Ian Thornton Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Front and Center with Morgantown's William Matheny

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”

Inside the Countrified World of Shepherdstown's The 29ers

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 29ers, a country-tinged rock band based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The band’s five members have only been performing in this configuration for a short period of time, yet they’ve released a rock’n good EP and are already planning a forthcoming follow-up release. With that said, let’s get to know the men behind The 29ers (namely Matt Metz, Martin Metz, Matt Kline, Chris Chilcoat, and Eric Watland).

The 29ers gave the crowd some countrified rock feels at this 2015 Shepherdstown Opera House show.

How did The 29ers start playing music together (when, where, why, etc.)?

The band started a year ago after Matt Kline and Matt Metz played an acoustic set together. After that, they decided to flesh out their songs with more (and louder) instruments. They now share lead singing and songwriting duties for The 29ers.

Kline and Metz have actually played in multiple bands and genres together for over 10 years. They made up half of the folk string band The Fox Hunt, which spent 8 years touring around much of the United States, as well as parts of Ireland, Scotland, and Japan. Prior to that, they played with Chilcoat in the instrumental post-punk/metal band The Red Oranges, which garnered a reputation for complex song structures and frenetic live shows.

Their harmonizing vocals and guitars are now complemented by Chris Chilcoat on drums, Martin Metz on bass, and Eric Watland on keyboards.

Where does The 29ers’ name come from?

The number 29 holds several different meanings of varying importance to the band members. Most importantly is the fact that a score of 29 in Cribbage is the perfect hand!

How has the band’s sound changed over time (if at all)?

Our music started off quiet and acoustic. Then we switched to electric guitars and it got really loud. Now we realize you can play electric guitars at a lower volume.

Where does the band play in and around West Virginia (venues, festivals, etc.)?

We primarily play around the Shepherdstown area, but we have also played 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown and The V Club in Huntington a few times.

Matt Kline (left) and Bud Carroll (right) work through The 29ers’ debut EP.

What’s been the highlight of the band’s musical journey?

Recording our debut EP with Bud Carroll was priceless. Getting to hang out with someone that talented and who we’ve admired for a long time was incredible. We recorded that 4-song EP over a long weekend of 10-hour days.

What’s it like making music in West Virginia?

It’s special. There are (and have been) such great music communities, specifically in Shepherdstown, Morgantown, and Huntington. There’s a large number of insanely talented folks in this state and a kind of instant camaraderie between West Virginia bands.

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

West Virginia has always been supportive of our music, 100%. Different places in West Virginia are close to other good music towns, so it’s never felt isolated or limiting in that way. Because of the support of those music communities, it’s now a great time to be a band in West Virginia.

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

More of the same. Great folks like Bud Carroll will keep making great records, Ian Thornton will keep finding and promoting great bands/artists, and the bands in West Virginia will keep playing and supporting each other, swapping shows, and encouraging a wide array of music. The Huntington Music and Arts Festival is a perfect example of a community coming together to support local West Virginia musicians.

What’s the band’s advice to anyone starting to make music?

Make sure to practice as much as you can and write songs every day. And be nice to everyone you meet! Other bands, venue owners, sound guys, bartenders, concert goers, everyone. You’ll get back what you give, so showing appreciation to the folks you meet will come back to you big time.

The 29ers’ latest release is the 4-song Inherent Buzz EP. The band will return to the studio soon to record a follow-up record, which is tentatively titled Spanish Panther. Keep an eye on their social media and website for more music and summer 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.

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

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”

Corey Shields: 'Change is Going to Happen… No Matter What'

And today, we are chatting with 27-year-old Parkersburg singer-songwriter Corey Shields. Or should we say Mid-Ohio Valley singer-songwriter, because you might find him playing more often across the border in Marietta, Ohio than in his hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia. But why is it hard to build a scene in that part of the Mountain State? Let’s find out…

Corey Shields’ newest release is Only Questions. 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!

