Indie Ville TV #111 The Tennessee Werewolves

Written by  K.L. Graham

The Tennessee Werewolves are a classic country band taking on the new country scene by storm.

Angel Mary, lead singer and guitar player has all the sex appeal of Kacey Musgraves, Shania Twain, and Gretchen Wilson combined and has the star power that garners the bands attention.

“We have always grown up playing together, but had all done our own separate music projects…It finally came to a point when I was acting a lot (movies, television, school) and my mom said she missed me doing country music, so I started writing again and asked my brother and dad if they would be in a band with me and we just dove into it and started creating music for The Tennessee Werewolves.”

It was the first time in all of our lives where the response was tremendous to the project and we were actually gaining success fast.”

It’s the boys of the band though,her brother Christian on drums, and dad Antoine on bassthat keep it all together.

Angel Mary response to working with her dad and brother “It’s great ‘cause I’ve always been my dad’s shadow and my brother is my best friend.”

Deciding who is the true leader of this pack though, whether it’s mega hot dad Antoine, or foxy Mama, Honey Wolf who manages the band behind the scenes and holds everything on the road and at home, or Angel Mary herself perhaps isn’t as important as the big things happening for this family band.

“Today’s a little off day for me. A work day is hurry up and wait. Hurry up to bus call, wait to get one, there’s this whole buildup the entire day” says Christian, while sipping Nashville made Pickers vodka and ginger ale by the pool, a nice break from their busy family life of making music, touring, and filming their very vintage country film themed music videos.

On being a “family band” Christian says “I just think the most successful bands have this kind of natural chemistry. There’s this natural connection; we can read other’s minds.”

He says their attack is “No retreat. No surrender, we have each other’s backs.”

Dad Antoine agrees saying that “Being a family, our performance and everything is very smooth and

easy.”

Angel Mary has her brother and dad to look out for her. Antoine says “If there is ever a creeper, we

know how to take care of them.”

And although I imagine the siblings possibly having a row or two on the bus or squabbling over the latest designer Darren Simonian (he designs jewelry for The Hollywood Vampires too) or King Baby wolf belt buckle, these pups seem to just love each other and performing together, no drama, just a loving family making great country music.

Clad in “Keith & Davey” duds and hearts full of werewolf lore, nods to classic country are in their blood.

Angel Mary delves deeper into the brand of their band (A family band that could make lunch out of The Partridge Family) saying “Well, I’ve always been in love with the classic monster stories, Frankenstein ect.”

“What’s cool about werewolves is that they are the only monster that is part living human. That’s why Johnny Cash’s song ‘The Beast in Me’ stuck out so much to me. I’m a huge fan of his, I’d say he’s my country hero but anyway, the song is basically a prayer to God asking the Lord to tame that other side to him, to help him to be good because it’s so easy to be bad.”

Angel Mary has no qualms about being bad, or at least looking bad to the bone, her iconic hot pants and belt buckles draw attention to her leggy bod, but as she shows in performance, it’s all about the music, and doing what she and her family love most, performing and carrying the spirit of country music alive.

 

It’s clear she knows her history too.

Not only is Cash’s song “The Beast in Me” a huge influence, so is the mythical classic horror films. She explains:

“The Wolfman in the old horror movies didn’t want to turn into that wolf, he almost pleaded with the

moon but it happened anyway, just like the song ‘The Beast in Me.’”

“We’re all human, we all make mistakes…we all have a wolf in us. It’s how we choose to use it.”

As for being on stage, Angel Mary says her favorite song to play live is ‘Ramblin,’ the band’s latest single. “It’s a timeless song and has so much grit and heart behind it. You can hear it in your soul.”

Antoine and Christian both dig “Amy’s Gone” a soon to be released song they have started to play on

tour.

Christian elaborates “Honestly for the longest it was a remake of “Folsom Prison Blues”. (Co-produced by John Carter Cash) It’s so up front and in your face…My new favorite song is ‘Amy’s Gone’ It has such a cool traditional feel to it.”

Antoine says of the song “Amy’s Gone” “It walks along the story of someone’s life…It gets kinda real.”

