I always wanted a pet as a kid. After years of whining, my parents finally gave in and bought me a parakeet. I named it Dudley after the iconic character on Diff'rent Strokes. The reason I bring this up is the first band on today's A-Sides is named The Wild Feathers and it put me in a fowl mood. That is a terrible introduction for such an amazing band. Let me try to make up for it. The Nashville-based, Austin-formed five-piece (Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns, Preston Wimberly and Ben Dumas) are destined for greatness. With their debut album arriving Aug. 13 and tours already lined up with Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and ZZ Ward, it's only a matter of time before your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate is singing their tracks at the top of their lungs. Wild Feathers are actually already killing it at AAA radio and SiriusXM with their debut song "The Ceiling," and performed it at an A-Sides session filmed at the Music Conservatory of Westchester in White Plains earlier this month. Watch them perform the track in perfect harmony and chat it up on A-Sides below. And... be sure to catch them on the road all summer long (they'll play San Francisco's Outside Lands festival on Aug. 11 and Nashville's Live on the Green on Sept. 12 by the way).
"The Ceiling" Live
The Wild Feathers Interview
For another exclusive A-Sides performance by The Wild Feathers, visit A-Sides' YouTube channel here.
Like The Wild Feathers, Trapper Schoepp & The Shades are an authentic American band. Based in now Ryan Braunless Milwaukee, the hardworking band - who you can't pigeonhole into any one genre - have been working together for over a decade - which is saying a lot when you consider they're all in their early-to-mid 20s. A master storyteller, Schoeep and his band (Jon Phillip, Graham Hunt, and Tanner Schoepp) are already on their third album Run, Engine, Run, and performed a new track called "Nighthawk" at the Music Conservatory for his/their A-Sides session. Watch him perform it with one of the "Shades" below and talk about it - at length (and that's a good thing) - below.
Trapper Schoepp & The Shades Perform "Nighthawk"
Interview
For another exclusive A-Sides performance by Trapper Schoepp, visit A-Sides' YouTube channel here.
About A-Sides Music
Jon Chattman's "A-Sides Music" series usually features artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometimes humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, I'm hoping this is refreshing.