Hey guys! It’s that time again… five questions from yours truly. Who’s this week’s target? Why, one of our favorite blogger/musicians, former Terminal contributor Sam George!

His band Bright Henry is playing Zydeco tonight and therefore, we aim the spotlight in his general direction.

WHITNEY: Bright Henry performances are always so warm and lively. It seems like a collective. How did the idea for all of you guys playing together come about?

SAM: I recently moved here from NYC and was unwilling to be without a band for any kind of a sustained period, so I began to put one together almost immediately. I have this theory about finding musicians: It’s as important for your fellow band members to be folks you’d like to hang out with as it is for them to be musically talented. You ain’t gonna get chemistry without kinship. The way I deal with this is to ask everyone I meet who I enjoy spending time with if they play a musical instrument. My first job here in Birmingham was slingin’ coffee at O’Henry’s in Homewood, and that’s where I met the fellas. It was serendipity really. Matt (guitar) and Barrett (bass) both worked behind the counter with me, and Daniel (drums) was a regular customer. I couldn’t believe I had found such a good group of friends in one place, but there they were. It was gravy that they could all play like the dickens. The band is actually named after the founder of O’Henry’s, Henry Bright. So I guess my incredibly long answer to your question is that we’re warm and lively because we grew together as a group organically before we even knew we were a band.

WHITNEY: The band filmed the Odeyville Sessions and posted them for fans to watch on Youtube. Tell us a little about the recording itself and the response it has gathered.

SAM: Hah, I still think it’s amusing that Odeyville Sessions has become a thing. We’d been hashing out material for a couple of months and had some really bare bones recordings down. We snuck out one weekend to a great little hideaway in Odenville with the sole intention of practicing, but I brought the recording gear on a whim, and then my friend Clarke Williams agreed to come along and film too. What was going to be a relaxing weekend in the country turned into a knock-down late night recording session. We laid down a ton of material, some of which is pretty ridiculous. There’s a 15 person halloween themed round, with percussion accompaniment. I have the tape to prove it!

WHITNEY: I’m a big big fan of the Wood Brothers and nearly wigged out when I heard Bright Henry perform “The Luckiest Man” at a show. Would you list the Wood Brothers and other Americana bands as a big influence?

SAM: Well, I’m influenced by a lot of different genres and artists and though I love the Wood Brothers dearly, I wouldn’t call them an influence because I only just recently discovered that they exist. I absorb a lot of new music on a regular basis, and I find that bits of everything find their way into my music. My cell-phone ring is a blues piano riff, and and I realized recently that it’s also one of the best parts in the solo of our newest song! Oops and oh well. I think all genres contain music that is transcendant and music that is abominable. The test is in discerning the difference.

WHITNEY: If Sam George could build a dream lineup for a Bright Henry show, what would be the other 3 or 4 local bands you would pick?

SAM: Now that’s a question I can answer! Here it is:

Bright Henry (Headlining of course!)
The White Oaks
The Strife Rifle

I think that would be a night to remember!

WHITNEY: You hit the stage at Zydeco Thursday night. Any details people should know about that or any other upcoming shows/releases?

SAM: Well the most important detail is that THE SHOW IS NO LONGER AT WORKPLAY!! Due to mysterious scheduling conflicts, the show is now at Zydeco, same day same time. All of the Workplay tickets we sold will be honored at Zydeco though, so don’t fret. Otherwise, we’re working on a few things in the shadows that you’ll be the first to know about when we’re ready, and we’ll be putting up new recordings as we have them on our MySpace page.

P.S. Here is the full line up for tonight’s show: Nicholas Megalis with Vera, Bright Henry, Ben Smolin, Confidence Cohen, Stuck In Drive, and Malahide. Purchase your tix online here.