The Jompson Brothers were born in a garage in Nashville, TN as a result of late-night jam sessions between former SteelDrivers frontman Chris Stapleton (vocals, guitar) and Greg McKee (guitar). Bard McNamee (drums) and J.T. Cure (bass) were soon added to the equation, more jamming ensued, and the band was complete.
Their self-titled debut (produced by Frank Rogers) was released in the Fall of 2010 and has drawn comparisons to Led Zeppelin, Gov’t Mule, and Drive-By Truckers. The band has spent 2011 playing shows all around the Southeast to eager and enthusiastic crowds. During that time, the guys have shared stages with North Mississippi Allstars, J. Roddy Walston and The Business, Darius Rucker, The Felice Brothers and more
We caught up with lead singer, Chris Stapleton, before their show at Smith’s Olde Bar this Saturday, Feb. 9th!
What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you? or at your show?
There’s a rumor that a guy in England has a tattoo of me (Chris) on his arm. That one’s up there…
What is the funniest moment you have had as an artist/band so far?
So many come to mind…the first time one of the guys had a bra thrown at him on stage was pretty funny…he had just gotten married and after the show he was terrified his wife would be mad (she wasn’t).
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Not really…I always drink a lot of water, I guess.
If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?
Loud.
How do you connect with a crowd?
That’s a tough one. It’s different things on different nights I think. Could be the stars line up and the moon is in the right spot. Or maybe it’s the venue or the other bands you’re sharing the stage with. There’s definitely an energy that exists between players and listeners, though. It’s hard to describe. When the crowd gets into something we’re doing we become more involved and aware of what we’re doing and then we’re trying to match the energy if the crowd. It becomes this ping pong match of feeding off of each other that ultimately ends in everybody having a good time. That’s the goal, anyway.
What type of influence has your hometown had on your music?
We all moved to Nashville from different places and I don’t think any of us consider it our hometown, but it’s definitely home. All the writing and recording we do happens in Nashville for the most part so I’m sure there is an influence there. I’d have a hard time saying what that influence might be, exactly.
What is the best way to write music?
We typically write as a band and prefer that for what we do. We also tend to come at it from a music first and then find lyrics approach. There are lots of creative processes for writing though. I can’t say one is any better than another. Whatever gets the job done!
See The Jompson Brothers with Radiolucent at Smith’s Olde Bar Saturday, Feb. 9th!
