Andrew “Hellmouth” Gray has returned to teaching in Philadelphia, but Sean Hoots and his three band mates are keeping the musical party going with a new drummer, new songs, new drive and the same name. Although the band is not with a record label now, fan support raised enough money for their next release — and then some.
“It was wildly successful,” said Hoots of the fundraising efforts. “We have more money to put into this recording than we ever had before.”
| If you go |
| Hoots and Hellmouth with Stripmall Ballads |
| When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday |
| Where: Iota, 2832 Wilson Blvd, Arlington |
| Details: $12; 703-522-8340; iotaclubandcafe.com |
What that means for the band’s loyal fans is an EP in the first part of the year and a full-length release targeted for the summer. Expect the sound to be more natural yet also more textured than the band has previously released.
As fans recall, the band’s 2007 self-titled debut album won awards and kudos, but not a lot of high praise from the band members themselves. The product was too “studio”-sounding for their tastes. But if you think the 2009 release “Holy Open Secret” was more in line with the band’s folk/rock/gospel sound, you haven’t heard anything yet, said Hoots.
“2011 will be a year … for all kinds of music for us and exploring all kinds of moods and tunes and atmospheres,” said Hoots, saying the new lineup has added extra energy to the band’s music. “It’s definitely made it more dynamic.”
The big difference, of course, is pulling out the stomp boards and adding drums.
“Before all we had were stomps to move the rhythm,” said Hoot. “When you’re stomping, there’s not a lot of subtlety. … You’re either stomping or you’re not. With a drummer, there’s a lot more range.”
But one thing that hasn’t changed is the group’s emphasis on vocals and instruments of a modern string band, including mandolin and banjo.
“There are definitely some additions but honestly, even with Andrew leaving, we are very vocally focused,” said Hoot, noting that the band’s drummer and bassist chime in with him on vocals. “On our first record we were familiarizing ourselves with the form of roots and Americana songwriting. With the last record we tinkered with that formula and added new ideas. Now we’re moving beyond that. We’ve got the rootsy thing under our belts and we’re expanding and building on that foundation.”
