Not to be the person that disses country music for no reason, I do think it has a time and place, but for the most part, it’s easier for me personally to stray away from it. However, there are exceptions, one of them the more recent band coming out of Athens, Georgia, Futurebirds. Although it really falls into American “Indie Rock,” it has also been defined as a melting pot of music genres, with one of them being psychedelic country, something I had never heard of before.

But then again the genre of country rap also exists. While mainly playing at the college greek life scene, a little resemblance to Dave Matthews Band, as my friend and music guru Anne Young (the one that introduced me to this band) pointed out, they are nevertheless starting to build a national reputation. They are also renown for their high energy live performances, a stand-out characteristic, as recently seen to the left at Isle of Palms. And for that reason, they have a very loyal fanbase. Their music is “meant to be played loud. Even the slow stuff,” stated by band member Carter King in an interview with “AltRevue.” They also try to not conform to the mainstream music industry, disclosing, in the same interview, that they try to “evolve and push themselves out of their comfort zone, so as to avoid regurgitating the same formula.”

Touring so much has made them pros at the fast food scene, because according to Carter King, “you just can’t escape it.” A classic for the band is Culver’s, a place I’ve never heard of, but it’s a chain started out of Wisconsin that is slowly spreading. He claims “their Butter Burgers are just that – straight butttah.” Along with this feature of Futurebirds on the go is the directness of their lyrics. In response to this, King states, “you gotta write what you know. Certain things are just part of the human experience, I guess. So you take the details out of your own life and maybe you are putting them towards some other point you are getting at, or you are combining stories and characters in your actual life to paint a larger picture.” I think that speaks for itself, because it certainly resonates with me when I listen to their music.

The fact the band is based out of the South is very much part of their identity and the music they create. Carter King also addresses this. “There’s really no escaping that because it’s the only reality we know, and we’d have it no other way. It’s a vastly rich part of the world, culturally, historically, and artistically. To be such a true melting pot of cultures and still have an identity all its own is a very special thing, especially this day and age. I know people like to paint it as a backwards place, but we’ve found there are a**holes and rednecks everywhere. That is not something just specific to the South by any means. We’ve also found there are great, kind people everywhere, so that’s who we keep our antennae up for.”

So take that as you will. A tad more insight into this up and coming band for those of you who haven’t made up your mind about the country music genre. Although, upon more research, country rap was a no go for me.

http://www.creampuffrecords.com/blog/2017/10/1/futurebirds-an-interview-with-carter-king