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(L to R) Kayce, Hermann, Holt
Backstage at Greek Theatre by B. Bifulco |
We're backstage at Berkeley's Greek Theatre, and Sam Holt is already doing two jobs. In addition to meeting me for press on his band Outformation and their solid full-length debut, Tennessee Before Daylight, he's also making sure that Widespread Panic is ready to roll for the evening's show that starts in about one hour. Sam is not only the lead guitarist and a primary songwriter and singer for Outformation, he's also Panic's guitar tech. For most, this would be daunting. Working the crew for a touring juggernaut like Widespread Panic is a loveless, full-time-plus job. It basically never ends; you are always on-call, and there's always something that needs doing. Trying to get a young band off the ground is also a full-time job, but all this work doesn't seem to be slowing Sam down one bit. Sam's a blue-collar Southern boy. He works hard, he doesn't complain, and he always gets his hands dirty. Enjoying a moment to kick back, Sam reclines on the soft couch behind the Greek's massive stage as we begin to talk about Panic's departed co-founder and lead guitarist, Michael Houser. As Mikey's guitar tech, Sam knew Houser in a very unique manner - not only as a guitarist, but as a person. As one may assume, when Mikey died, it had a profound affect on Sam: "If anything, it taught me that this is a precious thing, to be able to do this [play music], and there's no time like now. You don't know how long you're gonna have, so why not? You only live once as far as I can tell."
Outformation (L to R): Upchurch, Holt, Schwartz |
Next to Sam sits Widespread Panic's keyboard guru John "JoJo" Hermann. JoJo's double-dipping as well, doing two jobs, and like Sam, he seems to be enjoying his duties. Not only is JoJo pushing the ivories for Panic, but he's also Outformation's producer, and he even plays keys on several tracks. As JoJo tells us, this isn't his first gig as a producer: "I produced my own [record - Just Ain't Right]. I produced Junior Kimbrough and some of that stuff, but with Junior that just kinda meant setting up the mics and getting the bologna sandwiches. That was pretty much it. So this was a little more hands-on, and their arrangements are much bigger. It's a much bigger band." One may be inclined to think that perhaps JoJo is just "throwing Sam a bone," - helping him out because they work on the same team, but nothing could be further from the truth: "I always go for the songs. I listen to the songs first, and that's what turned me onto these guys. And actually, at first I just brought them into the cheap-o studio and was like, 'ah let's just crank out a record,' but then as I got to know the songs more, I really got into it. That's when I decided take it to another level and take it to a real studio [Hum Depot in Nashville, TN with engineer Eli Akins] for the mixing and stuff like that."
Sam Holt - Outformation at Bonnaroo '05
By Eric Adkins |
As JoJo elaborates on Outformation's appeal, Sam's guitar playing inevitably shines through; "Sam's got that hypnotic thing. He kinda gets into that trance when he plays, and all my favorite guitar players have that ability to somewhat become hypnotized themselves. Mikey and Junior Kimbrough - there was a hypnotic thing, and I think Sam has that. It's a big part of what drew me to him." The comparisons to Mikey are both appropriate and flattering for Sam. And while Houser's technique was completely original and bit more unorthodox than Sam's approach, there are moments like the slow progression in the instrumental "Center Stage," the burning sound in "Stone In My Shoe," or the ominous fuzzed-out, distant guitar tone at the 1:38 mark in "90" (all tracks on Tennessee Before Daylight) that draw Houser to mind. In all that Sam may have picked up at the foot of Houser's chair, it very well may have been the life lessons more than the guitar ones that have stuck with him. Sam shyly states, "Musically, it was just unspoken. He was aware that I knew what he was doing and that I liked that kinda thing. And personally, it was more. It was more about him believing in me. He told me several times, 'I want you to go play your own music.' For whatever reason, he saw that [music in me], and it just gave me a lot of confidence. And then JoJo, along with that, has just always been behind me." As Sam talks about Mikey, he explains how it came to be that Outformation recorded one of Houser's songs, "Can't Change The Past." "I had seen Barbara Cue play it with him [Mikey], and I had a recording of it. I just fell in love with that song, and then it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Then JoJo added some really cool arrangement things to it, and I was really happy with the way it came out on this record."