Interview Highlights

On starting music in Parkersburg:

I thought I wanted to be a drummer when I was 9 or 10. I remember they brought the junior high band to our elementary band, and they let us try different instruments. I immediately wanted to play the snare drum. Of course, Mom and Dad weren’t too happy about that because it’s the noisiest of things. My neighbor actually was a drummer, so he gave me a snare drum, and I’d sit around and pretend like I knew what I was doing. But it never really went anywhere.

And then I had some family troubles, became the typical teenager. I was 13, and I found a nylon string classical guitar under my grandma’s bed. I had no idea what I was doing, but thought it might be cool because all the cool kids play guitar [laughing]. I proved myself enough so that my grandma just let me have it. My mom bought me an electric guitar for my 14^th birthday, it was one of those $100 nothing-special-guitars, but I still have the guitar. I kept it. I’m one of those sentimental types. I kind of moved from there and spent every penny that I could through high school buying all kinds of gear.

Then I was in bands in high school and wanted to do the whole rock star thing. And I guess that feeling never really died.

Corey Shields isn’t afraid to belt it out.

On loving rock music as a kid and playing more acoustic material as a young adult:

Nothing changed because that was always the type of music I was listening to, but as a 15- or 16-year-old kid, I’m like, “Heavy metal for days!” I always had this love of pop music, like Justin Timberlake. I don’t care what kind of music it is. I love a really good hook.

I was at the exact right age when metalcore became the big thing with bands like Killswitch Engage and Avenge Sevenfold. I loved that stuff because it had hooks, but it was heavy. So I still got to wear black t-shirts and things like that.

When I was around 14 or 15, John Mayer came on the scene, and I fell in love with his music. And I still love his music, even though I’m not a fan of his personality sometimes. People are like, “Oh, you like the guy who plays ‘Your Body is a Wonderland.’” And I’m like, “No, I like the guy who plays with Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino.” He uses a lot of jazz chords and things, and it’s more intricate than it appears.

On staying in West Virginia after college:

My senior year of college, my wife Heather and I went to Pittsburgh, our concert destination. And we actually went apartment hunting at one point. We were totally committed. I was going to graduate, and we were moving to Pittsburgh. That was the goal. That was exactly what was going to happen. I was supposed to graduate in May, and in February we found out she was pregnant. So we hit pause for a second to reassess everything.

All of our immediate family is in Parkersburg or the very near area. There’s no one in Pittsburgh for us. So it was more of a family decision of how can I tell my mom, “You’re going to be a grandma… Oh and we’re moving three hours away.” I couldn’t do that in the same breath.

So we hit pause, and we started looking, and we found that we could live in Parkersburg and go ahead and buy a house. Heather’s a nurse, and she was able to get a job right away. So it just worked out. It made the most sense to stay here and stay with our family.

On #thestruggletostay in West Virginia:

Speaking of Parkersburg specifically… the local establishment is not the most helpful in terms of the arts and the arts scene in this area. It’s a city that’s heavily populated with the older generation, and they don’t want us kids coming in, tearing up their nice things. I get that vibe a lot. I try to introduce myself to people, and they see me, catch a glimpse of a tattoo, and see my long hair, and they immediately assume the worst. There’s been a few times where that’s been really annoying because people just make assumptions about you. So that part’s been really frustrating with Parkersburg specifically.

That’s where Marietta, Ohio, came into play. Their scene has been super helpful to me. You can see West Virginia from some of the venues I play there. It’s right across the river. And for some reason, that magical bridge across the river is just a different world of this music culture that has really embraced me.

If I just went off the reaction I got in Parkersburg, I would’ve stopped playing music immediately. I never would’ve bothered. There’s not a lot of support right here, and it’s really frustrating, especially in the last year after watching Huntington and Charleston and the awesome bands there from afar. I feel hundreds of miles away. It’s a different world.

That’s my thing in Parkersburg: I’m a hometown guy, and I don’t play offensive music. My music’s not in your face, cursing everywhere. It’s pretty laid back music. You’d think I could get some support around here. Honestly, it feels like other places have really taken off, but I haven’t moved from square one in my own town.

Corey Shields has high hopes for the Mid-Ohio Valley.