The truthfulness and honesty in their music and the personal style of Christian and the wolf family clan’s “Outlaw country and 80’s rockstar” (self proclaimed by drummer Christian) is what makes them so unique.

The band has big plans for this year Christian says “This year we are doing a lot more writing.”

He is proud of newly being endorsed by Pearl Drums (As well as Stagg Cymbals and Sela).

“I got to pick up my new set recently…I’ve been playing Pearl Drums since I was 10 years old.”

They plan to put out a new album later this year.

Not only that, The Tennessee Werewolves have performed during CMA week, they recently opened up for Florida Georgia Line and rumor has it that Billy Ray Cyrus of new comedy “Still The King” may even be produced their next record. (But it’s only a rumor, so we’ll have to wait and see.)

And no wonder, with country chops, great looks, and landing a spot in Billboard Magazine print edition, people are taking note of this pack of musicians, and their success is something the whole family can be proud of.

To see where you can catch a show, become a member of #thewolfpack, rock some gear, and listen to

all the outlaw country coming your way, you can check out www.tennesseewerewolves.com and on

their facebook and social media pages @TennesseeWerewolves.

Indie Ville TV #110 Anthony Snape: The Recession Brought one Good Thing

Written by Alexis Chateau
                                                         

A native of Australia, Anthony Snape moved to America to pursue a career in music back in the recession of 2008. Despite the dismal role the recession played in American history, Snape remembers it as a great year to make music.

“It was a recession, but it was a good time for music because people needed an emotional outlet. So everywhere that we played that year, it was really apparent how much people were hurting and how much they needed music at that point,” Snape remembers. “It was an amazing eye-opener for me, being my first time ever in the United States.”

Starting out in Australia

But Snape’s music career began long before 2008; it began while he was still living in Australia. He

first established himself in Sydney and Newcastle by working on radio projects, doing jingles,

forming a band, and doing any kind of work that involved music. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

“During that time, when I was doing a lot of writing, I thought, ‘You know what, if this is what I

really want to do and I want people to hear the music that I write. Then I’ve just got to stop doing

everything else and just write and put it out there and it will either work or won’t work,” he shares.

So, in 2006, Snape worked on his first full length album and released it in Australia. The album

would later open doors for the musician in America, as it gained airplay on local radio stations in

Australia.

Moving to America

This dose of success encouraged the small-town musician to move on to bigger and better things,

which would involve opening for Tommy Emmanuel in America.

“Tommy is an amazing guitar player, and a legend in Australia,” Snape says of the man who helped

to jump-start his career. “The opportunity to come here and open for his shows was just

unbelievable.”

That touring opportunity with Tommy Emmanuel helped Anthony to build a fan base, which he

leveraged to continue his career long after the tour had ended. His fan base now represents what

Snape loves most about his career. “The support is just amazing,” he says. “It blows me away every

single time!”

Snape’s love for his fans makes him partial to house concerts, where he can meet with people and

talk to them on an individual level. “I do a ton of house concerts, because you really get to meet

people, see their perspective on things, hear stories, and hear their struggles. Everyone’s going

through something. Those emotions that people share make it back into the music. It all comes back

around.”

The Fight for Exposure

Like most independent artists, however, Anthony Snape still struggles with gaining exposure, not

just to the public at large, but to more people who can connect with his music. Exposure also helps

Snape to raise money for going on tour and making new music.

He recently completed a fundraising on his website, and is working on a new album. Snape believes

that this is a way indie artists can empower themselves to invest fully in their music, and create the

kind of art they want to put out there.

“I’ve got a studio – I could record a whole [album] on my own,” he explains. “But I live in Nashville…where there are so many amazing players, and I’ve got access to some amazing studios as well. So why would I just record everything on my own?”

Instead, the musician works with other artists to ensure he brings something new and unique to his

fans with the release of every new record.

‘Weird, Random Situations’

In spite of his love for house concerts, and even his passion for making new music, Anthony Snape

spends a lot of time on the road. When asked what he loves most about touring, Snape chuckles and

says, “I like finding myself in weird, random, situations – and places. You just never know… when

you start saying yes to things, it’s really strange where you end up sometimes.”

