Morning State is one of those sloppy noise rock bands that start out taking you somewhere you've already been, but drop you off somewhere you've never been before. Which is to say they are entirely refreshing, even though they're just one of a planet-full of bands beating the crap out of their guitars, drums and vocal cords.
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The Atlanta-based quartet got started in 2004, but their full-length debut You Know People I Know People was only released today, after being stalled by their label's collapse. So like any resourceful band of figurative brothers, they retooled and re-recorded the thing with a host of local friends and gave it another go. Which is a good thing, as You Know People I Know People is one of the unsung shredders of the year, in what has already been a stellar year for rock releases.
We caught up with the band to discuss their label-related adventure, the dearth of blogs, and why their website sucks so much.
Wired.com Listening Post: You guys shredded my eardrums. Where do I send the bill?
Morning State: Currently, some health insurance policies cover Morning State-related hearing loss or injury. Check your policy as coverage may vary.
LP__:__ Who are you and how long have you been at this?
Morning State: We are four dudes from the Athens and Atlanta areas. We've been at it for a few years.
LP__:__ Your site doesn't work so great. Why?
Morning State: We're currently building a new website, which should be loaded with content within the next couple weeks. We've been seeing a lot of bands post tour diaries or open-ended blogs on their pages. We feel that tour diaries don't go far enough in informing fans about our lives, and the blog format is obviously dying. I mean, who uses a blog anymore? So, we've decided to update our website to include our personal diaries. It gives us an opportunity to really connect with the fans. They don't want to hear about how our Knoxville show went. They want to know that Russ has an outtie belly button, or that Zach pissed his bed until he was 17.
LP__:__ What label signed you then collapsed? Who's releasing the re-record?
Morning State: It was a local indie label called Livewire. We are releasing the record through Indie Outlaw, which was a company founded by our manager in order to get the word to the streets about Morning State.
LP__:__ Who were some of the local artists that helped you get through the re-recording?
Morning State: The disc features some great guest musicians, including Page Campbell from hopeforagoldensummer and the Vomit Lasers, which is Dark Meat's horns section. If you ever have the opportunity to see Dark Meat live don't miss it. They live on a commune in Athens and totally kick ass. The live set will rip your face off, in a good way!.
LP__:__ Who are your influences, and whose bizarro brain do these anthems come from?
Morning State: Our influences range from from Serge Gainsbourg to Chuck Berry, from Prince to Syd Barrett, from Michael Jackson to Alan Jackson, from Tyler Hilton to Paris Hilton, from Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" to Dave Matthew's "Christmas Song", and everything in between. Each individual member has their own cup of tea when it comes to influences. The core of the songs come from our singer, Russ Ledford, who is part human, part Stephen Hawking, part labradoodle. Russ comes up with the protein, and we add the carbs, fats, oils, and sweets, used sparingly.
LP__:__ Has the internet helped the band's cause?
Morning State: If I knew this band's cause then I might know if the internet has helped. It certainly makes things more confusing though, huh?
LP__:__ Are you stressed on piracy or downloads?
Morning State: No, I'm not afraid of pirates. Pirates only exist on the open sea and I live miles away from there.
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Photo: Indie Outlaw
