rise musicians - Contemporary Pilgrim

musicians
rise
on the
it's
no secret that one of the
of a broader and more significant genre of music—real
(many) magical things about living in Austin, Texas is its
and good. x Factor in two of the country’s most sought
ever-evolving music scene. With venues scattered along
out music festivals, Austin City Limits Music Festival and
most of its downtown grid and in neighborhood hideaways
South by Southwest and Austin affords every imaginable
throughout the city, Austin’s a city where music is sleepless,
ingredient for ambitious on-the-rise musicians to thrive and
with Austinites thriving on the daily discovery of new artists
scatter their talent from Austin to everywhere else, leaving
and bands, innovative melodies, interesting collaborations
their musical bread crumb trail behind them and a nostalgic
and thoughtful creativity. With local radio support from
afterthought in the Austinite’s mind of, “We were watching
stations like KGSR & 101X, up—and—coming bands have a
her/him/them when she/he/they were playing free shows
fostering opportunity to make it on air in the early stages of
at Shady Grove and Blues on the Green.” x It’s here that
their career, casting them into the sound waves of our daily
I have handpicked who, of Austin-based musicians in this
lives, finding locals familiar with musical innovation long
moment, will be nationally known within the next year.
before other U.S. cities have had the opportunity to catch
These are my predictions derived from my appreciation of
up. x Having been in Austin just over two years, I’ve no- musical talent of all realms, exploration of the aforementiced a distinct pattern of musical discovery within this big
tioned abundance of venues and my realization of the local-
small town that is neither compartmentalized, nor genre
turned-national talent in mere moments. Within the artist
specific and thus is very promising to aspiring musicians.
interviews I’ve conducted, I’ve gathered their predictions
Austin is almost like a School of Rock, setting a loose, real
as well-from a musical insider’s perspective-and, ironically
life curriculum for musicians with all the necessary tools
many of their thoughts overlap my very own. So I’ll set
for their success at the soulful pick of a guitar: intimate,
the clock ticking, sit back, rock out and continue to let the
yet widely favored venues, professional recording studios
melodic stories unfold. And a year from now, I’ll bet that
and credentialed band management and regularly visit- our friends, families and foes will be hearing these artists’
ing recruiters from some of the most well-known record
albums from coast to coast. Here you go folks, allow me to
labels. And perhaps most important are Austin’s recep- introduce you to Suzanna Choffel, Wheeler Brothers and
tive, schooled listeners who count themselves scholars
David Ramirez. It’s only rock ’n roll, but we like it.
by ashley M. halligan
46 austinlifestylemagazine.com
u
Daniel Lachman
W H EE L ER
B R O T H ERS
It all began with a raffle when the Wheeler brothers were just adolescents; a
white electric guitar just happened to be up for grabs. Tyler Wheeler, the middle
brother, had a life-changing strategy when he decided to crinkle their entries “for
a better grip.” Welcome to the Wheeler family, Stratocaster. The warfare soon
began as the the three brothers, Nolan, Tyler and Patrick, feuded rampantly over
whose turn it was to play next.
The oldest brother, Patrick, remembered, “We all liked playing the guitar so
much that dad had to ration the time between us... we were constantly fighting
over it. At one point, Nolan hit me with a softball because I was holding the guitar over his head. That was the first initial fight.” Laughing mischievously (as one
would expect the big brother to do), he continued, “Then Nolan and Tyler got into
it. Tyler wouldn’t let Nolan play. He was also bigger than Nolan, so I suggested
[as the responsible babysitter] that they go out to the backyard and duke it out. So
Old Noley stood up big time... laid one good solid punch on the big fellow and proceeded to get his ass royally kicked by Tyler. Dad came in right as Tyler was beating
the living hell out of Nolan and broke the fight up.” As punishment, Mr. Wheeler
lined the boys up and forced them to, one by one, smash the guitar off the ground,
before finishing it off against a tree. That was the end of the Stratocaster and the
beginning of a beautiful musical journey.
After weeks of moping around, Mr. Wheeler lined the boys up once again and
assigned the boys roles in their new band, “Alright, dammit! Patrick, you’re on
drums! Tyler, you’re on bass! Nolan, you’re on guitar.” He took them to an instrument shop to gear up for their new assignments and they haven’t quit since. Postcollege, Danny Matthews, who the brothers met at Louisiana State University and
A.J. Molyneaux, a high school friend, joined the band. Now, several years after the
guitar-smashing incident, Wheeler Brothers have just returned to Austin after their
first national tour, spending a month on the road and filling venues everywhere
from Evergreen, Colorado to New York City, to New Orleans.
