on a little break. Sarah ran into me, randomly, through another band practice that never worked out. We hit it off, and she asked me to play in Hello June. So I came up, and Chad moved in with us around the same time. Me, Sarah and Chad actually live together. So we all started playing, and Whit rejoined as the drummer as he was the guitarist previously.

Sarah Rudy (vocalist & guitarist): Hello June was my first official project. But Chad, Whit and I had a little project when we lived in the same apartment building around 2008 or 2009. So we had a history of playing together. And the reason why things are coming together so quickly with Hello June is because Chad and White grew up learning how to play together, so it’s really awesome to have them in the same room.

Nate: I literally just joined in February of this year [laughing]. It’s only been this formation since mid-March.

Are you all from West Virginia originally?

Sarah: Whit and Chad are from Charleston. I’m from Morgantown.

Nate: I’m from Summersville.

How did you get into music?

Nate: Well, I started playing bass originally than switched to guitars and then drums, because in Summersville, nobody ever seemed to have a drummer. When I was about 15, I was sneaking into bars to play a 30-minute set with bands who were in their 40’s, and then I would have to sneak out really quickly. That was my first taste of playing music, and then it kind of just kept going from there.

Sarah: I grew up playing. My grandfather played guitar, so he taught me how to play. Music is just integral to my family.

Chad Brown (guitarist): I started playing drums when I was 5, then switching to guitars at around 11. Everyone in my family plays music, so I’ve been around the Appalachian music scene since I could walk.

Whit Alexander (drummer & percussionist): My dad and uncle both played guitar, so I grew up around that. And when Chad had a band in high school, they were in need of a drummer, so I starting drumming on tables and then starting drumming with real percussion instruments.

When you were growing up in West Virginia, did you look up to any bands playing in the state?

Nate: Growing up, no. If you count college growing up, then I eventually found Daniel Johnston. He became a very big influence on me, and it was pleasure to find out that he was from West Virginia. When I was younger, I never got into the country music thing. I was always idolizing classic rock, and then I find indie and went in that direction very quickly.

Sarah: I always appreciated Jason Molina. He lived here for a little bit. He’s one of my favorite artists, so the fact that he had any ties to West Virginia was exciting to me.

Chad: For me, growing up in Charleston and being around Mountain Stage, Michael Lipton has been one of my favorite guitar players for a long time.

Whit: I had the opportunity to work with Larry Groce for a little bit on Mountain Stage about eight years ago, and he’s somebody that I’ve always idolized in the West Virginia music scene. But also, Bud Carroll had a band called American Minor that, when I was in high school, a band that I got really into. Their sound was really cool.

Nate: And we love William Matheny!

It’s interesting you all brought up Jason Molina and Daniel Johnston. Of the #WVmusic interviews I’ve done so far, no one has cited those artists for inspiration.

Sarah: I’m not surprised. We’re a little bit weird [laughing]. I know William Matheny loves Jason Molina…

Nate: …he just won’t admit it [laughing].

Sarah: [Laughing] He just doesn’t love Jason as much as I do.

When you were growing up in West Virginia, was it hard trying to make music that was less country and more indie rock?

Nate: Absolutely. For me it was, at least. I grew up listening to Garth Brooks, and I can literally remember the day I first heard The Beatles. And I thought, “Oh ok. That’s cooler than everything else.” I started down that path, which lead to classic rock and indie music eventually. But when I would hang out with my friends, and they would want to listen to the new Jay Z or Kanye West or Toby Keith album at the time, I would say, “That’s cool… but Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (which is another band from West Virginia that I should mention)!” And my friends would say, “Yeah… nobody cares. Go away. Go listen to your weird music.”

The lead singer from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is actually from the Morgantown area, if I’m not mistaken. I got to meet Surfer Blood when they played up here at 123 Pleasant Street, and the first question they asked me was, “Does everyone here love Clap Your Hands Say Yeah because of West Virginia?” And I was like, “I don’t think anybody else besides me knows that they’re from West Virginia.” [Laughing] The lead singer is from here, but he eventually moved to New York. There’s actually a line “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth” that says, “Far, far away from West Virginia / I will try on New York City,” and that’s literally what he did. It’s kind of an autobiographical song.

And Katy Goodman from La Sera (who recently played here at 123 Pleasant Street) and Vivan Girls said that her family was from the Lewisburg area.

Chad: I came up on a lot more traditional Appalachian music. There was a lot of acoustic string music and a lot of Southern rock in my house. We played a lot of juke joints and dive bars, so it was a lot more normal for me to deal with that than to go out and fight to play a surf punk song or a metal song.

