Filled with the enticing twang of an electric mandolin backlit by a weighty drum, the alt-country offerings of Ha Ha Tonka have largely remained a well-kept secret to devoted fans. Can they be the next Kings of Leon? Have they the appeal of stadium rock? With independent music devotees building a buzz, the band has released its third album, Death of a Decade, cooking up down-home numbers, featuring hooks big enough to go bass fishing.
With dark tunes depicting the grim realities of backwoods prejudice and drug abuse, Decade features several callouts to the heavens, while providing an instant foot-stomping appeal that may provide the final notch on Tonka's mountainous climb to fame. Still, the band's ultimate goal seems to be remaining loyal to its small, humble beginnings. Stemming from Springfield, Mo., where the band mates became childhood friends, Tonka's state pride can be initially found in the band's name, inspired by its old stomping groundsâ┚¬â€Âa Missouri state park.
With a recent appearance on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, along with a performance at SXSW, the band plans to continue supporting Decade with a 2011 Spring Tour.
On May 21st, Ha Ha Tonka will headline the Sarasota Harvey Milk Festival. HMF is an annual music and performing arts event founded to raise awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights on state and federal levels.
The band's lead singer, Brian Roberts, took a moment to chat with Watermark.
WATERMARK: How would you describe your sound to people who haven't heard the music?
BRIAN ROBERTS: I had a friend who once described us as indie rock meets the Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. I think that's pretty fitting.
So it's kind of mid-west, knee-slapping music.
Yes, but with an electric guitar and a rock band sound.
There's a large, dark story-telling component throughout Decade. Even the album title has an ominous feel to it. What inspired it?
Well, we named the album after a track on it, which is about the passage of time. It talks about how the public in general reacts to a death of a political figure or a pop icon. With each generation, a death like this occurs. Martin Luther King, Elvis, Kurt Cobain… The song reflects on public infatuation with celebrity and how such an iconic death seems to be a reoccurring phenomenon. You're right, the album is dark, but overall, I think there's hopefulness in it.
On the album, you speak of a â┚¬Ëœharbinger of change.' What kinds of changes do you see coming for the band?
We love what we do, and our goal is just to get better, in our songwriting and in our live show. Maybe its anticipation, but we really feel this album will do big things for us, sonically and artistically.
With the electric mandolin taking the forefront on a number of songs, the new album takes on a bluegrass feel at times. Was that planned?
We wanted to try a little more traditional instrumentation because we had this idea of merging authentic with synthetic. We felt the electric mandolin could help the album have a rock-and-roll feel while staying true to traditional roots.
Due to popular bands like Wilco and Drive-By Truckers, there seems to be more visibility surrounding the alt-country movement, yet the music rarely finds its way to the mainstream. Has TV and radio embraced the band?
The album is doing really well at radio. As for TV, we were on MTV and No Reservations. I think the music industry is cyclical. The 70's roots rock that Neil Young was doing seems to be back in demand. We never thought a small band from the Ozarks would hit the Billboard charts, but here we are. We're very thankful.
By headlining the 2011 Sarasota Harvey Milk Festival, the band is lending a hand in the fight for LGBT equality. Have any other political issues inspired the band's music?
Ultimately, we always try to be honest. One issue that is near to us is the healthcare debate. After college, I had cancer, and I was no longer covered under my parents' insurance. It was a real struggle. Due to the changes with Obama, I was recently able to change that.
