Interview: Hank Schyma of Southern Backtones

So do you see yourselves as a band that represents a sound coming from Houston or as a band not representing a “sound” but just happens to be in Houston?

We just create music for the world. I’ve never been a marketer, sometimes you just do what you love and it hurts you. When we first did some radio campaigns, the package we created suggested we were a metal band. Everyone sees us and thinks we look like a metal band but then we have a name that suggests we are southern rock. So what happened was, the people that we wanted to hear our music and who would probably like it just tossed it aside. They just judge it by the cover so you kind of need to tell people what your music is going to be like; it helps reach the people you want to reach.

Tonight promises to be a visual buffet of new material. In addition to the new video, there is the threat of home movies being shown. You’ve been known to chase storms. Will any of these videos feature tornadoes?

No but maybe we should do that anyway, I was thinking about it but didn’t want it to turn into the “Hank show.” What we’ll be showing is Honky Tonk Blood - all three trailers edited together.

Honky Tonk Blood is a movie you’ve been working on for some time, what is it about?

There are two guys in town, John Evans and Johnny Falstaff. I grew up in this scene with these guys. We all have different styles of music but we’re good friends and decided to create a movie about how much we love Houston. We had this idea, we started rolling with it and it’s actually coming out pretty good. It’s been four years since we first talked about it and we’ve been shooting for three years so a lot of the things we were wearing are already out of style. A lot of the things we say are out of style, like when the word “douchebag” came into style and now it’s so out of style. Three years ago, I remember hearing that word and thinking it was so funny and that we had to put it in the movie. The whole scene builds up to the love interest calling me a douchebag and now the word is just lame.

Some might not know this, but you and your cousin are a storm-chasers. Also, anyone handy with searching youtube would find that you are quite talented at handling snakes. Where does that drive for danger come from?

Man, a girlfriend called me a “snakeoholic” and I love that. You have no idea how deep it goes.

Most boys, when growing up, go through a dinosaur phase. Is that where the interest in snakes evolved?

Yeah, that’s where it comes from - reptiles. For me it started out with lizards, then it went to turtles and now snakes.

So are snakes your favorite?

No I like them all…well, yeah… probably YES! I’d like to say I like them all equally but I’m a real “snakoholic.” Right now I only have three at home unfortunately. My whole life I’ve lived with monster snakes. I used to breed pythons. I had a room dedicated to rare pythons. I’m the only person in Texas who has ever bred Indian pythons. But I had to make a choice - do I become a snake farmer or a musician? I got rid of most of them except the rare gems that I’ve raised from eggs and I used to sleep with them. I had one that used to curl up with me at night - I’m that freaky.

What inspired the song Slumber Party and if the new album has any type of theme, do slumber parties fit into that?

It’s about sitting around with people when you are six years old you have that first sexual experience -similar to playing doctor. The album’s theme, even more than the French kick, I can’t get enough of Ennio Morricone and his spaghetti western stuff, so I wanted to do something with that. It’ll be Brit-Pop, Tex/Mex Rock and Roll with spaghetti western strings and trumpets glazed over the top. It could be suicide and I don’t know if anyone is going to get it, but I’m going to love it.

Every time we make a record we lose the people we had, but then we get new ones. Our first record was a spaghetti western psychobilly record, the next one was pure Agent Orange-styled punk rock and the next one was just a solid Manchester Brit Pop sound. On the last record, we literally went out of our way to take out any twang or roots from the sound. Sometimes that disappoints people but it feels so good for some reason.

So then you would say it’s important then, for a band that is evolving, to explore different things versus attempting to find consistency in what they create?

If your goal is to be successful then probably not, because the masses love dog shit, but there’s nothing fulfilling in that for me. My goal is to create the best thing I can possibly create. The best thing about being an artist is you can create your ultimate mud pie out of all your influences. You can take Radiohead, Pulp, Marty Robinson, Johnny Cash, and Elvis and make your own mud pie that other people wouldn’t create. It’s sort of a self-indulgent thing.

So it’s sort of like Frankenstein Karaoke?

Yeah, I like that. That should be the name of a record.

