Old Indian is an underground Frederick band consisting of Cory Springirth (Vocals & Guitar), Mark Weeks (Bass Guitar). and Evan Owens (Drums). They released their first album Mumble digitally on January 31 and it is currently available to pre-order on vinyl on their bandcamp page (oldindian.bandcamp.com).
Q: How did the band come together?
Cory- I was going under the name Old Indian as a two piece for a short period of time at the very start. Somewhere in 2008-2009? my good friend Mark joined as bass player which ruled. We had some songs together and played some shows but didn’t have a steady drummer for about a year. So a friend recommended we contact Evan. We did and he was a solid fit. So around 2010 is when the band as a whole really came together.
Q: Who were some of your biggest influences from the start?
Cory- Growing up skating I’d watch skate videos and if there was a song I liked in the video I would look the band up. So that was the way I found a lot of music at the time, which in turn has bled into our sound. At the start I was just trying to play gritty blues rock n’roll. Just simple fuzzy blues songs. Once we started developing as a band… The Stooges, Black Sabbath, and Neil Young were pretty big influences on us.
Evan- The power of Detroit rock and roll and Jimi Hendrix with the swing of Black Sabbath had a serious impact on me as a drummer.
Mark- When the band started I was listening to Jethro Tull, Sabbath, Sleep, Vader, Grand Funk, Earthless, Blood Ceremony, Om, Groundhogs, Canned Heat, Dust, DRI, Ramones, Bad Brains, Minor Threat….Tom Waits!
Q: You’ve finally released your first full length album this month after a few years as a band. Why did the album take as long as it did?
Cory – We tried to record sooner and we did some rough demos but I’m pretty hard on myself and never felt it was good enough or sounded right. Waiting a little while to do a official album let us develop our style more. I’m glad we waited but I’d like to get something else out by the end of this year. Also waiting on vinyl to get pressed takes a while. Mumble could have been out last summer if we didn’t do vinyl.
Q: Why did you decide to release the album only on vinyl?
Cory – All around I think it’s a better experience. From the looks of it to the sound of it, we just like it. People take better care of vinyl, maybe even appreciate it more. It’s the least disposable format. Even if that means melting it and forming into some type of bowl to put on your coffee table. Haha. CDs just tend to get misplaced somehow in a tiny car. Plus a lot of people just listen through their “i”devices in the car. Tapes are cool and nice and cheap to make. They have been making a comeback recently but we haven’t got hip to that yet. Almost.
Q: How would you describe your sound?
Cory- Rock ‘n roll that is fond of ‘60s and ‘70s tones. Is that too vague?
Evan – We have gotten a couple descriptive genres made up by people writing about us that deserve a mention – “Doom Garage” “Surfy Doom” “College Garage”. But the general rock ‘n roll mixed with denim still holds true.
Q: You recently played the Frederick Music Showcase. How did you feel about the experience of the new event?
Cory- It was awesome. Big thanks to Frederick playlist for making it happen. Hopefully more to come.
Evan- It was a great feeling to play in a building designed for looking at the stage. The people that came were intent on watching all of the bands. In clubs it’s easy to hang at the bar, or do something else. In the theatre setting, there was no where to run from the tunes.
Mark- It was a blast, then it was over. Hope to do it again soon someday.
Q: What do you think makes the Frederick music scene unique?
Cory – It’s a small scene but lately it has been growing and progressing. There are a lot of good people trying to help each other out.
Evan – The interesting thing is how many styles of music are involved. All of the original music is totally distinct. For such a small town, each band has a specific sound. There is no definitive Frederick sound.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge for the band?
Cory – Communication skills.
Evan- Cory, you never told me that! What are you talking about? Ha. I would say visibility on the independent level. We have kind of taken the old school approach of going and gigging to build a following. Sometimes its the luck of the draw, but it does seem that more people have been hearing us.
Mark- Fitting the bill, or finding bands that we pair well with musically.
Q: What are the future plans for the band?
Cory – Keep playing shows, write another album soon. To not get lame.
Evan- Continue rocking, more denim, bigger shows.
Mark- More guitar solos, drum solos, bass solos and open mic nights
Q: What advice would you give to young aspiring musicians?
Cory- I don’t know if I have the right to give anyone music advice, but if I did …. Practice often. Focus on tone more. Try and be creative and have a good time. Skateboard.
Evan- I would say, play what you feel, play what is fulfilling. Music is all about the feel, and shouldn’t be held back by imaginary boundaries. And practice as often as possible.
Mark- Don’t think, feel.
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