Buxter Hoot'n Pre-Release Third Frisco-Americana Album Tomorrow at Cafe du Nord

By Daniel Levin Becker Thu., Apr. 7 2011 at 12:00 PM

Categories: Q&A

We know what you're thinking: there's no way a band could be solemn or dignified with a name like Buxter Hoot'n. Well, if you're not yet acquainted with the San Francisco quintet, prepare to be... well, wrong. All it takes is thirty seconds or so with their third album, a self-titled affair due for release this coming month, to situate them where they belong, on a classier plain of Americana among the likes of Bob Dylan and The National and Counting Crows from back when they were good. Also, maybe a little Def Leppard here or there (see below). And they've got all their limbs intact! As far as we know. Check out "Out The Door":

Tomorrow night at Cafe du Nord the Buxters will be hootin' selections from the new album, which every audience member will receives free with the price of admission, a good month before the record's official release. Also playing are Devotionals, led by Tyson Vogel of Two Gallants, and Portland-based troubadour/nationwide busker Nick Jaina. Tickets coppable here. Needless to say, all hucksters will be booted.

Below, the band members take turns answering some questions about what it's been like to make it this far.

What's the story behind your band name?
Jimmy Dewald, bass and vocals: Vince and I are brothers and "Buxter Hoot'n" is something our grandfather used to say. As kids, if we were driving with him and asked where we were going, he would respond, "we're going to Buxter Hoot'n." So Buxter Hoot'n has always represented a kind of magical place, one that you could create yourself. And that's what it means to us today: it's about creating your own reality.

Where did you all come from and how did you wind up in San Francisco?
Ben Andrews, lead guitar and violin: Vince and Jimmy are from Indiana. Jeremy and I moved to S.F. from the East Coast at about the same time -- September of '06 -- although we didn't know each other. Within a couple weeks I had met Jimmy, Vince, and Jeremy, who had met them a week before. Vince had amazing songs already written and wanted some violin on them, so I went over to his apartment, and we've been a band ever since. About a year later we met Melissa, who moved here from New Hampshire. We were all hanging out late night after shows trading songs and singing old blues, and it sounded so good that she joined the band full-time. We all came here from different parts of the country for the same reason: that magic allure of San Francisco.

Why did you choose to self-title your third album?
Jeremy Shanok, drums and vocals: This album was recorded in a non-stop magical three days. We were lucky enough to work with a great team of engineers and producers in Chicago led by Greg Magers, who has worked with multiple Grammy-nominated artists, and the songs just came out naturally. In that way this album is an honest and complete look into the sound and spirit of the band. Making it self-titled just seemed appropriate.

How does this album differ from your first two?
Vince Dewald, vocals and guitar: Our first two albums both took a lot longer to finish. Our second album, In Another Life, was such a big step for us when it came it out last year, and now this new self-titled album is another large step forward. That continual growth has been our approach from the beginning. Also, this album is more conceptual in content, dealing with the idea of a person on the brink of change, whether it be a personal or societal change.

What's the story behind writing and/or recording it?
Melissa Merrill, vocals and tambourine: The songs were all written before we started planning out our new album. They basically represent the core of our live set. When we were planning our Midwest and East Coast tour last fall, we took a few days off to record in Chicago with Vince and Jimmy's close friend, Greg Magers. Everything went so well that we were able to finish recording of the album pretty effortlessly. It was a lot of fun.

Is "Spill Some Juice On Me" secretly a Def Leppard cover?
Buxter Hoot'n: If you play it backwards and slow it down, it is "Pour Some Sugar On Me."

What can we expect from your show tomorrow?
BH: It's always great to play Cafe du Nord for our home audience. The band is feeling great and the fans are excited. We'll be playing a lot of songs from the new album and new songs that are yet to be recorded. Three or four songs we'll be playing live for the first time. The current direction of our sound and spirit will be evident.

What non-musical things influence you?
BH: Literature, poetry, news/media agendas, frustration, the future, the universal, nature, Bill Hicks.

What music doesn't influence you at all?
BH: All music influences us to a degree, but today's corporate pop isn't going to find its way into our songwriting.

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