Image by Benjamin Funke
Earl Greyhound
Bassist Kamara Thomas spreads the gospel on the band’s first full-length release
By Sheba White
Published: October 17th, 2006 | 2:00pm
Pick up Earl Greyhound’s Soft Targets and just try to guess how such enormous auditorium-strength rawk emanates from the soft-spoken, harmonizing Brooklyn trio of guitarist-singer Matt Whyte, bassist-singer Kamara Thomas, and drummer Ricc Sheridan on this, their first full-length release. Just try.
Believe it or not, the origin of the band’s Led-Zeppelin/Queen/INXS–inspired sound — at least where Kamara Thomas is concerned — lies in a little thing we Midwestern folks like to call the Lord’s music, otherwise known as country.
“When my mom got God, rocknroll went out of the picture,” said Thomas via phone in late August 2006. “I don’t have any idea why she thought country was the alternative. All I know is that I got handed country, classical, and Christian contemporary. I was listening to ’70s country growing up: Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Crystal Gayle, whatever they were playing on the Chicago country station at the time.”
This self-described “tame” musical background may be the reason why Thomas has such a high, unfiltered voice that bottoms out into a rootsy twang when harmonizing with Whyte on songs like “Back and Forth” and “Yeah I Love You.” When this happens there’s a gritty, soulful undertow to the melodies that has been likened to Emmylou Harris meets Graham Parker, but could just as easily be Dolly Parton meets Kenny Rogers, could just as easily be Stevie Nicks meets Whyte’s electrified Lindsey Buckingham–clear vocals.
“Before my mom went born-again Christian, I remember Fleetwood Mac really profoundly affected me,” Thomas said. “I’m still a huge Fleetwood Mac fan. I listen to Rumours once a week. That album had a huge effect on me, maybe because you can just sense Stevie Nicks’ and Christine McVie’s feminine power emanating. I always identified with that.”
The same could be said of Thomas, who, aside from being Earl Greyhound’s bassist — the bass being an instrument she recently picked up at Whyte’s suggestion — also holds down several positions in a multitude of projects, including fronting her own band, Larune (with Whyte on piano), performing in the Brooklyn-based country-music collective Honky Tonk Happy Hour, and co-running a cooperative label (theperiodiclabel.com) with fellow Brooklyn musicians. “We’ve kind of got this community of lots of different bands, and we do all kinds of flip-flopping playing in each other’s stuff,” Thomas said. “I’m a busy girl. I ain’t going to do nothing but music with my life — that is my goal.”
Thomas, who was asked to join Earl Greyhound five years ago when Whyte was scouting out the possibilities of forming his own band after years performing solo, was quick to note, though, that on this project, Whyte is the leader. “He holds the vision for the project, and so all the songs on that album are his,” she said. “[Thomas and then drummer Chris Bear, who appears on the album] helped develop them, but Matt wrote all the songs on Soft Targets.”
Already the band has received nods from critics in Rolling Stone and the New Yorker, specifically when it comes to their live performances and the powerhouse beats exploding out of Bear’s replacement, Ricc Sheridan. The once musically sheltered Thomas can’t say enough about the band live. “For me, it’s not really worth it to go on the road unless I have something to leave with the people I see there,” she said. “With Earl Greyhound, our live show kicks ass. If you come to our live show, that’s it. I promise you, it’s over.”
RAPID Q&A WITH KAMARA THOMAS
What was the first album you purchased?
The Point by Harry Nilsson.
Favorite chord?
I really like the “C” chord. C 9s. I know it’s weird, but I really like C9.
What’s in your player right now?
Fleetwood Mac is on my record player. And my friend, Chris Leo’s band, Vague Angels, I listen to quite a lot as well on CD.
Best concert so far in 2006?
You know who brings it? The Assault. You gotta talk to these girls. Have you heard of the Assault? Ah man, they’re like stiletto glam like hot phoenix rock. Margo is in the Honky Tonk, and she totally brings it. She rips out guitar solos with the best of them. That was definitely the best show I’ve seen.
What’s your shameful hippie secret?
Number One: I am totally an unabashed shameless hippie. What’s my shameless hippie secret? Well, most of my reading material is channeled. It’s channeled, hippie crystal bringing the love down to earth energetic healing hippie shit. That’s all that’s on my shelf right now. And I love Atlantis, and I totally had a past life in Atlantis. If you need a secret that’s the secret, I was a high priestess of Atlantis. [laughs]
Issue #25
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