Snape shares one ‘weird, random’ incident that happened while driving in a convoy through the

desert. “I did one trip across Australia with a charity group, and I was a musician on the trip,” he

begins.

“We traveled for three days to get into the center of Australia [and then] one of the cars broke

down, and the mechanics [who traveled with us] said it’s going to take another three hours to fix…

So then I thought, ‘I’m going to walk for an hour in one direction and see what that looks like…’

“I walked for an hour… and all that I had were my footprints, and… when I turned around, I could

just see the car on the horizon… In every direction around me, was nothing… It was such an

amazing experience… and it’s probably the most alone I’ve ever felt in my life.”

This philosophical take on even simple experiences finds its way into Snape’s music, making him so

much more than just another melodic pop artist with an acoustic guitar. Check out his website at

www.anthonysnapes.com for updates on the new album, and a chance to win special access, and

prizes.

Indie Ville TV # 109 Zack Murphy, the American Goon

Written by Alexis Chateau
                                                                                     

Last January, the West Coast Blizzard took America by storm, and raged all the way from New York down to Georgia. Streets were piled high with snow and many a power line came tumbling down. But this didn’t stop Murphy from spending the storm in his basement, recording his solo project, American Goon.

This isn’t Murphy’s first venture into the world of music, either. Six years ago, he founded the country-blues band, Blackfoot Gypsies, as a two-piece, with Matthew Paige on vocals and guitar, and him on the drums. Later, the band added a bass player and a harmonica

player to expand their sound.

But the expansion didn’t stop there for Murphy. While he enjoyed creative freedom in

Blackfoot Gypsies, the urge to venture more into heavy metal led him to work on the

hardcore sound embodied in American Goon.

An admitted political junkie, Murphy used the album to voice some of his opinions on

American politics, and the seeming ridiculousness of American pop culture.

“There’s a large issue with people not being able to put themselves in another person’s

shoes,” Murphy explains, while not at all removing blame from himself as a potential part of

the problem.

He says, “Every living being is drawn to something that kills them – whether it be reality

TV, drugs, or food. We’re all kind of doomed by what we love, and it’s awful but beautiful.”

But delving into political and philosophical thought and music wasn’t the only expansion

that came with working on a solo album. Trapped at home in the snow-storm, Murphy

became a one-man- band by playing all the parts himself. He did the writing, singing, the

recording, and played drum, bass, and guitar.

“A part of me just wanted to do a solo thing to see, ‘Is this something I can pull off? Is this

something that is possible?’” Murphy admits. “Finding a voice I didn’t completely hate of

my own was a process of trying and listening back… [I also had to learn] how to play

guitar… I’ve never really been too comfortable taking guitar solos… It was a nice challenge.”

Nevertheless, Murphy says his solo project will never overshadow his work with his band

mates. It’s been a great ride with Blackfoot Gypsies, who just completed their first

European tour. The band stage-dived in Spain after being peer-pressured into the daring

move by their audience; and put on many other great shows in Sweden, France, Holland,

Germany, and Norway.

With all the hard work that comes with being a part of a constantly touring band with now

international recognition, Murphy isn’t sure when he’ll make the next move for American

Goon. But we look forward to the next time he’s snow-stormed into his basement…

In the meantime, check out Zack Murphy playing with Blackfoot Gypsies. The band is

playing shows all month from North Carolina to Georgia.

Indie Ville TV #108 Phlecia Sullivan: Banker by Day, Rock Star by Night

Written by Alexis Chateau

                                                                         

Banker by day and rock star by night, Phlecia has played with Year of October for the past six years. During this time, the band has put out two albums, and is currently working on a third.

“We’re really excited about this new record,” Phlecia says. “It’s really shown a lot of growth...” She credits this to having more stable members to craft the sound she and co- founder Josh always envisioned. But the band is in no rush to get the album out until next spring.

“The worst thing you can do is put out an album [with] something that every time you listen to it, you’re like, ‘Why did I do that?’”

