Earl Greyhound: Rock Your Face

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By: Michael Kaiz

Earl Greyhound

Attitude. Earl Greyhound has that in-your-face, rock-or-get-out attitude of serious musicians focused on their craft. Their swagger on stage speaks of it. The thundering verses in their tunes exude it. If you can’t handle rock, Earl Greyhound will roll over you like a bulldozer. Matt Whyte and Kamara Thomas screech out indelible leads with their nimble fingers and supple vocal chords, supported by the heavy foundation of power drummer Ricc Sheridan.

When I first met Sheridan, he had just come off the stage but was still cool as a cat. His rich baritone voice reminds me of James Earl Jones in any role other than Darth Vader. As steady as can be, Sheridan fits the mold of everything you’d want in a rock drummer. He joined Whyte and Thomas about a year ago, and in that time Thomas says, “He’s brought that really monster, heavy groove to what we’re doing.”

But what is it that Thomas and Whyte were doing before Sheridan came along. “Matt and I were both singer-songwriters in our own right,” says Thomas. Singer-songwriters with a decidedly country-folk sound reminiscent of Gram Parsons. When they’re not on the road, Whyte and Thomas perform with the Honkytonk Happy Hour, a collection of New York area musicians simmering down on Sunday nights for the past two years. The Happy Hour leans towards a relaxed country sound, using the near universal musical language of American folk.

Kamara Thomas by Doron Gild

The dynamic songwriting pair also play in Larune, a musical vessel for Thomas’ potent voice. In Larune, Thomas sets down her bass for an acoustic guitar and Whyte mans the piano and contributes vocals. This project has a mellow country feel, in sharp contrast with Earl Greyhound’s heavy rock sound.

“Figuring out how our creativity was going to work together took a little time to master,” observes Thomas. Not only did the pair have to learn about each other, they were also pursuing a new style in Earl Greyhound. “Matt wanted to start a rock band so it was different. The material he wanted to write for the rock band was very different from the singer-songwriter stuff that he was doing.”

You still hear the elements of their singer-songwriter roots in Earl Greyhound. The sophistication of Whyte’s lyrical structure could only come from a musician who had to rely on his voice as the sole accompaniment for his guitar. But, the vocal dynamic in EG is pure rock. “Because of the songs that Matt was writing, I got to sing in a very different way from how I do in my solo work,” Thomas says. “I’ve been able to explore this whole other side of my voice.”

“S.O.S.,” the first song on their latest album, Soft Targets (released 8/8/06 on Some Records), is a great example of how the band’s vocal talent work together. Whyte’s edgy lead vocals sit as an extant layer among the band’s groove. Thomas adds delicate harmonies that mirror the lush overtones of a properly driven tube amp. She can also belt out powerful and sinuous notes that she holds aloft like a feather in the wind. Right after Thomas let’s it ring, half way into the song the band breaks down with a splash of Sheridan’s cymbals and Whyte’s guitar playing a rhythmically intrinsic progression. After a few bars, all three members harmonize in a dark theme that builds in intensity until Thomas’ bass and Sheridan’s drums return. The band then crashes down to return to the song’s opening theme, which is now spiced with a feeling of resolution.

They just had this energy and you could see it, and you could feel it. Matt was moving around in a certain way. He was playing his guitar and his guitar was like an appendage of him, and the same with Kamara. She was just moving around like Tina Turner. She had this electricity. I said, ‘Man, this is slammin’. -Ricc Sheridan on joining Earl Greyhound

Soft Targets‘ other highlights include the beat driven “It’s Over” and “Monkey,” which starts off with a luciferous riff that Whyte disseminates from his guitar. It’s a nine-minute wild ride of rock mayhem characterized by the resounding chorus, “I’m gonna make you love me.”

Their songwriting is excellent, but it’s their live show that’s going to convert you. With a feather toting Afro that rivals any ’70s relic, Thomas splits her focus between the crowd and Sheridan behind his myriad cymbals. She dances to his intricate rhythms, cranking up sensual bass lines while Whyte flails with his Gibson every which way and dances around the stage, wailing out heavy riffs.

When Sheridan first saw Earl Greyhound he wanted to join up right away. “They just had this energy and you could see it, and you could feel it,” says Sheridan. “Matt was moving around in a certain way. He was playing his guitar and his guitar was like an appendage of him, and the same with Kamara. She was just moving around like Tina Turner. She had this electricity. I said, ‘Man, this is slammin’.'”

Ricc Sheridan by Joel Mittelman

Their sound invites plenty of comparisons to past rock heavyweights like Zeppelin, T. Rex and Big Star. But it’s not just the rock, it’s their closet full of vintage threads that makes them look like they stepped off the screen from Dazed and Confused. Everyone in the band has this suave, hippie nature that screams free love. Their gear is an impressive page out of the ’70s, too. Sheridan is very proud of his kit, which features a kick drum with a diameter far greater than thirty inches. This Ludwig drum set has a sound that echoes John Bonham. A Fender Rhodes piano waits ominously on stage behind Whyte, there to add a unique sound to Earl Greyhound songs like “Good” and “Back and Forth.” Both Thomas and Whyte have the talent to make this classic electric piano sing. Thomas sums up the band’s love of vintage gear, saying, “Technology is going where it’s going and our ears become less accustomed to hearing great sound, the kind of sounds that you got back then.”

Earl Greyhound has a very raw feel. “It’s really our courage and conviction to stay true to our sound and discover what our sound is,” explains Whyte. Their genuine approach to making music leaves an instant impression on the listener. Coming from New York City, the band has had to work hard to achieve what they’ve accomplished. “The context of New York is very do or die. The energy there is so fast,” says Thomas. “It really forced me to focus. You can use that energy for what you’re wanting to do.”

Earl Greyhound

Sheridan has an interesting way of putting it, “If you walk out to the beach, you know how you get taken out on the tide? It will just take you out, man. You gotta really focus at some point and know what you want because there are a lot of things that can take you somewhere, but there are a lot of things that can take you out, too.”

The hard work of the New York atmosphere has shaped these fine musicians, forcing them to create a very identifiable sound that strives to entertain you. From start to finish, their shows are a treat. “Every creation that we make happens in the moment. Sometimes it is easy to recognize what inspires a certain sound,” offers Whyte. “I’ve always thought with us that everything is very here and now.”

Check out “S.O.S.,” live at this year’s SXSW

Earl Greyhound tour dates available HERE.

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