John Henry & The Engine
Muireanne | Aug 31, 2010 | Comments 0
Photo by Brian Cummings
by Muireann Prendergast
Is there a big difference between an Otis Redding song and a Hank Williams song? Not for a true blue rock & roll band like John Henry & The Engine.
“It’s easy to get caught up in genres but I don’t think there is a big difference,” says Henry. “Chords might change, and maybe an instrument or two, but at the core they are both coming from the same feeling.”
This idea of “feeling it” recurs when John Henry talks about music. How would he describe the band’s sound? “We draw on everything from soul to country.” How did the band come about? “We came together organically. We’ve known each other for years. It was just a series of things falling into place at the right time.”
Despite Henry’s relaxed vibe he does point out that the band works hard to get its sound right. The Engine literally is an engine. Henry puts the basic song and structure together and then the band “hammers away on it” together until they are all happy with the sound. Henry also reveals that the band puts a lot of effort into its live shows. “I think it is incredibly important to establish a narrative or a thread that flows through the entire show. We want to cover the full spectrum of emotions. But once we know what we are going for, we live in the moment,” he says.
(See John Henry & The Engine live below. Story continues after video)
So what kind of audience does John Henry & The Engine attract? The band’s prolific presence on the U.S. music circuit means that it has a broad fan base. They have played with Keith Urban at country festivals, done the pop thing with Better than Ezra and even funked it up with Black Joe Lewis. Henry takes his responsibility to produce quality music for his fans very seriously. “One thing I will never do is blame the audience or the scene if things don’t go right. You have to take responsibility for giving the audience something different or exciting that keeps them coming.” He does acknowledge the wealth of music in strong live scenes like Austin, Chicago and Nashville but musically this doesn’t worry him. “Times are tight, but if you play well and work hard, your audience will find you. Besides, I love St. Louis and I love being from St. Louis,” he continues.
What is Henry’s favorite venue in St. Louis? Without a doubt, Off Broadway which he says makes the band feel comfortable with its not-too-big, not-too-small sounding room and I-feel-just-like-I’m-home friendly atmosphere.
Henry works just as hard to keep his audience as he does to find it. He wants his music to grow and evolve as his fans do, aware that his followers in their college years have different preoccupations in their mid 20s. “The most important thing for me as writer (and the challenge) is to stay true to the narrative between the music and the audience,” he muses.
Right now, the band has no intention of resting on its laurels. The boys will be working with producer Ken Coomer on a new album in Nashville at the end of 2010 and afterwards will be playing 110 dates to support the new record. Henry expects 2011 to be the band’s busiest and most exciting year to date.
So, the big question remains: what kind of sound will they be aiming for with the new record? “Basically, compelling, honest art and that is something we won’t be hiding from the audience,” he concludes. “If you aren’t making something people can believe in, you’re dead.”
John Henry & The Engine play Off Broadway on September 11 at 10 pm. For more information read here.
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