Greenville Scene

Don’t miss a rare opportunity to catch American Recordings artist Tyrone Wells at the Handlebar tonight!

Here is the very first greenvillescene.com podcast. Download it, listen to it and love it. I’m fond of so many styles of music so hopefully this podcast has a little something for everyone. Please be sure to leave some feedback in the forum. Thanks to all the labels and artists for allowing us to use these tracks. Also, I would like to thank Ben Hargett many times over for his audio wizardry. - Andrew O.

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This week check out the interview with Preacher’s Gun, the second installment of The Winter Sounds Presents: Get Out of Town featuring World Grotto, and the review of Corey Crowder’s latest album Starting All Over.

Don’t miss Corey Crowder at The Handlebar this Saturday with Woodale and Jacob Johnson. The show starts at 9pm. $8/$10 under 21.

Preacher’s Gun is an eccentric three-piece metal/rock band from Greenville.

Jaymz - guitar, vocals
Joe - drums
Bobby - bass

by Kevin Miller

GreenvilleScene: So how long have you guys been together and how exactly did you form?

Jaymz: We’ve been together as a two piece for a year and a half now. Joe and I were in the Berea High School marching band together, but hadn’t seen each other since that time. I ran into him while I was working at Earshot. He had a full set of drums, a practice space at his house, and no band to play with, so we exchanged numbers. After our first jam session it was clear that we had a natural chemistry, so we kept at it. Bobby is a new addition and has only been practicing with us for about a month. I had met and befriended him from my days at Earshot. Once I found out he played bass, I asked him to join Preachers Gun.

GS: I’ve found it interesting that you guys have been working as a two-piece band until recently? How has this affected your work?

Jaymz: Well, we never wanted to be strictly a two-piece. We tried out a few bass players at different stages of the band, but they didn’t work out for various reasons. So, Joe and I decided to move forward as if we’d never find one. That meant we’d both have to really stretch ourselves musically in order to fill up all the space that is left due to the absence of bass. For me that totally changed me as a guitarist. Setting & holding a groove became my first priority. Traditional guitar solos would be a problem in this setting, so I had to rethink my approach to soloing & realize that anything I played would essentially be a solo. Thankfully Joe’s drumming is so massive that I don’t ever have to worry about us sounding thin. His presence is always heard and felt, so that has given me a different type of freedom. As long as I stay in the groove we set, I can play the ugliest chords I want, be out of tune and break any other rules I feel can be broken. With the addition of Bobby on bass I should be able to explore a wider range of sonic territory. Adding another song writing instrument into the mix should spice things up alot for us. Bobby and Joe can hold down the groove now, and I can go off to Venus if I want to. That takes a huge weight off me as a guitarist.

GS: Is there any certain formula you use for writing songs?

Jaymz: We just want all the songs to be hard, heavy, and melodic. That may be a result of the riff, the content of the lyrics, or a combination of both. The x-factor in the equation is my voice. It’s very R&B/Gospel flavored, and I’ve never cared for it in this musical context. That’s why I take so much time to find the ugliest guitar tones I can. I want to contrast the softness of my voice with very harsh music. In the past, I’ve always brought an idea to Joe and let him fill in the blanks. He’s good about knowing what the drums sound like in my head without me telling him. I’m really excited about writing as a three-piece because I can explore new possibilities.

GS: What have been some of your major influences musical and non-musical over the course of your life?

Jaymz: Well, I love all of Miles Davis. He’s the scariest/coolest man ever! I’m also really influenced by any and all left-handed guitarists (from Hendrix, to Cobain, to Greenville’s own Haze), every band we’ve ever played a show with, literature (I majored in English), and religious/sacred imagery. I’m very fascinated with man’s misinterpretations about God. That truth or lack there of is my biggest influence. Imperfect creations arguing and killing each other over their different explanations about the mind/purpose/and meaning of a perfect Creator. If that’s not crazy, I don’t know what is. That’s why I like to take religious imagery and themes and throw them in a blender with my own thoughts, a sprinkle of taboo and a few power chords.

Joe: Musically (Led Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath, Down, all the grunge music from the 90’s, and too many drummers to name.) Non-musically my mom for buying my first drums and turning me on to good music at an early age and of course my wife for supporting my passion for music and putting up with Jaymz and me making alot of noise in the house at practices.

GS: Have you made any plans to release a CD or do more recordings?

Jaymz: We’re actually about to take a break and lock ourselves in a dungeon so we can cement our newly formed trinity. We probably won’t play many shows after August 8th because we want to focus on getting comfortable with Bobby on bass. We don’t want to work out the kinks on stage and we don’t want to do too many more gigs without Bobby. It’s an adjustment for all of us, so it will take us some time to find our new sonic identity. I don’t want us to just continue on the same musical path and just have Bobby double what I’ve already played. This is an opportunity for us to forge new ground with this band. So, we’re going to focus on getting more comfortable together, getting our merchandise ideas together, finding a formidable studio, and making a lot of noise for the near future. I’m very excited because the next time you hear us it will be like the first time all over again.

www.myspace.com/preachersgun