If you’re reading this and haven’t listened to Get Gone, the first-release of Shreveport’s own Seratones – stop reading this, listen to it all the way through, read the terrific article by Chris Jay in Shreveport Magazine (essentially the first chapter of a future Seratones biography), and then proceed.
Seratones are possibly the most accessible, modern band to come out of Shreveport in the past decade. Hip shaking grooves, ignitable fuzzy guitars, and an impossibly charismatic lead singer make the recipe for a music critic year-end list topper as well as an enjoyable show for all ages and demographics of our diverse city to share. Indeed, Shreveport should be proud of what Seratones represent: a return to the roots of Southern rock n’ roll, soul, and the bravado that catapulted spotlight-bathed singers into legends who graced the steps of the Municipal Auditorium. It also helps that in the past few years we’ve seen a revival in the “indie” music scene of this genre thanks to the Alabama Shakes and Seratones tourmates St. Paul and the Broken Bones. The tide is currently rising and carrying the dreams of blue-collar musicians from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama along with it, giving our region a chance to really show its diversity, progression, and musical traditions.
On August 12th, Seratones kick off the most insane, action-packed tour of their lives at Aura Ultra Lounge. From there, they embark on their first leg of European dates hitting Belgium, Norway, and France before spending ten days playing in the United Kingdom. “I’m especially stoked about Caberet Vert because it’s located in Charleville, the birthplace of Arthur Rimbaud,” explains AJ. “I’m a poetry nerd, so I really, really hope I get visit the Museé Rimbaud. Caberet Vert is also an especially eco-conscious festival, which makes me all the more excited to attend. Music festivals can be a beautiful thing. A little TLC, tender love and consciousness, goes a long way in the whirl of hyper-consumerism.”
Seratones hop back across the pond on September 15th, starting in Phoenix and meandering up the West Coast, hitting big name venues such as the Fox Theater in San Francisco, and Paramount Theater in Seattle. For these dates, Seratones will be opening for St. Paul & the Broken Bones who they supported on their previous tour. When AJ thinks of their first few tours, “touring with St. Paul & The Broken Bones and the Dandy Warhols really opened up a lot of opportunities for us. They are all lovely people and we learned so much from them. Also, both bands’ fans are great. I was excited to see people singing along to some of our songs! Opening slots can be really tough, but their fans made us feel at home.” During the month of October Seratones will be going it alone, churning through the Midwest and East Coast hitting some awesome venues like Mercury Lounge and Knitting Factory in New York.
Just when you think that sounds exhausting enough, they go back to Europe – Reykjavik, Iceland to be specific. From there they hit more UK venues, the Netherlands, and crisscross through France. The tour concludes on November 21st at Les Inrocks Festival in Paris then, finally, the band collapses in a heap on the doorsteps of their Highland homes with happy but exhausted smiles on their faces.
Read any article on Seratones and you’ll find that half of them focus on the fashion of singer and guitarist AJ Haynes, while the other half touch on the punk rock roots of the band and how the collective evolved into the tight sound that they have today. Listening to Get Gone, the punk rock influence is abundant. The lyrics throughout the album are confrontational ranging from lovers quarrels to Black Flag “us versus them” vitriol, most apparent on “Choking On Your Spit.”
According to AJ, “When we signed with Fat Possum and got the opportunity to work with Jimbo Mathus, we challenged ourselves to step up not only our musicianship, but our overall scope of how to approach the songwriting craft. We have the benefit of having played together for years in different groups and the “first thought, best thought” philosophy to our songs for Get Gone. Some of the songs were a whole year in the making…some—like Choking on Your Spit—were basically written in no time. A song wants what a song wants.”
Musically, the album is excellent. Each musician, from AJ Haynes and Connor Davis on guitar, to Adam Davis on bass, to Jesse Gabriel on drums, makes an obvious and identifiable contribution to the sound of Seratones. Having the added benefit of seeing them live, Connor’s guitar is sensational but reserved on Get Gone. My only real qualm with the album is the short songs that seemingly suffer from punk rock influence, by barely edging over the three minute mark. Live guitar solos have more room to breathe and don’t land as soon as they get off the ground like a plane ride from Shreveport to Dallas. The track “Kingdom Come” is the main victim of the abbreviated bridge, but Connor finally gets a chance to spread his wings a bit on “Take It Easy.” Jesse stomps a hole in the damn floor during the single “Chandelier” and generally adds to the band’s ability to zip through the album. Adam’s contributions are mainly evident on the slinkier, sexier tracks “Tide” and the closer “Keep Me.” The interplay between the guitars, bass, and AJ’s vocals grabs your attention from the opening note to the end.
I would be remiss if I didn’t spend a minute to talk about AJ. In normal conversation she exudes a confidence and playfulness that makes you enamored within the first minute of speaking. On stage, that power is narrowed to a laser beam – making everyone in the crowd feel like they have a direct connection to the expansive voice and sly winks flying across the room. Seeing Seratones live is an opportunity that everyone should seek out in order to bear witness to what raw rock n’ roll power looks like, especially when it has become such a rare commodity.
I hope we continue to spread the Rock & Roll gospel to the globe.
When asked what the future holds for Seratones, AJ responded, “I hope we continue to spread the Rock & Roll gospel to the globe. I hope we continue to be patient and kind to one another. I hope that we are compelled to fling ourselves out of our respective comfort zones as we continue to grow as artists. We’re still figuring things out like any artists should. I hope our sound evolves into something we continue to enjoy playing. And we’re trying our best.” Seratones have the talent, the stars are in alignment, and I foresee nothing but success in their future.
Get gone, Seratones, and make it back safe.