At just three weeks old, a new local band called Truck Parts has already written and recorded a six-song EP called 8 Track, made t-shirts, tapes, cds and a music video, all before their first show. I sat down with the band to chat about all they have going on over some apple fritters and jelly donuts. During our interview they discussed the sixth member of the band (their dog Jack) and the importance of the people that have helped them accomplish so much in such a short amount of time. The band is made up of five members (not including Jack): Brian Nolan on guitar, Stick Mantis on guitar, James Hathaway who sings and plays guitar, Darwin Keüp on bass, and Dave Brown on drums.
All the members have been and are in several bands including Hathaways, Chief, DeathTram and Hank., but they all said this has been a fast-tracked band. As Hathaway said, “We’re all really good friends which has made this all really easy.” The resulting sound of their quick combination of talents is a Kurt Vile type of psychedelic folk.
Truck Parts is the first band they’ve all been in that has been able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time — with some help from their friends. Local artist Bob Chapman designed their album cover, Thomas Frye designed their shirts, Jordan Trammell made the tapes, Ali Cedroni mastered the recording, and the “Messiah-looking” Garrett Hupe filmed their music video. Due to all the work their friends put into the merch, it will all be available for a donation at their first show.
Their first music video for the song “Go-Go Girls” premiered Monday on Ghost Track. “There is fire and booze in it,” said Keüp. Each of the songs on the EP will get the video treatment, according to the band.
The first Truck Parts show is at Mike N Molly’s on Friday with Stardeath and White Dwarfs — a band whose lead singer The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne’s Nephew Dennis Coyne — and Applied Music Program. As far as their plans after that, the band’s split: Keüp joked, “We’ll probably just breakup,” but Hathaway confessed, “We’re planning on some Chicago shows and are hoping to play at the Hoopeston Sweetcorn Festival.”
You can pick up some Truck Parts tonight at Mike N Molly’s.