On things he sees in Marietta that he’d like to see in Parkersburg:

Number one: young people. I don’t want to sound like I’m talking down on my city, because I honestly do love Parkersburg. I think it has a lot to offer if it was just utilized properly. But you could put Marietta verse Parkersburg as the liberal versus conservative towns. That’s exactly what it feels like. Because you go to Marietta where it’s fresh, it’s always clean, young people everywhere. Then you go to Parkersburg, and there’s not a whole lot. Our downtowns are night and day. I wish Parkersburg would catch up, but I don’t know, it feels like there’s some people holding Parkersburg back. It feels like there’s a hold on Parkersburg, like it’s stuck in the past, where it won’t trust the new young adults.

On his new debut record Only Questions:

April of last year, I went out and started playing some open mics, trying to meet some like-minded people. I started building meaningful relationships with other musicians. I immediately found that if you don’t have material, no one will book you, believe it or not [laughing]. So I decided to record an EP, and it was done over two weeks. It certainly wasn’t the best, but it was enough to get the point across and help me get some gigs, meet some more people. Things kept moving at a somewhat scary pace, honestly. It picked up faster than I thought it ever would.

I had these songs I was playing all the time, but they weren’t recorded yet. All of the songs had been written. I really wanted to put them together and record it all properly so I started recording end of December, early January. I think I had 15 songs, and I ended up cutting a few. I recorded it on my own. I just used the equipment I acquired over the last 12 years or so. I threw together the album, and I talked to a friend of mine about helping me with some album art, and she jumped on it. The album art’s probably the coolest thing I’ll ever be involved in.

The album artwork for Corey Shields’ debut release was shot by Mid-Ohio Valley photographer Liv Hefner. You may see her work in the regional publication Clutch MOV.

On #WVmusic outside of Parkersburg:

My wife and I seriously listen to Ona’s American Fiction in the car, just for fun. I would listen to a band like Ona no matter where they’re from. It’s awesome that they’re from Huntington, that’s incredible that you could slip into the V Club and see them. But the location didn’t draw me to them; it was their sound. That’s what I’d like to get out of the Mid-Ohio Valley. It doesn’t matter where we come from, it’s just good music.

A few months ago in Marietta, I got to play before Tyler Childers, and he was so incredibly kind to me. That was my first step into the Huntington scene. He was really nice to me, and he named some people I should talk to like Ian Thornton and JJ Waters. I started messaging these people after the show, and all of these people have been really nice to me.

Corey Shields’ American Minor CD, signed by one of the band members.

Bud Carroll’s American Minor was my first “sneaking into a club” show. They opened for Shooter Jennings in Athens, Ohio, and it was a 21+ show, I was 16, and my mom snuck me in. I got to see American Minor front row. I immediately put them into this rock star category. I learned a few of their songs playing along with the CD. The thought of guys like Bud Carroll ever hearing anything I do, it’s unfathomable to me.

And I really like Todd Burge, who only lives a few blocks from me. I was on a run last year, and I found out he lived right there. I really like what he’s done. He’s really friendly, really helpful, gives me advice anytime I ask for it. I mean, he’s the reason I got to play with Tyler Childers. It’s incredible how all of these things line up.

Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:

Corey Shields- “Stars”

Corey Shields- “Only You”

Corey Shields-“Long Drive Home”

Corey Shields- “Light”

Tim Lancaster: 'We May Be Starting Our Own Genre Here'

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 Ona, Teammate’s Scott Simons to Jordan Andrew Jefferson and beyond.

And today, we are chatting with West Virginia-by-way-of-Florida folk troubadour Tim Lancaster. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because he was just announced as Harpers Ferry National Park’s Artist-In-Residence for Summer 2016 (which is kind of a big deal). We spoke with Lancaster about that prestigious gig, as well as his experiences making music in both big cities (i.e. Orlando) and up-and-coming towns (i.e. Huntington).

Tim Lancaster’s newest release is My Times with You. Keep up with the young singer-songwriter on his website and through social media. 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.

Interview Highlights

On his musical origins:

My father plays a little bit when he’s off from work. He was always around playing “Dust in the Wind,” and I thought it was the prettiest song I ever heard. I figured if I could learn how to play it, I’d be happy, and of course I finally learned to play it, and then I wanted to learn more.

