Bill McCarthy, singer, guitarist and frontman of Brooklyn three-piece We Are Augustines stands at the front of the stage, drenched in sweat, and smiles. “A rock’n'roll show, yeah?” he grins at the front row of Brighton’s Old Market venue. And he’s right, it is a rock’n'roll show. Bouncing around the stage with the enthusiasm of a young kid playing his first gig, his affable manner and passion is winning over a crowd which was probably entirely unfamiliar with the band before tonight’s support slot for Glasvegas. Which means even fewer of the crowd have any idea of the trials and tribulations which led McCarthy and longtime bandmate and bass player Eric Sanderson to this stage and this new band, a band whose debut album “Rise Ye Sunken Ships” is rapidly becoming one of the word-of-mouth successes of the year.
We Are Augustines’ achievement in creating a debut which channels terrible personal tragedy, and music industry inflicted despair into a cathartic tour de force of emotive American rock music is both remarkable and inspirational. Close to major success as two members of now defunct four-piece Pela, only to suffer the trials of mismanagement, broken promises and record industry apathy, worse was to come as McCarthy’s brother James, a schizophrenic, committed suicide and the band broke up under the weight of its surrounding pressures. While his brother was alive, McCarthy had been writing songs about him, songs that would have featured on Pela’s second album, but were destined for what would eventually become Sanderson and McCarthy’s new project, Augustines. They scraped together enough funds to spend three days recording what would become one of the album’s standout tracks, “Book of James” with Broken Social Scene producer and blue sky thinker, Dave Newfield, sessions fraught with tension and musically creative conflict, but sessions that resulted in a brilliant rendering of McCarthy’s vision for the song by Newfield.
With the album finally finished, and a tour underway, new fans are being earned the old fashioned way, with the sweat and searing passion of McCarthy’s voice, his tangible kinship with Sanderson and new drummer Tony Allen, and the gutsy emotions of an album which serves as both a vindication of humanity, collective spirit and community, and a tribute to the loved ones lost along the way. Sanderson took some time out to talk to us ahead of the UK single launch of “Book of James” and to reflect on the struggles of the past and the band’s hopes of the future.
Like a lot of people in the UK, we have only recently discovered the band. Your music feels very much like it could only be made in America; musically, what artists, people and places inspired the band’s music?
Eric Sanderson: Musically our inspiration comes from all over the world, whether it’s Simon Diaz, Franco, Oliver Mtukudzi, Charles Bradley or Steve Earle, we are inspired by anyone that captures the feeling that there is more to life.
It’s interesting that you say our music seems like it could only be made in America. To be honest we haven’t looked at ourselves as an ‘American band’ till recently and that came about more from other people saying we are than by our own design. America gets a bad rap a lot of times, and many times it deserves it, but it is also a beautiful country with a rich history that has made incredible contributions to music. America is also a huge country. On tour we are fortunate to have endless time to stare out the window and dream. I believe the stories we hear on the road and the landscape itself are where the real inspiration comes from.
Your previous band Pela seemed to fight a struggle with all the usual difficulties facing indie bands these days. Do you feel strengthened by those experiences, and energized by making a fresh start?
Absolutely, but that strength only came after tremendous reflection and time.
When Billy and I started rebuilding our lives as musicians, and decided to finish “Rise Ye Sunken Ships”, it was important to have intention behind everything we did. We abandoned dreams of grandeur for the desire to live a fulfilling life. We put all of our energy into being good people and treating others the way we would like to be treated. We embraced our community and opened ourselves to them. In turn our community supported us through an incredibly difficult time period, which planted the seeds for the life we are living now.
Having fought through band break-ups and huge struggles to get to this point, have you got any words of wisdom for bands out there who are thinking about giving up?
Don’t sacrifice your character for the chance of success. Believing in yourself is one of the most important things you can have in life. Much of life is about reflection and your ability to find your ’self’ under all of the layers. If you can find that inner core and in that place you truly believe that you have to continue, then continue. But don’t do it yourself, help others become successful, embrace your community and be patient. Find people that are trustworthy and trust them.
You’re playing in the UK at the moment and it’s great to see you over here. How’s the tour with Glasvegas been for you?
So far the tour has been wonderful. We love the UK and couldn’t be happier to be back. This is our second UK tour this year. Glasvegas are very kind and supportive which always makes a tour more enjoyable. Tonight we plan to hang out more and get to know each other.
Speaking of the UK, you have an English drummer these days, Rob Allen. How did that come about?
When Billy and I first started playing shows again we were sitting on stools playing acoustic guitars. We were inspired by the intimacy of that set up but we knew it was just a matter of time before we would have to bring more energy to the show.
The Boxer Rebellion offered us the opening slot on their UK tour and we started asking around for a drummer. Rob is a good friend with the drummer from our old band, and he couldn’t have been more highly recommended. Our first audition ended up being over six hours as we instantly clicked. We asked him to join the band on the spot. Within two weeks we were playing in front of a sold out crowd at Heaven in London. We were incredibly fortunate to have found Rob and feel that was the true start of the band.
We feel like you are invested with the spirit of some iconic US music of recent times. Something of the Gaslight Anthem, the National and even Springsteen. What do you think it is that invests American bands with such a big, cinematic sound?
Steve Lamacq recently wrote about us and started by speaking of some American bands’ single-pointedness. I never really looked at American music that way but it struck a chord when he said it. I can’t speak for other bands, but for us music is our life, it has always been that way. Whether we had jobs driving trucks around Queens NY, or working at restaurants, or in a warehouse, it was always music that kept us going. When you carry music with you in your mind and heart all day it just makes sense that when you play you also want to live in the sound. Music becomes the vehicle that you find yourself in so it makes sense that it starts to sound that way.
It sounds like Dave Newfield’s contribution to the album was a big one, but that it took a lot of faith for you to give full rein to some of his ideas. How do you look back on the process and the end results now?
Dave is an incredible talent. He is also a bit of a mad scientist. His greatest contribution on the record was to the song “Book of James”. It took a tremendous amount of trust for us to see his vision through. At that time in our lives trust did not come easy because we had been taken advantage of and lied to so many times. Working with Dave on “Book Of James” helped us rebuild our trust in others as well as in ourselves.
The sad family tragedies and events surrounding the breakup of Pela have been written about elsewhere at length. Do you feel that this album is in some way not only a tribute to those lost along the way but also a vindication that the two of you kept believing?
It is certainly both. When Billy lost his brother we knew that everything had changed. Soon after that we lost our band and our lives we completely turned upside down. For months we lived our days confused and lost, we were grieving.
“Rise Ye Sunken Ships” soon took on new meaning and became the motivating force in our lives. We needed to finish it even though so many people suggested that we put it to rest. We couldn’t walk away from something that we had dedicated our lives to, and sacrificed so much for, especially with Jim’s passing. Fortunately we are now able to take the songs on the road and share in a bit of a celebration with people that come to the shows. This record was always intended to be uplifting.
Have you had a chance to listen to much music during the process of writing, recording and touring the new album? If so, what are your musical highlights of 2011?
Right now I believe Charles Bradley is the highlight. His music is incredible and his story is inspiring. We are going to one of his shows in December when we get back to the States and hope to get a chance to meet him.
We’d like to wish you a happy 2012 in advance. What would be your greatest hopes for the coming year?
My greatest hope for this upcoming year is that we can continue to make music and play shows. I feel so incredibly fortunate that people are connecting with the music we make and hold that with great reverence.
We Are Augustines return to the UK in February.
The “Book of James” 7-inch can be ordered here
