Taddy Porter is a four-piece hailing from Stillwater, Oklahoma that we think you should know. The beginnings of the band occurred at a college party, and with the guys being little older and wiser today, their musical endeavors have developed with them. They have shared the stage with icons like Slash & Myles Kennedy, had their music featured on Entourage, and have plans to do even bigger things in 2013. Musically, these guys have a way of mixing catchy, psychedelic pop with raw, gritty rock n’ roll that will surely make you want to hear more. To learn a little more about the history of Taddy Porter, their new single “Fever,” and who they dream of playing a show with, keep reading about our new Highlighted Artist!
Members
Andy Brewer-Vocals/Guitar
Kevin Jones-Bass
Joe Selby-Lead Guitar
Doug Jones-Drums
Current Single: “Fever”
Andy: The song “Fever” came about while we were in the studio and mulling over ideas. We were running around this idea of how most people have an undeniable urge, whether we can put our finger on it, where they want and can’t get enough of something. We put it in the perspective of a girl, and how she’s always moving and never staying in one place because like the song says, “I got the fever.” The song can be taken in many ways, and it could be ablout the girl partying and constantly moving, or you could put it in a guy’s point of view of where he can’t get enough & he’s into a girl because she’s untouchable and always has her feet off the ground, dreaming. In the video, we tried to convey the same concept as the song. I can say that the video has cute girls, cool cars, and big houses for starters. We shot the video in Austin, TX, off of a lake, and the place we shot at didn’t even look like Texas. I got up at 5am to shoot with my coffee and the way the sunrise looked with the lake, it almost looked like we were in the Mediterranean or something and not Texas. With the story of the video, it has to do with these cute girls partying at an elegant place, but the girls aren’t satisfied just partying with the band and driving up in a kickass car, which kind of convey’s the “Fever” idea.
How did Taddy Porter form?
Andy: We’re from Stillwater Oklahoma, and I was attending Oklahoma State University. Kevin was still in high school, and Joe had just graduated. I went to a party which ended up being a frat party, and I had long hair, which didn’t really fit in with that scene. But, I heard drums being played, so I went over to that room. I started talking to the drummer, and he asked if I played, so I picked up the guitar and we just started jamming. Doug & Kevin were brothers so that’s how that relationship formed, and then I decided to start taking guitar lessons and met Joe who ended up being my teacher. It all kind of happened by happen-stamp. I wandered into places with people who might want to play and were like-minded, and it happened very organically. Sometimes I hear about bands using things like Craigslist and ads like “Guitarist Wanted” and things like that, especially today, but we just formed from a common hobby.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and what do you want to accomplish next?
Andy: We are always setting goals for ourselves, and I know when we started something I always wanted to do was have a song on a well-known TV show or movie. We accomplished this by having two of our songs played on Entorage, which was really cool. Something else I’d consider a highlight would be playing New Years Eve in Times Square….we weren’t a band for very long when we did that, so just the fact of being able to play such a huge place when we were so new was amazing. For upcoming goals, I think overall I’d love to have our music overseas. I want to be able to play overseas, and have someone come up to me with an accent and say “That was really good” or “I really enjoyed that,” and then I’ll say “Thank you very much” and that will be that. But besides that, I think we just want to stay busy and keep moving around. We’ve all heard of the ‘sophomore slump’ with album cycles, and we just want to keep things fresh.
Why should people listen to Taddy Porter? What makes you different?
Andy: With some artists, people seem to want the same album over and over again, and I personally think that’s kind of lazy. With bands like The Beatles, they were constantly reinventing their sound and trying different genres…The White Album didn’t sound the same as the next. I think what makes us different is the same element, where we are constantly getting comfortable, and then overturning that. With the first album, I would have said that we were hardworking and touring constantly, which I know a lot of bands do, but some don’t even get the chance to do that. But, with the new album, I’d say our trying new things is what makes us a little different.
You’re from Stillwater, Oklahoma…what is your local music scene like, & how do you think it helped or hindered you as a band?
Andy: The music scene is Stillwater is amazing, and I feel it’s this way because it’s a college town. People are different minded, and kids sway in & out of wanting to graduate into a business field which is what kind of happened to us. When we first started, there weren’t any competing genres of music around Stillwater, and we were kind of the first to start doing the vintage sounding, rock n’ roll thing. The All-American rejects came out of Stillwater, and the scene was just helpful because there was no competition. We played shows with bands and shared the crowd, and made it so we didn’t get in each others way. We all helped the news spread about each other.
How has your personal music taste developed as you’ve grown as an artist?
Andy: It has changed dramatically. When we started writing the first album, we were still learning how each other worked and were testing each other out. With the second album, we had more time to think about songwriting. For me, my favorite lyricists paint beautiful pictures with the imagery in their songs, which is very important for me. I want our lyrics to do the same thing and allow people to disappear from where they’re at and they can’t forget it. From the first album, our songwriting has evolved and we are trying new things. We listened to artists like The Coasters, The Zombies, and LINKRAY while in the studio, and our style is evolving right there with the new artists that we listen to. We definitely captured some new genres with the new album.
You’ve toured with some pretty big names such as Slash, Myles Kennedy, Alter Bridge….what 3 artists would you put on a dream tour with yourselves?
Andy: Oh wow, I love this question! When we first started, we had a hard time figuring out who we wanted to be on tour with. When we toured with Slash, I think my favorite part was just the relationships we made. But back to the dream tour….I’d have to go with The Black Keys headlining, The Alabama Shakes playing right before them, and then Taddy Porter opening.
What are your big plans for 2013 after the album release?
Andy: Our plans around the release are to go on tour, and we are really excited to make everything sound solid while we’re practicing. We are going to try to make it to all of the places we’ve played previously, and we’re also going to stop in some new places and make some new relationships.
Connect with Taddy Porter through their social media:
Website // Facebook // Twitter // Youtube // Instagram