But then I got into high school and started wrestling, and with wrestling you don’t have time to do anything else, at least how I approached it. So I put all of myself into wrestling and took a break from the guitar. By senior year, I had enough of starving myself and decided to pick up the guitar again.

Tim Lancaster doing what he does best: playing music and telling stories.

On becoming a folk musician:

I wouldn’t say I’m a professional or anything, but I really got into that style of playing a guitar in 2008. I went to Wilkesboro, North Carolina with a buddy to go to Merlefest, which is a festival put on by Doc Watson in honor of his son Merle who passed away in a tractor accident. I went just because my friend was going, and I was into that music, but the first time I heard Doc Watson play he was twenty feet away from me. It struck me like a bolt of lightning, not to be cliché, but it was really something. Just how honest and pure it was. When I started listening and trying to do my own thing with it, that’s when I feel I finally found what I was supposed to do with my instrument.

Up until that point, I was all over the place. In high school, you want to be in a band that sounds exactly like Radiohead or Led Zeppelin, but it wasn’t until I found this style of music that I was able to be happy with the way that I sounded, and I wasn’t trying to sound like anybody else. Granted I was taking from a lot of inspirations, but I was able to morph in into my own voice.

On finding West Virginia:

I first moved from Florida when I was 19 or 20, and I had a friend who had a friend in Huntington who had some recording gear. I wanted to record some songs that I had, which ended up being my first album which I called A Finer Line. I started recording in this room called The Record Room with Shayne Barker, who is good friends with Max Nolte. During that same weekend I was here, Max also recorded me, and those are the recording we ended up using for that collection. The rest is history.

After that, I’ve always felt that Huntington was my second home because whether I was living in New York City or northeastern Vermont, I was always coming back to check in on my Huntington bubbies. It’s always on my mind. Here I am. I was just in California last summer, and now I’m back here. It’s been a weird home base, and some people think I’m crazy for it, but there is something special here. Every place is different; it’s just what kind of different you like.

Tim Lancaster and one of his best “bubbies:” his guitar.

On deciding to permanently move to West Virginia:

I’d been living in Vermont for three years, and I loved it there. I loved it there so much, and it was really hard to leave. But we’re too young to be set in my ways, and I hadn’t lived here permanently. So I decided to check it out, got a place here, lived here, really liked it, and made a lot of new friends. Those are the same friends that brought me back here. I lived here for ten months, got the itch, went out west through the fall and early winter.

But when I was out there, every time something crazy would happen, I kept finding myself calling my bubbies in Huntington, wanting to tell them what wild thing happened or to check up on how they were doing. Then one day I thought, “What the hell. There are a lot of good things going on in Huntington. Let’s give it another shot.” And I’ve been very happy since I made the decision. The people here are great. What I like about it is there’s a great balance between having a good time, and the amount of productivity that happens here, which is an important thing. It’s important to have a good time and get down with your friends, but then also to get something done that’s meaningful is even more important than that. Both of those things are happening here, which I enjoy.

On recording his first record in West Virginia:

I recorded it a couple days before I moved from West Virginia last year with Max. Max Nolte will probably be the one to record everything I will ever do, at least if I have anything to say about it [laughing]. He’s my bubbie. He’s a comfortable person to be around. He’s improving, and I’m improving. With each time we do something, it’s interesting watching each other grow, and it’s nice to not have any real pressure. With My Times with You, I knew I was moving, and I wanted to record something because I had been living here for 10 months and I hadn’t recorded anything, so I was just able to get up in The Loft with Max and record a few songs. In a couple hours, they were all done with a first take. They were all done in the first take, and here we are putting it out.

A couple things have changed [since My Times with You’s Bandcamp release in July of 2015]. It has a new cover, which is a photograph of me in a birch tree in Maine, a silhouette image, which was taken by my friend Shane Tulp when I was living in the Northeast. Picture was taken in the last couple of weeks of me living in Vermont. I think the image really captured what the album was about: half of the songs were written in my last year living in Vermont, and the other half are a reflection of that time in my life.

