When you’re a fan of a band or couldn’t care less about their music, your opinion can get in the way of a good interview. This is why I’m glad I met the members of Vinyl Thief before I saw them perform. Otherwise it would have been an episode of The Chris Farley Show.
So maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
I started off my day by interviewing Vinyl Thief at SoundHarvest. Since I knew little about them and hadn’t heard much of their music, I was a bit hesitant about how to break the ice. But as soon as we sat down on a circle of hay bales and I got distracted by how Goodwill-chic everyone’s outfit was, I realized that Vinyl Thief is no different than all the other talented Nashville musicians I’ve met. They’re just a group of totally cool people (who happen to be a little more musically talented than I am).
We talked about how they got started, how their music has evolved and if they’re cat or dog people, among other things. I was very intrigued by the fact that they all met in high school and had grown up together alongside their music. Initially, I thought the heartwarming looks they exchanged with each other while telling the story of how they became a band would provide this article with the bulk of its content. And when I found out that their co-manager and publicist, Wes Davenport, had also been a friend of theirs in high school, I thought surely that was the icing on the cake of this story. But after I heard them perform, I realized that the core of their story isn’t in how they got started, it’s all about where they are now.
Yeah, they’re all quite charming. They’re fashionable. They all prefer chocolate over vanilla. (Except lead singer Grayson Proctor. I’m sure he meant to say chocolate, though.) But their story lies in their sound.
Their sound is like dancing at your first high school homecoming mixed with a hint of the nostalgia and sensuality that comes with an ex lover. Vinyl Thief’s music could make anyone dance. But then Grayson’s high notes come along. I’m pretty sure my jaw actually dropped. The type of jaw drop that caused me to miss a great photograph because I lost myself in that note for a moment.
And when you lose yourself in a song without having had any intention to, that’s when you know you’ve found some good music.
My love for the band grew when I started to walk away and heard “I…I’m so in love with you” sung in only a way that Al Green would approve of. I turned around so quickly that I’m sure the person next to me felt a little breeze. If you haven’t yet, now would be a good time to go check out their Al Green and Childish Gambino rework. Whenever anyone can perform a song that we all know and love while doing it justice and still making it original, it’s a job well done.
I’m shocked that this song only has 23 “thumbs ups” on YouTube, so let’s help change that. (Don’t let the next 10 views all be from me.) Click on the link above and be sure to check out their website and Facebook page.
