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Interview: The Happen-Ins LP Release Party [Scoot Inn / Friday]
There is no questioning in the inherent talent of The Happen-Ins -- the line-up consists of quite a few veterans of the Texas music scene, including members of the Dedringers, Lomita, and Harlem Spiritual Orchestra. The band has already garnered a loyal fan base with its intoxicating live performances and is poised to contend for various “emerging” act accolades this March. The debut record will surely boost The Happen-Ins’ rising star even further. Don’t miss out on the chance to catch ‘em while your palate still has the ability to process new music, before the gluttony of SXSW kicks in. Sean Fairies from The Happen-Ins was kind enough to answer some questions for us earlier this week.
Tell us more about the band members -- where is everybody from?
We've all been in the area for several years, I grew up in New Braunfels where I formed the Dedringers in high school and began touring. John Michael is from the Houston area and also began playing in bands and touring in his teens which eventually landed him in our fair city where he briefly studied Music Business and marketing at ACC. Ricky Ray Jackson grew up in Dallas and went to school in Boston where he met some of the guys from his band Lomita. Falcon Valdez, also from the Houston area moved to New York City and attended the NYU arts program. All of us are now residents of Austin save for Falcon who still hangs his hat in Houston on the rare occasion that he is "home."
The Happen-Ins came together in early 2009. Ray Jackson had just split from his own band, Lomita and was playing pedal steel with Brothers and Sisters. John Mike had been touring for several years with a number of Billboard country acts like Ryan Bingham, Jack Ingram, and Miranda Lambert. Really, all of us had spent years playing together in one band or another. John Michael and I played in the Dedringers together where they encountered Falcon, a former Harlem Spiritual Orchestra member, who filled in on a last minute gig where the usual drummer had run into car trouble. Ricky Ray and John Mike also toured extensively together backing Americana artist Hayes Carll who they currently play the occasional gig with. Following the split of the Dedringers and while Carll had some downtime, we found ourselves sitting on a wealth of mutual admiration for each other and an opportunity to make music together.
What is right and wrong about the music scene in Austin right now?
Attitude. The average Austin venue treats the average Austin band with about as much respect as a common housefly. Simple availability for communication between the two parties is scarce. There are a ton of bands that play great shows with full rooms but never see a dime or even speak with a representative of the venue. I think a lot of it has to do with venues taking advantage of local bands who don't know any better. There are so many of these Tom Sawyer venues who convince bands to whitewash their fences and then sit back and take money off the band pay for "promotion" and what-not. It’s a totally fair practice if the venue actually spent any money to promote. A venue with an in house promoter who doesn't even put a simple tweet up regarding the new teenage indie band playing that night still takes out a chunk. How can those kids ever develop? Bands aren't learning how to survive here. It’s for this reason that we are so glad that there are venues starting to pop up that are willing to communicate and work with the band to make ANY show worthwhile everyone involved. Places like the Scoot Inn and Club 1808 are always eager to hear you out and work with you to make sure everyone gets something and that the shows are actually promoted.
How can a band differentiate itself from the plethora of talented acts in Austin in this new decade? What do the Happen-Ins bring to the market?
It’s always a long-shot that your new band will get noticed in a scene like Austin's. I think it's most important for bands not to worry about anything else but their songs and their performance. If you've got great songs and real passion and sincerity, people will give their attention. In a place so saturated like Austin, it’s so important to try and create your own scene. With The Happen-Ins, we started out from day one knowing that we wanted to develop our own culture and build a community amongst ourselves and our audience. I think that is one of the keys to success in today’s climate, with record labels dying is that DIY approach. Some of our best shows have been house parties and places like the Scoot or 1808 because we were able to come in and dominate our environment. We really try to push our audience to move and become involved at the shows with us and with each other. It's the sense of community at our shows I think that makes people comfortable enough to actually dance and approach others.
It's more transparent on a bigger level for example with the Psych scene in town. They did a great job in creating a scene around themselves and that has lead to some of the success stories from those circles.
What are your plans for SXSW? What tips would you offer both residents in the city, and visitors, on how to make SXSW an unforgettable experience?
We're just like everybody else as far as SXSW goes -- we'll be working hard and just trying to survive the week. It really is a great opportunity to meet a lot of bands and build up some community so we're looking forward to playing with and hearing bands that bring something new and interesting. We've got a super busy Saturday (20th) with three shows, including a late night show at the Gibson Showroom, a gig at the United States Art Authority earlier in the evening and a helloooooo.com day party. We are also doing a spot at Jo's on South Congress during the week but haven't got the schedule yet.
The best advice we could give for anyone planning to attend the conference would definitely be to keep your eyes and ears open. There are so many parties and events, it’s tough to decide where to be and when and a lot of finding a good time comes down to luck.
All the best for SXSW and thank you for speaking with Austinist.
[The Happen-Ins MySpace]
[A Giant Dog MySpace]
[Nic Armstrong MySpace]
[The Ripe MySpace]