On rereleasing My Times with You on physical format:

Tim Lancaster’s latest release will have a new and improved look later this month when it becomes available in physical formats.

I guess I’m tired of having the same albums on the merch table [laughing]. But when you release something on a physical format, it gives a certain level of legitimacy to that collection of songs. And these are songs that I think are great songs, I don’t want them to be written off as something I can just throw on the internet. I want them to be something that somebody can be hold in their hands and hopefully in their hearts.

Bandcamp makes it really quick and easy for people to access your music. I just found that it’s harder for me to sell my songs because not a lot of people know who I am. But maybe if they see me perform and like what they hear, they’ll be more attuned to buy the album from me right there as opposed to, “Oh, well I have this thing on Bandcamp that you can log onto later when you are hungover if you remember talking to me at all.” [Laughing] So it’s much easier to get the album to them at that moment than have them think about it later. But maybe I should be performing better to make it stay in their [potentially hungover] minds.

On the story behind My Times with You:

I’m trying to think of how I can phrase it without embarrassing myself [laughing]. It was kind of about my first experience with love, which I found in Vermont. And then we decided to do different things with our lives, and I moved to West Virginia. So the other half of the record is me reflecting on that time that I spent up there. And I’m fortunate to be able to incorporate her. The liner notes of the record are a poem of hers, which I think is very, very cool to have that on there.

You always have to be positive with everything. Things change; that’s just how it is. You have to be fine from it and take from it in a positive way. You can’t let it get you down, because you can learn something from any situation. And that’s just going to make you grow. You’re always going to be constantly changing.

You know, I’m not sure [if the ex-girlfriend gives the record five stars]. [Laughing] I remember after she listened to it, she said that I played the songs a little differently than I would when we were in the cabin. But I think she’s cool with [the record].

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a data-cke-saved-href=”http://timlancaster.bandcamp.com/album/my-times-with-you” href=”http://timlancaster.bandcamp.com/album/my-times-with-you”&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;My Times with You by Tim Lancaster&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

On the highlight of his musical journey:

Playing music has given me this cool vagabond troubadour persona, which has given me the confidence to go places. That’s probably my favorite part of it. It’s almost an excuse for being young and making music decisions to be able to be like, “Hey, let’s catch a ride to New York City and live there. Hey, let’s go work for rent in Vermont for three years. Hey, let’s go to California.” [Laughing] It’s nice to have that in my back pocket to use like, “Oh yeah, sure, I’m doing this because I’m trying to be a responsible musician.”

What’s next for Tim Lancaster? Wait and find out…

On that one time Tim Lancaster wasn’t Tim Lancaster:

When I was playing music in Florida, I went by Tim Holden. You’re in your teens, and you want to be anyone but yourself. No name can be possibly good enough for you [laughing], so I called myself Tim Holden because the name of the band I had at the time was called The Holden Boys. I would get mail which would be addressed to Tim Holden, so my mom would be like, “Who is this? What are you doing?” Looking back, it was pretty silly of me. I mean the most important thing I can be is myself. And Lancaster doesn’t sound that band when I think about it. I think it works.

Music Featured in this #WVmusic chat:

Tim Lancaster- “Let Me, Let You”

Tim Lancaster- “Riders on the Plain”

Tim Lancaster- “Sweet Pea”

Tim Lancaster- “Singing in the Wind”

How One Man's Made #WVmusic Sing

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.

Ian Thornton is the founder of the Huntington Music & Arts Festival as well as Whizzbang Booking and Management. You can catch him as part of William Matheny’s band on June 26 as part of FestivALL’s presentation of Mountain Stage. Hear his musical friends on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. For more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.

Interview Highlights

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.

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.

On the goal of the Huntington Music & Arts Festival, which was started nearly 7 years ago:

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!

On the process behind picking acts for the Huntington Music & Arts Festival:

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.

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).

On being the manager and founder of Whizzbang Booking and Management:

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.

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.

On working with Bud Carroll over the years:

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!

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.

Music Featured in this #WVmusic chat:

Ona- “American Fiction”

Ona- “World at War”

AC30- “Round and Round”