Lee Schwartz - Outformation
Bonnaroo '05 by Eric Adkins |
While the Panic influence and the Houser inspiration have clearly put fuel in Sam's tank, this is no homage to Mikey nor a spill-over from Panic. It's songs like "Bout My Money," where Sam finds a deep, funked-out groove with heavy wah-wah inflections and huge areas to improvise (not to mention stellar keyboard work by JoJo), and the songwriting in the title track, or the anthemic disc closer, "Lonely Lonely Road" by drummer Lee Schwartz that show a band with a unique voice and serious potential.
I met Sam about a year ago when I was working the Crew for Stockholm Syndrome's [read the article here] first International Tour, but I knew of him for quite a while. I think the first time his name really rang a bell was when he sat in at Widespread Panic's emotionally-charged show following Houser's death on 8.18.02 at Fiddler's Green in Colorado. News of "that guy who ripped" spread quickly by phone, email, and fansites. Talk of his tone and delivery, emotion, and hints of Houser took on a life of its own. It only goes to follow that when Sam and I shook hands at the airport as we packed up Stockholm Syndrome's gear, I immediately thought of Sam the guitar player, not Sam the guitar tech. But in fact the two are not exclusive of one anther, and actually they go hand-in-hand. Sam's hard work off the stage is matched only by his work on it.
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Sam's got that hypnotic thing. He kinda gets into that trance when he plays, and all my favorite guitar players have that ability to somewhat become hypnotized themselves. Mikey and Junior Kimbrough - there was a hypnotic thing, and I think Sam has that. It's a big part of what drew me to him.
--JoJo Hermann |
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Joining Sam and drummer/vocalist Lee Schwartz in completing Outformation's power-trio line-up is bassist Grady Upchurch. Together, these three young men based in Atlanta, GA are making what Sam calls "'Southern Rock of the New Era', whatever that means." What it means is heavy on the songs, heavy on the guitars, and a dedication to performing live. It means having pride in where you're from and pride in who you are. They come from the same school as the Drive-By Truckers, Backyard Tire Fire, Kevn Kinney (specifically in Schwartz's voice and writing style), and of course Widespread Panic. That's not to say that Outformation actually sounds like any of these bands (who have all been doing it for many more years than Outformation), but there is a certain ethos, a sort of song-based, bare-knuckles, nose-to-the-stone, workingman's ethic to it.
Sam Holt & Outformation with Cecil 'Peanut' Daniels
By Fred Rice |
Thinking back to the birth of the band, Sam says, "It [Outformation] became more and more my idea after starting to work with Panic because I was playing more guitar and meeting people. Grady Upchurch (the bass player) and I have been playing in bands forever, so things just kind of evolved that way to where we were getting more opportunities, and when I was home, we would play a lot. So it's been a slow growth." Slow growth or not, over the course of their two-year history, the band has already shared the stage with Jerry Joseph, Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Stockholm Syndrome, Col. Bruce Hampton, The Smiling Assassins (featuring JoJo Hermann with North Mississippi Allstars), Rev. Jeff Mosier (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Blueground Undergrass), Johnny Neel (Allman Bros., X2), and Cecil 'Peanut' Daniels, among others.