Bringing the Band Together

Originally from Kentucky, Phlecia attended the University of Kentucky where she met her

husband and co-founder of Year of October, Josh Sullivan. “We dated for three years before

we started playing as a band, and then we got married,” she explains.

As a guitarist, Josh had played in other bands before forming Year of October, from as early

as fourteen years old. He knew from a very young age that his future would be in

entertainment, and so did Phlecia.

When asked how she enjoys sharing a stage with her husband, Phlecia laughs. “It’s really

fun!” she gushes. “We’re best friends, and so I feel like we have pretty good chemistry.

Every once in a while we’ll get a look from each other like… ‘Really? Why did you do that?’

but it’s really great. We have a lot of fun.”

A New Sound

Year of October has also been experimenting with its sound, venturing a little away from its

rock n’ roll backdrop against soulful vocals, to a heavier sound for the new album. “It’s

getting heavier than what the last album was.”

The band attributes its sound to influences like Led Zeppelin, The Punch Brothers, Norah

Jones, and Amy Winehouse. Phlecia also credits Stephen King as bearing heavy influence

over her writing in the studio.

Touring

Year of October tours extensively around the south: in Kentucky, Alabama, and all around

Tennessee. The band has definitely made the best of its niche, but hopes to expand into

Europe in the near future to grow its audience. In the past few weeks alone, the band has

played six shows spread out between Kentucky and Tennessee.

For upcoming tour dates, check out the band’s website at www. yearofoctober.com. The

band’s next show is an acoustic set on July 15 at the Tennessee Brew Works. The show

starts at 7PM and admission is free.

indie Ville TV #107 Mark Allee and Operation Booty Move

Written by Alexis Chateau

                                                                        

California-native Mark Allee is a musician on a mission. Allee has played alongside some of the most memorable names in the music industry, and along the way, has formed his own unique approach to making a name for himself in the entertainment business. As a

drummer, he enjoys the thrill of performing, and the gratification from sustaining a living through his art.

For Allee, every new step he has taken in music has felt like a new high point in his life as he continues to grow as an artist – but perhaps none more so than the incredible musicians

he’s had the opportunity to work with.

Working with the Heavy Weights in Music

“Those three songs I played with Sammy Hagar was a high moment, because I’m a huge fan

of that part of Van Halen and Sammy himself; and the fact that I was able to play with him

on stage – same thing with Steven Wonder, John Mayer, John Legend – that was a high

point.”

But Allee’s involvement with big names didn’t stop there. With his new music project,

Operation Booty Move, Mark Allee plays music from some of the biggest and most popular

artists in the industry, like Katy Perry, Michael Jackson, and even Iggy Azalea.

“Throughout all my years in the industry, I’ve looked at all the bands I’ve been a part of and

said, ‘I need to have ownership.’ My ownership path that I’ve chosen is to create a project

based on the most common denominator of all music – to make people dance.”

To articulate its purpose, the DJ-band combo invented the tagline “Statistically proven to

keep the booty movin’.” But it’s more than just a tagline. Operation Booty Move plays tracks

from a list that DJs accumulate that is proven to work. “We’re all about giving people what

they want,” Allee says.

Allee’s Influences

Allee credits his love for music as a teenager, for pushing him in the direction of turning a

hobby into his career. As a youngster, he enjoyed listening to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led

Zeppelin, and Rush.

“Rush was the catalyst for me to pick up drumming,” he shares. “When Rush came into my

head, I was like, ‘I wanna be like this guy!’”

Hoping to engender the same desire in younger musicians, Allee works with after-school

projects to teach younger kids how to play keyboard, bass, drums, and guitar. “I turn them

into total badasses and teach them that they can accomplish anything,” he says of his work.

As a teacher and musician, Allee hopes to create a legacy that will long outlive him through

a new generation of musicians; and by providing a memorable experience for music-lovers

everywhere through Operation Booty move.

Indie Ville TV #106 The Outstanding and Remarkable Phil Stanley

Written by Lilian Ogbuefi        

Why did you decide to go into music?