Sarah: I honestly don’t know if I ever thought about. I think I just do whatever I feel like doing [laughing]. I grew up listening to a bunch of different stuff like Neil Young and Elton John and some crazy things my mother would bring to the table. I never really thought about where we were in West Virginia or where I was even in the world. I just did whatever I felt was right at the time [laughing].

Hello June is Chad Brown, Whit Alexander, Sarah Rudy and Nate Snyder.

I’ve tried to find bands that have made good music, regardless of where they’re from or who’s in the band, but I would say that only a small portion of those bands involved women. What are your thoughts on that, Sarah?

Sarah: I think that’s pretty accurate. Haley Slagle is around Morgantown, and she’s one of the first women artists in West Virginia I noticed when I moved back here. The music scene around here is very male-dominated, and I don’t think that’s unique to Morgantown; I think it’s across the state. I definitely think that’s a good observation [laughing].

I really don’t know why we don’t see more women playing around the state. If you go to a show any given night, it’s extremely rare to see a female up there. So I don’t know if it’s because it’s expected because it’s the norm as of now or something else. I do think it’s changing in a different direction. Recently, I’ve come into contact with different females in our music. Tonight, we’re playing a show with The Furr, which has a female drummer, and that’s pretty cool. But in general, the female presence is lacking in my humble female opinion [laughing].

Nate: I will say that I have no experience in being a female member of a band [laughing], but pretty much every band I’ve been in has had a female in at some point, either permanently or is led by a female. It’s always been great. When I was younger, I heard somebody say, “Well, that band would be a lot better if that girl wasn’t on stage.” That really irked me at a young age, and even though I don’t necessarily seek it out, I always enjoy whenever there’s a female in a band. So when Sarah asked me play up here, it was even better because I knew how strong of a lead she was and how her work would be a good push for young girls and older women to just get out there and step up on stage, stand in the spotlight and do their thing.

Sarah: Thanks, man. Appreciate it.

Where does the name Hello June come from?

Sarah: I loved Johnny Cash growing up. I actually thought my grandfather was Johnny Cash probably until the year 2000. And I also looked up to June Carter Cash and her presence, probably because she was female and I felt connected to her. So Hello June stemmed from that. It sounds silly, but whenever Johnny Cash would get up on stage and say, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash,” putting those concepts together is how I came up with that band name.

A snapshot of Hello June’s recording space.

How would you describe Hello June’s sound?

Nate: That’s actually been a really difficult question for us. We describe our sound as indie rock in general. Some people describe us as bummer rock, which…

Sarah: I don’t agree with that.

Nate: We don’t agree with it. There’s a mellow feel to what we do, even though we do get intense from time to time in our live shows. I always tell people that it’s a little bit of rock, a little bit of indie and it’s also got a country tinge to it.

Sarah: Honestly, it’s really hard for me to categorize it. Hopefully one day I will be able to articulate that to you [laughing].

What are some of the influences on the band and the music?

Nate: The National is really big for me, I think for Sarah also. For me, I look up to bands like Frightened Rabbit and Death Cab for Cutie. Those all are really depressing bands, which I realize…

Sarah: Yeah about that “bummer rock” description… [laughing]

Nate: I’m the bummer, and they’re the rock [laughing]. But those bands have been big to me. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Lady Lamb recently, because I’ve been trying to get more into the mindset of Sarah’s style of playing. I’m producing the new Hello June record, so I wanted to make sure I understood how female vocals sat into the mixes and how they should be presented. And going to newer bands like Lady Lamb, La Sera and Alvvays, I paid a lot of attention to those sounds and used those influences on how we recorded.

&amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://hellojune.bandcamp.com/album/hello-june-ep”&amp;amp;gt;Hello June EP by Hello June&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

It doesn’t seem like you’ve released much since your 2013 self-titled EP. Is there a reason for that?

Sarah: We just took a very long break. Whit and I released that EP, and we desperately tried to get a band together at that point, but it just wasn’t happening. We both went back to school (Whit studies computer science, I was studying biology), and we finished our degrees. We just weren’t focusing on music at all. Just recently, I decided to pull it back up and see what we could do with it.

Now you have the band back together and a new single out titled “Handshakes.” Can you talk about this new release a little bit?

Sarah: I wrote the bones of it a couple years ago, and I always wanted to do something with it. I brought it to these guys, and it started coming together. When we started playing together, that’s when things really started coming together, and we started figuring out different arrangements that we appreciated. And then we started recording it.

