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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
News / Jason Younger / Interviews Need to see Needtobreathe
Posted By Jason Younger on Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 10:32 AM
If you’ve never heard of Possum Kingdom, S.C., you aren’t alone. It sounds like most Southern small towns. Quiet, isolated, maybe one stop light... But for the group NeedtoBreathe, this is home. Which might explain why the group decided to title their newest album The Outsiders.
“When we were recording the album, the theme developed over time," explains lead singer Bear Rinehart. "The title track became a perfect story of who we are. We are outsiders to the music industry, to music in general. There was no music scene where we grew up, and we felt a bit like we never fit in.”
But with the tracks on The Outsiders album, the band may have found their niche – great songwriting, power lyrics and perfectly sung by Bear’s grizzled Southern voice. If you haven’t heard them before, you’re missing out.
When the band brings its act to Charlotte this Friday (April 16), you’ll have the opportunity to see the band in its natural element. “It’s a big deal to see the small crowds our show used to draw get bigger and bigger. It’s really amazing,” says Bear, “Last year we played in front of 200 people in Chicago. This year, we sell out the House of Blues there and perform in front of 1,400. Absolutely amazing.”
And for good reason. I’ve written in this space many times that good albums are a thing of the past. Not with these guys. Each song sounds different, distinct, which provides for a great listening experience.
“When we were putting together the album, we had so many songs, and they all sounded totally different” describes Rinehart “so we were trying to figure out which ones should go. And we thought it would capture how we are if we had our best songs, regardless of sound, on the album. We thought ‘why can’t Ryan Adams be on the same record as Queen?’ We wanted to give our fans the chance to hear us. We couldn’t not sound like ourselves.”
The result is a wide range of great songs including “Something Beautiful, “The Outsiders”, “Through Smoke”, and Bear’s favorite “Stones Under Rushing Water” (featuring the hauntingly beautiful voice of Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek fame).
Each song does have one thing in common – damn good lyrics. Bear explains, “When we write songs, we keep it simple and write about real experiences we’ve had. The great thing is those experiences translate to our fans and they find ways to relate with their own personal stories.
"With the band being the judge for each song, only the best 'make it.' Bo (Bear’s brother, who is also a member of the group) and I write most of the songs and then we put them to music and the group decides if the song makes it or not. If someone isn’t feeling it, the song dies right there. We trust each other completely.”
And with two brothers and their childhood friends making up the group, the family aspect is important, though not always easy. “My brother and I fight all the time. If you were a fly on the wall, you’d think we were breaking up every day, but this actually keeps the whole group close. No tip-toeing around. Total honesty with one another.”
So when NeedtoBreathe pulls into town at Amos’ Southend on Friday, let’s make sure they know that while the music scene elsewhere may consider them outsiders, they’re welcome here any time.
NeedtoBreathe will headline with Will Hoge and Matt Hires opening at Amos’ Southend – Friday, 4/16 – show at 8:30 p.m.
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