Music was always a fascination. From the earliest years I was surrounded by a wondrous

selection of albums supplied by my parents. Though, I think it may go a little deeper than that. I

believe some people are born with an innate interest in a certain sense or, at least, discover one they prefer over the others. For some people it is taste; for others it is feeling and for others it is sound. This is how you wind up with chefs, or race car drivers or…musicians! Or, in the least,

those that have a penchant for playing with flavors, driving fast cars, or collecting vinyl. I hate fast cars. When it comes to being interested in sound, if you’re interested enough, you’ll

eventually want to be able to orchestrate the sounds that you hear and, I believe, many of those individuals with that fascination become musicians in some right. So to answer your question… probably when I was 6 and heard “Love Me Do,” by The Beatles and “Dear Doctor,” by the Stones!

What is your inspiration?

Inspiration lies everywhere. My favorite things to write about are either abstract scenarios or

human relationships; the human condition; there’s a lot of ammunition there. My favorite songs

that I have written just capture small vignettes; tiny little events or scenes. The fun part is putting

them together to make a cohesive whole that someone, outside of yourself, can understand. But it

all boils down to feeling. My goal is to capture that feeling, as mundane as it may sound. That

can range from first loves to sunsets; from hatred and anger to a dirty sink. Inspiration is

everywhere, it just depends on what you feel like writing about. Sometimes you don’t choose,

the song or solo composes itself.  

Do you write your songs yourself?

For the most part I do; or at least I round them out and finish them myself. The majority of my

song construction happens in front of my desk with an acoustic guitar. However, I have

happened on a different and easier strategy and that is fleshing out an idea with a band or at least

a bassist. For this, I owe the world to my compadre, Max Rubel. When he is able to repeat riffs

or hooks, it gives me the freedom to then compose words on top while having the motif on repeat

behind me. It makes songwriting so much easier. “Knocking on My Window,” and parts of

“She’s Gone,” from the Broadside album were written this way. It also makes it easier to test out

where the song should go. I can start throwing chords at Max’s bassline and once one makes

sense it’s, “alright boys this way!”

Are you originally from Nashville or did you move here for the music?

I’m originally from Wilmington, Delaware; the cradle of civilization. I moved to Nashville about

two and a half years ago to get the ball rolling musically in a larger and more capable

community. It’s a place where there are more like minded people than say…Wilmington,

Delaware. Though, I take that back. Surprisingly, two other guitarists from my hometown, James

Everhart and Johnny Duke, are doing quite well for themselves on the national front. Guess

there’s nothing else to do in Delaware except practice! Check them out!

How has the journey been for you so far?

It has been difficult although incredibly fulfilling. I was a part of a band early on with some of

my dearest friends that ran into…well to say hiccups would be a righteous understatement. But, I

got to play with the best in that situation and I learned so much. The rest has just been trying to

gain traction, which I, thankfully, finally have found. The current line-up of musicians I am

playing with have been wonderfully supportive and supply a creative hub that I never thought I

would come across. Once the Broadside album was completed, things have started to become

super exciting!

Why pop/folk, would you change your genre if you had the chance?

It just happens. I grew up listening to a ton of late 1960’s music; Neil Young and the like. I also

listen to a metric ton of early 1960’s American and English folk, like Fred Neil, Bert Jansch, and

Buffy St. Marie. I guess when you put that music on an electric guitar in front of a full band, you

are bound to take the folk elements and prime it for an ear that has been raised on the excitement

of electricity! 

Maybe it’s because I am also a massive Byrd's fan; they took folk and threw it into the pop world.

Maybe that’s it? I also require a constant injection of Athens, GA New Wave like the B-52s. I

guess it’s all boiling in the same pot.

Ultimately, it is just a synthesis and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! It is so much fun! Adding

strange tuning and chords from on style into another can keep me going all day!

How do you combine pop and folk; is it challenging?

It’s honestly not challenging at all. It’s pretty much a bi-product of my interests. I want to play

something that people are going to actually find interesting and catchy, if I am going to actually

write a song and I listen to old folk a LOT. It comes from the marriage of those two aspects. Old

English folk songs and the good songs that came from the early 1960's New York folk scene are

some of my favorite things to play guitar on top of. Writing songs is purely an extension of

playing guitar, so, naturally, if I’m playing folk all the time, it’s going to come out in my writing.

