The band that I am sitting with today brings a rare quality to the stage. Not only do they look like they can melt your face as soon as they begin playing, but they look like they are from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. But that could not be further from the truth. I have gotten to know these guys over the last six months or so and they are some of the nicest guys I have ever met. One of them has even started to write guest posts for my blog. Not to mention their addiction to Scotty’s Brewhouse and Twitter. I hope that you take the time to get to know these guys as the rocking band with the most unique name I have heard in along time, the Tug Fork River Band.
How long have you guys all been together?
We have been together for a little over three years now I believe. It’s hard for me to keep track.
Where did you guys come up with that name?
The Tug Fork River is actually the name of the river that separated the Hatfield and McCoy families during that huge feud. We liked it cause it was pretty southern sounding.
Describe your genre in one word.
Metal.
Where did you guys all meet?
We have all been playing in bands together since high school. I met Brian and David (bassist and drummer respectively) when their band at the time was trying out for our school’s annual concert. I met Aaron (vocalist) through my brother, who he was in a class with.
Who is the ringleader in the band?
That would probably be me if you’re talking about behind the scenes stuff. I usually take care of all booking as well as running the MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and updating all of our info in regards to upcoming shows. As far as on stage and at shows that would be our vocalist Aaron. He does very well with interacting with the fans.
How long have you all been performing?
Pretty much the whole time we have been a band. We did take a little time off in the early stages because my brother, who used to play guitar with us, left for the Air Force. We redefined our sound and took about three months off just to practice and get everything solid, which was probably the smartest thing we have ever done.
Who is doing all of that screaming?
(Laughs) That would be our vocalist Aaron.
Does his voice ever get sore after a show?
He has actually trained his voice in that way, so I think his voice is rarely sore after a show. The singing parts actually take more of a toll on his voice than all of that screaming.
Where do you guys practice?
We practice at our drummer’s house in Carmel. His parents are kind enough to open their house to us every week so that we can make a bunch of noise. His dogs are annoying though.
What are your thoughts on MySpace?
I keep trying to figure out my thoughts on MySpace. It used to be like THE place to go, but it seems like Facebook has taken over. It seems like anymore the only people on MySpace are other bands. I still believe it’s pretty essential for a band to have a presence on MySpace though, at least for now.
Are you on Twitter?
Yes. The band’s user name is @tugfork. My personal one is @justinfoxworth, and Brian’s is @bmdukes. David doesn’t have one and Aaron thinks Twitter is stupid. He says the only thing he would ever put is ‘sitting at my computer on the Internet’.
Do you guys have a favorite venue?
My personal favorite would either be Rhino’s in Bloomington or The Emerson Theater in Indianapolis.
Do you guys have jobs outside of music?
Unfortunately yes. Aaron works at an autobody repair shop, Brian is a cook at a pub, David works at a retirement home, and I work during the day at McAlister’s Deli and in the evenings at J.D. Byrider making phone calls and wasting time on the Internet.
How do you all know Johnny Teater?
Johnny was the vocalist in the band that Brian and David were in when I met them. I ended up joining that band a little later and we played a bunch of shows as well as releasing a couple demos and a full length album. He’s one of my best friends for sure. I also have a man crush on him.
Who designed your logo? (I love it by the way!)
Thanks! I actually designed it. I’m currently going to school for a degree in Visual Communications. Almost done!
Tell me a little more about Wounded Records.
Well they are an independent label based out of Evansville, Indiana. They’ve been around for about 10 years now I believe and have released about twenty or so albums. We came in contact with them through a band called Neviah Nevi, who is also on their roster. We played a show with them here in Indianapolis and became good friends with them. They pushed us pretty hard to Wounded and they ended up picking us up.
Let’s say that I have never seen you live before. What should I expect coming to a show?
Total ear drum destruction.
Where are all of you guys from originally?
We all hail from the glorious city of Indianapolis and it’s suburbs.
Who are some of your inspirations?
Metallica, Pantera, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, The Showdown, Lamb of God, Ace of Base.
If you could be any cartoon character who would you be and why?
Great question. I think I would have to go with Homer Simpson. No matter what stupid thing he does or says everything ends up working out well for him for the most part. There’s some severe bodily harm on occaision, but he always pulls through. Plus he’s hilarious.
What are you drinking on stage?
Always water. Sometimes the occaisional energy drink. One time we tried to look cool by all of us having IBC Root Beer bottles. We didn’t have any water, just the rootbeer, and after a couple songs worth of intense playing we were dehyrated with nothing but sugar to drink basically. We all felt completely awful after the set.
Tell me what is like being on the same sampler as the guys in Devil Wears Prada?
It’s pretty cool to get on a sampler with a huge band like that, especially with it being based out of France I believe. I love getting international exposure. Cool side note: the band that Brian, David, and I were in with Johnny had The Devil Wears Prada open for us when they were first starting out. No joke.
How do you come up titles for your songs?
Basically we’re a bunch of idiots and it’s just random junk we come up with. We keep a dry erase board in our practice room with all of our stupid song title ideas.
Who writes all of the lyrics?
Our vocalist Aaron takes care of all of the lyric writing.
If you could live anywhere else in the world where would you go?
Anywhere warm. I can’t really describe how much I hate the cold, so anywhere south really. I love Nashville, Tennessee and could definitely see myself living there.
Pepsi or Coke?
Diet Coke FTW.
You guys have played Cornerstone? How was that?
Cornerstone is amazing. It combines two of my all time favorite things, camping and music. The first year we went we basically had no idea what we were doing, but were able to hop on some generator stages there. The last two years we played on one of the encore stages, which are the biggest stages you can play besides Main Stage, so that has been just awesome. Also, the people you meet there are some of the nicest and most genuine people ever.
Do you guys have any merchandise?
Yes. We have a full length album that is out now on Wounded Records called Catch For Us The Metal. It is available on most online music distributors such as iTunes, Amazon, etc. We also have a five song self realeased EP and a variety of shirts.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully on tour promoting a new album on a bigger label.
What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?
We consider ourselves a ministry band first and foremost. I hope we are remembered for showing everyone we come in contact with the love that God has for them. We would much rather be remembered for that than for our music.
I always let the artist get the last word. Go!
Thanks so much for the interview and God bless!