Hello June’s new single is “Handshakes.” Expect a full-length from the band by the end of the year.

Nate: When Sarah first asked me to play, I was already a huge fan of the self-titled EP. So when she said she was working on a full-length, I thought that was incredible and jumped on the opportunity as quickly as possible. I didn’t know what my part was going to be. I fell into playing the bass after trying several different instruments including a very small synthesizer [laughing] which is funny because I’m 6’4’’ and giant. So a little tiny synthesizer was an interesting choice for me.

But whenever we started restructuring the songs that Sarah had written three or four years ago, it was originally just me, Sarah and Chad with headphone practice and ran everything through the computer in our apartment because we couldn’t play loud. For a little while, Whit was even playing drums in the keyboards, which was hilarious and awesome at the same time [laughing]. He was actually really good at it. We finally got a space, and as soon as we got into the space, we could finally play how we wanted to…

Sarah: Like real people [laughing].

Nate: We could make as much noise as wanted to, and we definitely did. I think it took two or three practices when we began feeling really tight as a band and how to react to each other doing things. Sarah did the self-titled EP pretty much by herself with Whit on it as well (she had a drummer at the time who also did some tracks), but she handed the reins over for me for most of “Handshakes.” Between the four of us, we’ve all been jumping in and attacking the recording process on our own, taking things one step at a time. We all had enough experience to know how it would go, but not enough to see how it would turn out…

Sarah: We still don’t know how it’s going to turn out [laughing].

Nate: [Laughing] Yeah. But so far, we’re pretty pleased with what we’ve done. We’re anticipating eight to ten songs on the new full-length, and the original three songs from the EP will be recorded the way we play them now for the upcoming full-length release. Because they still get a lot of attention and good response from the shows, so we thought it was time to rerecord them and put them back out.

Let’s talk about you all playing in Morgantown. How welcoming has the city been to your music?

Sarah: Very welcoming. The response we’ve gotten has always been positive.

Hello June performed at U92 FM’s inaugural Moose Fest at 123 Pleasant Street.

Nate: I was recently talking to U92 FM’s Aaron New about Moose Fest, which was our first full-band show. We were playing the upper bar of 123 Pleasant Street and the tiny area in front of the window. He said that from what he heard, other than Rozwell Kid playing the fest (who has been an established band for a long time), and he said that people were really excited to see us and the bar was full when we played. A lot of people did respond really strongly to Hello June’s first EP, and I think everybody was excited to hear that something new was coming out.

We picked a weird time to start being a band and playing out more since all the college students leave, so the audiences are cut in half in Morgantown, but a lot of the locals have come out and are being receptive to our music.

Sarah: When I came back from Baltimore around 2011, I was not super into playing shows at that point. I felt like the Morgantown music scene was harsher at that point. But more recently, there’s been some really, really quality bands that have popped up, and the audiences have helped with that.

What have your experiences been playing music in West Virginia?

Nate: Having played in West Virginia most of my life, it’s definitely been a lot of positives and a lot of negatives, especially being an indie band. Morgantown is really the only place you can fit in, for the most part. Maybe Charleston (sometimes). It’s hard to book shows if you’re not playing modern country songs, not even classic country. We’re lucky to have 123 Pleasant Street, and Mainstage Morgantown is starting to get a little more indie. And Gene’s is starting to put on shows. The fact that they’re opening the doors to alternative and indie bands, not just your typical metal and country and bluegrass, that’s just amazing. Don’t get me wrong, there are downfalls for playing in the same spot. But you just have to keep pushing through that and look at the positives.

#thestruggletostay has been a big topic of conversation in West Virginia. Do you all expect this band to stay in West Virginia much longer?

Chad: If we got the opportunity, I don’t think anyone would think, “No, we can’t move. This is not an option.” It’s so cheap, and we’re all here. Whit is married. There’s no need for us to go anywhere now. It’s easy here.

Sarah: I like it here. I wasn’t expecting to stay much longer after moving back from Baltimore. I was just finishing up some school stuff, but I now appreciate the mix of things going on in Morgantown.

Nate: For the longest time, my life’s goal was to leave West Virginia. But I realize now that it’s not a terrible place, and I can accept where I am for right now.

When people walk away from this interview, what is the one thing they should know about Hello June?

Chad: We have fun [laughing]. We do.

Sarah: We’re all really good friends. We have a strong connection.

&amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://hellojune.bandcamp.com/track/handshakes”&amp;amp;gt;Handshakes by Hello June&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Hello June’s newest single is “Handshakes,” available now on their Bandcamp. Hear more #WVmusic 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 and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!