I don’t chase pop; not in the least. But I like things that sound good and I like to take feelings I

get from folk chord changes that may be a little ‘wonky’ to some listeners, and make them

palatable. This way they can share in the feelings I feel when I play the folk tunes. 

The songs all come from the guitar. I consider myself, ultimately, a guitar player and, sometimes,

I’ll stumble across a little musical line and think… “There’s a song in there.” The next step is

fleshing it out. If I have a lot of folk and rock in my system, it’s going to come out in some

interesting synthesis. 

If you listen to Fred Neil’s “Bleeker and MacDougal” album, you’ll hear how easy it is to

combine the two. The Beatles did it, Tom Petty did it, and even Dylan did it. 

How close are you to your family and do you consider them supportive of your craft?

I am very close with my family. They have been very supportive. Though I must say, they have

also been my biggest critics. Playing my music for my father is like being grilled. If he hates it, I

know others will probably like it. If he likes it, then I get my own satisfaction. He was the one

that force-fed me a TON of fantastic tunes while I was growing up; he is hard to fool. If I

impress him then, at least between he and I, I know I did something right! It’s a marvelous

feeling.  

If you could be reborn as any celebrity who would it be and why?

Anthony Bourdain. Because I wouldn’t have to deal with musicians! Also, I’d know I could

smoke and make it to 60!

What’s next for you and your career?

The next move is an album called “Everything Causes Cancer in California.” I begin work on it

in July and then will be embarking on a tour of the southeastern U.S. in the fall for the past

album “Broadside.” There will probably be an acoustic winter tour, however, that’s still a little

far out; I’d like to though!

Indie Ville TV #105 The Extraordinary Cory Taylor Cox

Written by Lilian Ogbuefi

                                                               

Cory Taylor Cox is an indie rock and roll musician who, originally from North Mississippi, moved to Nashville to work in the music industry by day, as a result of the rewarding opportunities the

Music city has proven to offer. His initial decision to go into music stemmed from the connection it seemed to provide him with, to the past, his friends, family, and the community at large. In Cory’s own words, “Music connects my heart to my vocal chords; it moves blood to my fingertips, keeps me upright and moving forward.

Like most other musicians, he has a source of inspiration, his, however, is everyday life. Cory is

a firm believer that everybody, irrespective of their background, has a story to tell and it’s the

beauty of these stories, good or bad, and their versatility that inspires Cory’s art. When asked

about his creative process, he maintained that he does not utilize the services of ghost writers.

Every song from the stable of Cory Taylor Cox is either written independently, with his band, or with

friends. This goes to solidify his claim that, everyday life with its day to day interactions is

indeed his source of inspiration.

The journey for Cory so far, may have been challenging, yet, the path is not one he would

change for anything. He maintains the importance of his experiences and the people he has met,

stating that even when decisions were confusing, frustrating, or uncertain, he was always where

he was supposed to be at the right time, thus, “the journey is everything and we're still rolling”. 

Cory’s gravitation towards rock and indie roll music was more as a result of environmental

influence, however, he tries not to let genre restrict him. He’s more focused on pursuing the

evolution of music rather than looking for the chance to change his genre. He remains extremely

close to his family, who are supportive and understanding of the demands of being a musician,

“They're the best, my parents were at my show last weekend and my brother-in- law was one of

the first to pre-order the new record.”

When asked which celebrity he would like to reborn as, Corey responded, “I don't want to be

anybody but me. So I'd be reborn as me, but maybe in a different decade, so I could experience

being a musician during a different time, different technology, when life and music were simpler.

Maybe in the 50's so I could fall in with the Rat Pack, or 60's in Greenwich Village, or the 70's to be  a part of CBGB. But honestly I hope I don't have some twilight zone experience and

that really happens, I'd miss my dog too much.”

On the 13th of May 2016, Cory released his third studio album titled “Extended Play”, the Vinyl

version of which should be ready this fall. Besides that, he says “Make music. Make music with

friends, have fun, be nice, be cool and at tacos”. You can keep up with Cory’s progress on

www.corytaylorcox.com.