Wheeler Brothers released their first full length album, Portraits, in May and had
a huge turnout at their CD Release Party at the Scoot Inn, followed by nationwide
reviews of their lyrical ingenious and anomalous spectrum of collective sounds,
ranging from Texas folk and indie rock to Eastern European arrangements and seasoned with gospel hymns a cappella. On stage energy is a huge part of the Wheeler
Brothers’ personality, engaging the audience with their collaborative and improvisational presence, singing original songs and doing eclectic versions of unexpected
gems like, “I Want To Be Like You,” from The Jungle Book’s soundtrack.
Part of Wheeler Brothers’ growing fame and success stems from their immense
appreciation of their fans. In Chicago, the band had dinner with ten fans they met
in line; in Culpeper, Virginia, they hand-delivered a CD that had been ordered
through their website once they realized they’d be passing through en route to
their shows in Herndon and Charlottesville, Virginia. Wheeler Brothers thrive on
their fan base and on the interactivity they have with their listeners.
When asked where they may be in a year Danny Matthews says, “We’ll ideally
have our second LP out and kicking... hopefully playing the festival circuit and
starting to build a little bit of traction on a broader scale... most importantly, remaining focused on writing music, nurturing our fan base and being hungry for the
road. And hopefully staying level-headed and happy.” It’s these aligned priorities
and a quenchless thirst for more, alongside countless studio hours that’s going to
take Wheeler Brothers beyond every peak imaginable. And now that Mr. and Mrs.
Wheeler are avid members of the audience, in awe of the bands’ undeniable talent,
we can count on the longevity of the bands’ instruments and their musical careers.
Follow their blog at: wbwesthouse.tumblr.com
austinlifestylemagazine.com
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CHOFFEL
A magical afternoon spent with Suzanna Choffel reiterated precisely
She goes on, “Erykah Badu is another and Feist is a favorite. I feel a
why it’s easy to predict her growing fame. She had suggested Bouldin
kinship to her music and am also in awe and envy of her constant
Creek Coffeehouse for a mid-day breakfast and conversation. Paired with
touring. You could say I have tour envy.” Blended with her passion for
her funky orange top, huge feathery earrings and chandelier necklace, she
touring, Choffel will, without a doubt, be hitting the road sooner than
really couldn’t be more Austin, except that she planned on spending the
later to continue spreading her gypsy notes around the world, which has
remainder of her day teaching guitar and voice lessons, grabbing an ice
her looking toward other places to settle. “I’ve actually been considercream snack from Amy’s Ice Cream and going night swimming at Barton
ing moving lately. I love Austin and it will always be home, but I’m getSprings. All this is added to the fact that her boyfriend, Paul Oveisi, just
ting the itch to try a different place out for a while. I lived in Santa Fe for
happens to own Momo’s Club, one of Austin’s well-known venues that
three years when I was in college and loved it. But I think I’m ready to
plays host to some of the city’s best acts and nationally touring artists. try out a big city like New York or L.A. If not, I definitely hope to be tourSuzanna Choffel is Austin.
ing and my big hope for next year is Europe... I’ve never been and people
Having deemed herself as a “smoky-voiced female lead, singing pop
keep telling me they think my music would be well-perceived there,” she
songs with a little bit of an urban feel,” Choffel recently released her lat- explains. I couldn’t agree more. Europe would be a catapulting stage for
est project, Steady Eye Shaky Bow, the first album since her 2006 debut, Choffel and am quite eager to see this potential tour unravel.
Shudders & Rings. Since May, Steady Eye Shaky Bow has sold more than
We allowed our conversation to drift over omelets and iced lavender
1,500 copies and the single, “Raincloud,” is getting daily airplay in Austin. matés, talking philosophy, life, passions and art. Afternoon breakfast
Although she began performing professionally in 2004, Choffel has been
with Choffel was more like catching up with a sister or childhood friend.
a musician since childhood. In fact, her first gig was at Saxon Pub at
At one point I apologized for finishing her sentence. She replied, “No, it’s
twelve years old, as a member of her then-band, Red Headed Stepchild. like magic... we’re on the same wavelength.” In another moment while
She now tours as Suzanna Choffel and is also a member of Austin’s col- describing her adoration for local Meggan Carney’s “folky, jazzy 20s
laborative band, The Coveters, alongside some other well-known local
and 30s throwback songs,” she began snapping her fingers and singing,
artists including Ed Jurdi of the Band of Heathens.
