Music
MUSIC: Local band looks to break free
Members of any band looking to establish music careers need to possess a certain level of dedication.
Heavy doses of commitment were displayed last week by three of the four members of Free Henry!, who ventured through Friday’s heavy snowfall to keep an interview appointment with a reporter.
Over the course of the past six years, the jazz/rock jam band has cultivated a local following while awaiting a break in the music business.
That break could be on the horizon in the year to come, as the band will release its first full-length album in 2009 and hopes to tour in support of it. Before that, though, Free Henry! will perform two shows in the coming week, including a New Year’s Eve show in Lewiston.
In speaking to vocalist/guitarist Bob Buckley, guitarist Alexander Foote and bassist Derek Presti one recent morning, it quickly became evident that they’re serious about their craft. The group — rounded out by drummer Pat Mannella, who joined the band earlier this year — had a 12-hour day the day before the interview working on band business, which largely involved promotions and other behind-the-scenes duties.
“We all kind of have to be our own bosses,” said Presti, who along with Foote grew up in Lewiston. “You have to push to be able to grow.”
The seed for the growth was planted while Presti and Buckley attended St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in the Town of Tonawanda. The two became friends while singing together at the school, and a jam session Presti set up amongst the trio in Lewiston sparked what could be a life-long union.
“It’s great to celebrate making great music with your best friends,” Buckley said. “When we’re not working on Free Henry! stuff, we’re still hanging out together.”
When it comes time for business, though, band members devote all their attention to the music. Buckley has been the band’s main songwriter (a job he said has spread out more of late among the group), and he struggled a bit to describe the band’s music.
“I’ve tried to switch genres with each song to an extent,” said Buckley, who counted U2, Pink Floyd, Dave Matthews Band and Phish among the group’s influences. “It’s all about maturity.”
As the band members have matured, so have their live shows, which are heavy on improvisation and feature about 75 percent original material. That, Foote said, is what sets Free Henry! apart.
“I think our music is strong enough to hold interest on its own,” said Foote, who agreed with his bandmates that the group’s goal goes beyond music as a hobby or part-time gig. “We don’t consider ourselves weekend warriors.”
To that end, the band targets spring for the release of its debut album, which will complement several EPs that have been made. The album comes on the heels of a busy summer, during which Free Henry! opened for Blind Melon and performed a number of shows in and around Chicago.
Band members hope that the record will propel Free Henry! to bigger things, but they’ll be happy as long as they can continue doing what they do best.
“I just want to be able to support myself, live off of it,” Buckley said of his music.
“If you’re dedicated to it and you believe your product is good enough and you’re having fun, that’s all you need,” Presti said.
Contact editor Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.
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