You come from more of a rock/metal background.
When I first picked up an instrument I went right to the heavier groups and I’ve been playing
that style ever since. This is the first honkytonk/country band I’ve played in. It’s a totally different experience than heavy music. Although, I still have that in my system, in fact, I’m working on some original ideas of my own so it’s possible that I’ll be back out doing something like that later in the year as well as this.

Who are some of you're musical influences and what lead you to joining a country band?
There are a lot of players from many different styles that I pay attention to like Ethan Shaw (The Derailers), Robert Reynolds (The Mavericks), Tommy Cogbill, Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz),
Verdin White (Earth, Wind & Fire), Robert DeLeo (STP) and of course John Paul Jones.
When I was growing up my Mom and Dad always had old honkytonk and classic country
albums around like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck and Buck Owens. My first concert
was actually Jerry Reed at Tombstone Junction in Kentucky. As far as joining The Brand, I
ran across an ad for a band that needed a bassist so I checked out their site and then gave
them a call. During the conversation we hit on a lot of the same ideas and it felt right so I
auditioned and here we are.

You played bass in the now defunct Cincinnati rock band Fetish. Fetish had a nice little run releasing a cd that did fairly well locally and sharing the stage with a few nationals that came through town at the time. Do you look back on that band as a positive or negative experience?  We were together for about four years and, in my opinion, covered a lot of ground.
We released a full length CD “Struggle on Vinyl”, played with some great bands, made some good friends along with a few connections and we got an education by hitting the road in an old,  rusted out Ford van. I believe the band had much more potential and that we could have done more had we stayed together but ultimately I wouldn’t trade a thing.

What eventually lead to the demise of Fetish?
Sydney (our original singer) had some pretty important things come up in her personal life and
unfortunately she had to leave to take care of them. We found Searcy Lacey, formerly from a band called Indigo Blue, through Ted Braiser and gave her the gig. We wrote and recorded a few originals with her and continued to play out but about six months later we found that it wasn’t working and decided to call it quits.  

The Brand is currently in the studio recording some new tunes with Def Leppard/Van Halen producer Erwin Musper. Yes, we’re fortunate to have someone like him here in town.
I think he’s going to be a great asset to the local music scene.

How did you hook up with Erwin and how has it been working with him? Johnny knew a little about him and filled us in on his background. We ran into him last year at the Taste of Cincinnati and talked for a few minutes and it went on from there. He’s a total professional. Erwin is a very open minded guy and he’s really easy to work with. We recently recorded our first song with him and it came out great. There’s really no substitute for experience like that.  

Are you guys planning on releasing a full length cd?
A full CD is definitely a long term goal for us but right now we’re taking it a piece at a time and working on a writing a few more originals to complete a demo first.  

Having played in two very different genres is there one you prefer more than the other?
I wouldn’t say that I prefer one over the other. Both have their own pros & cons. Playing in a band like this has definitely improved my knowledge of my instrument and how to write a good, solid bassline. Plus, I honestly love the music. You’d be surprised at the number of people who say they don’t like honkytonk or country but come to a show and enjoy it. I don’t see anything wrong with playing or listening to different types of music. You shouldn’t limit yourself just because of what others might say. Trying new things can only make you a more well rounded player.

What advise would you give a band trying to achieve rock stardom? Realize that what you’re getting into is actually a business and you should treat it as such. Be smart, learn the ugly but necessary business end of things. Write what you believe in, stay focused and PRACTICE.

Any last words or things you would like to promote? You can hear our music at either of our sites, myspace.com/thebrandhonkytonk or thebrandhonkytonk.com. And keep an eye out, we’ll have more original music on it’s way soon.