You are welcome to use the name. Who are some other bands in the Houston music scene that you admire but feel don’t receive enough attention?

ALL of them! We’ve toured West coast to East coast and I swear I’m looking for great bands and I don’t know if it’s coincidence that we just don’t play with great bands on tour, but every time I go out in Houston, I just see the greatest bands in the world that are completely inspiring and incredible. Bands like Pale, Sideshow Tramps, Arthur Yoria, Two Star Symphony, and none of them sounds like any of the others. We’re all very close friends and everyone has seemed to accept that “OK, we’re from Houston and it’s probably not going to happen, but screw it, we’re doing it anyway and we’re going to make the greatest art possible.” I think that’s done something - it’s created this scene of bands.

Houstonist has often thought that the music of Houston is much like its zoning policy. Being one of the few, if not the only, major cities where you can find a strip club two blocks from something like a church. Maybe the disjointed patchwork has in some way had influence on the diversity of music found, making it somehow more interesting and different.

I don’t know what it is. I think it’s the fact that most artists here have a black cloud hanging over their heads that says “If you are from Houston, you’ll never make it.” So the artists that exist and perpetuate are the ones that do it just because they are doomed to do it. They do it because that’s what they do, that’s what they love and they don’t care.
We’ll all be broke skinny bastards. I’m hanging out with some skinny guys, they can’t afford to eat. It’s because they are too busy playing music and are so dedicated that they’ll starve to death before they’ll give an inch to appeal to the masses.
That black cloud could be a blessing. This could be the next Seattle and I think everyone feels it. Something really special is going on. It’s kind of a misnomer to say “Houston Music Scene,” it’s really more of the Montrose music scene. There’s this tiny little community - Montrose is the coolest, most artistic place besides Paris.
Every record I’m listening to now is from Houston. Like I Am Mesmer, The Reverend from Sideshow Tramps has a record, John Evans’ record, Johnny Falstaff, and it’s not because these are my friends, it’s because they are great records. Two of the guys on the same wavelength as us, Ross Wells - who directed the video, and Dan Workman from Sugar Hill Studios have started a non-profit called Houston Sound. These are two busy guys who are going to bat for Houston. They have a webcast, and they don’t make any money. There is a tingling feeling in the air right now and Houston bands feel it.

What can someone who wants to support the Houston music scene do apart from going to shows?

I don’t know…feed us! Bring us a Tupperware of their leftovers! We are literally starving to death, but it does keep us thin! The day I become rich I’m going to be the fattest bastard on the planet. Buffet will be open! I’m skinny because I can’t afford to eat.

That was possibly the worst lead in ever for our next question - Where is the best Tex/Mex in Houston?

Dude, I’ll tell you man - EVERYWHERE. The first place I’d take someone is El Pueblito, because you can sit outside and they have the margaritas and the waterfall. I think it might be Columbian but it’s got a little Tex/Mex thing to it. The Berryhill on Kirby, Chapultepec, I could go on and on and on about the Tex/Mex. And we all can - that’s our crack. When you move away the first thing you have withdrawal symptoms from is the Tex/Mex. Anyone who moves from Houston always says “Please GOD, please send me some queso!”

If you had to pit two local newscasters in a cage match, who would they be and what would be the outcome?

Can I pick my favorite ones? My favorite news anchor in the world is Lucy Noland. She’s just the shit and I love her to death. I guess I’m going to have to pair her up with Sally Macdonald. But they aren’t going to fight. They would just hang out and be funny as hell. They are good friends of mine and just cool people.

But what about the cage match?

There’s one guy - did you see the Lucy exhibit - he kind of walks you through. That guy is such a wanker. I hate reporters who talk with a “reporter voice.”

Houstonist suggests a no holds-barred match between Neil Frank and Frank Billingsley. The name of the match would be called Franks! (For The Memories) and weapon of choice - umbrellas.

Southern Backtones Music Video Release Party and Concert
Admission: Free
Date and Time: Tonight, March 5th, 9 p.m.
Location:
Brasil
2604 Dunlavy St
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 528-1993
Photos: Photo Mojo , Southern Backtones