Outformation at Bonnaroo 2005 by Bill Bina |
Things got serious for Outformation after Houser died. That was the catalyst that would drive Sam to make his band a priority. Not only was Houser's death a dark reminder that life is precious, short, and often out of our control, it also led to Widespread Panic taking a much deserved break from the road, which would in turn give Sam time to devote solely to Outformation. With that time, Outformation toured heavily, built a name, and recorded Tennessee Before Daylight. As talk turns to the new album, JoJo jumps in, "I wanted an album that people would really listen to, that was more than just a document, but that really had the song quality that people would play it over and over." Elaborating on his goal, JoJo remarks, "As a producer on this record, you know my attitude was like jamming is great for live, but let's make a record, stress the songwriting, and there's great soloing, but I asked that they not really go off on these improv jams and keep that for the live records and touring." Where JoJo played the role of producer, he of course focused on the sound quality and complete package, Sam on the other hand was taking his first crack at making an album. "We're always learning and always improving, and JoJo's vibe and everything made it [recording] real easy and laid back - a non-pressurized situation where I could just let it fly. And then I knew if I fucked up or something, he'd be like, 'don't do that again.' It wouldn't be like, 'oh he's mad at me,' it was just what's best for the song." Like everything about Sam, his modesty takes a front seat when discussing the album, "It was more or less just to have a vehicle to tour and maybe get an agent or management involved, just to get a foothold, honestly." But Sam's humility is complemented well by JoJo's pride, "And the first label they sent it to signed 'em!" This is not an ordinary path for a young rock band. In addition to the all-star list of players they've performed with, the beautiful theaters they've played in, the immediate label deal and national distribution (Amazon, iTunes etc), and two performances at last year's Bonnaroo, Outformation has the songwriting and talent to make a run at this thing. There are bands that work everyday, focusing only on their band (not their band and one of the biggest touring acts in the world) for years on end that never cover this much ground and turn this many heads.
Col. Bruce with Outformation at Bonnaroo '05
By Eric Adkins |
That's not to say that it's been all gold roads and smooth sailing for Sam and Outformation. Take the band's two gigs at America's most successful music festival, Bonnaroo. Panic was back on tour, and Sam once again found himself splitting time. "It can be really tough, like Bonnaroo was tough. Luckily, my band guys were there setting stuff up, so I just had to show up and plug in. I applaud them for being willing to do that. But the second day of Bonnaroo, I was definitely stressed waiting for the Panic set to start, just making sure I had everything ready. But like I said, you live once - I gotta do it while I can." JoJo laughs and comments, "It's amazing, he has the ability to play a lead and change strings simultaneously." And while it's tongue-in-cheek, it's not that far from the truth. I actually saw Sam as he was literally running from one stage to the other. He barely had time to breath and looked at wit's end, but once he took the stage and matched Col. Bruce Hampton (for the Col.'s only guitar performance of the weekend) and pushed the sound to crunching heights, it was clear that all the work was more than worth it. When the music clicks, there's nothing like it, and nothing else matters in those moments.
Sam Holt by Fred Rice |
As Panic prepares for their Summer/Fall break, Sam gears up for the road. Outformation will be hitting the East Coast hard in August. And with no one else's strings to change, no one else's gear to lug, and nothing to think about but Outformation, the future is bright, loud, and full of possibilities. As Sam's walkie-talkie starts to blow up and show time for Panic's gig draws near, he smiles and tells me, "Things are starting to happen. We're getting a publicist, we've got distribution, we're getting some name recognition, we're starting to get better profile gigs. Obviously, I'd like to have this lead to a point where I could make a living doing this someday." For now, it's late nights, long days, lots of work, double-duty, and two jobs, but Sam don't mind. That's what "Southern Rock of the New Era" is all about.
OUTFORMATION ON TOUR
08.10 | Maple Leaf | New Orleans, LA
08.12 | The Soul Kitchen | Mobile, AL
08.13 | Brother's Bar | Jacksonville, AL
08.17 | Georgia Theatre | Athens, GA
08.19 | Backstreet Pub | Beaufort, NC
08.20 | The Pour House | Charleston, SC
08.23 | The Soapbox | Wilmington, NC
08.24 | J.J. Cagney's | Savannah, GA
08.25 | Rafters | St. Simons Island, GA
08.26 | Smith's Olde Bar | Atlanta, GA
08.27 | Deerfields | Horse Shoe, NC
Kayceman
JamBase | California
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