“You’re my honeypie...” In her undeniably beautiful voice, one cannot help
With a dusty, beautiful folk princess voice, Choffel’s inspirations
but think that the decade she’s spent writing heartfelt, honest lyrics and
have been as diverse as her painter, writer and musician persona. “Ani
her sincere connectivity to both people and the world, that wherever she
DiFranco was the first musician I saw doing it her own way- raw, pure, hangs her hat, she will certainly find a cozy, blue-eyed home in music
genuine... all about audience. And she toured relentlessly,” she explains. libraries across the globe.
48 austinlifestylemagazine.com
Stephen Alcala
SU Z ANNA
Paige Newton
DAVID
RAMIRE Z
“Folk-brewed Pop” is the modern-Americana genre
label singer-songwriter David Ramirez has received
from his fans, having been writing and playing his own
music for more than ten years. A self-proclaimed wanderer, Ramirez quotes Tim Riggins from Friday Night
Lights, “Texas forever!” when asked where he sees himself in a year. That said, he admits Austin is his second
home and the open road his first. Austin will remain
his stationary escape from the highway where he’s constantly seeking exploration, new towns, new people and
inspiration. “Lord willing, I’ll never leave this town. I do
plan on touring a great deal within the next 12 months
and I have plans right now to get back in the studio come
early 2012.”
Beginning his musical career at the ripe age of 17,
he knew he had quite a bit of catching up to do. “I was
pretty late in the game so I really had to put in those
extra hours skipping class and not doing homework
to get to a point where I felt comfortable,” Ramirez
explained. “I did go to college for a couple years and
studied music business... went through a few theory
classes, understood a little more, then one day started
a band in Dallas. This was where I gained a true taste
for collaboration and performance. I fell in love and
although the band didn’t last long, it propelled me over
the years to move to Nashville, travel and to move down
here to Austin. It’s been a good road and I look forward
to many more years on it.” It’s this commitment and
dedication paired with his clear, concise, yet youthful
wisdom that I believe will launch him farther down the
highway than maybe even he could imagine.
Having produced several EPs and one full length
album, American Soil, Ramirez has had quite a successful run thus far. In 2010 alone, Ramirez played 150
shows, all stemming from independently booked tours.
September’s shows include performances in Lubbock,
San Francisco, Los Angeles and Glendale, Arizona,
emphasizing his everlasting role as a traveling musician, a traveling man.
In recent shows along Ramirez’s tours, he’s finally
started to realize that people elsewhere are discovering his music, “One significant thing has been hitting
these cities that I’ve never played and finding people
who were familiar with my work. I’ve never expected
that of anyone; I’ve always just wanted to play for whoever was there, but seeing it happen has been quite an
honor. I’m no longer only playing for strangers and I
think that will always be a surprising moment for me.”
Ramirez agrees that Austin is the perfect base for
the creative-minded and the artist’s soul, “I think [one]
of Austin’s attributes that helps is her care for herself.
Local business and local art have a home here and as
long as that stays a priority, creativity will exist.” And
I think he’s right.
It seems the road has taught Ramirez quite a bit along
the way and that wisdom will certainly help accelerate
him into well-deserved fame. He finished the interview
with, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” And that, my
friends, is a simple and powerful lesson, reflective of the
Austin dogma, that we should all run with. ALM
Artist
Predictions
B
Wheeler Brothers: Little Lo,
Hayes Carll, Bright Light
Social Hour & Drew Smith
Suzanna Choffel: T-Bird,
The Breaks, Little Brave,
Cowboy and Indian, Wheeler
Brothers & Meggan Carney
David Ramirez: White Dress,
Suzanna Choffel,
& Shakey Graves
UtopiaFest
OCTOBER 14 & 15
Featuring Suzanna Choffel
& Wheeler Brothers
and others
utopiafest.com
Download MORE
Video & Music at
austinlifestylemagazine.com
austinlifestylemagazine.com
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