by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
WHAT: Plain Jane Automobile
WHEN: June 14th @ 8 pm
WHERE: Jackrabbits
Plain Jane Automobile’s blend of rock pop certainly has its roots in the driving rhythm and melodies of Brit pop, but they’ve become an indie symbol of what a band can accomplish without a major label. They won at the 2005 DiscMakers Independent Showcase, solidifying their status as perhaps the best unsigned band in the Southeast.
The four, Duke Crider (vocals/guitars), Luis Mejia (guitars/keys/backing vocals), Paul McCorkell (bass/backing vocals) and James Dickens (drums/percussions), have certainly become a force in Florida live shows, from Tallahassee to West Palm. EU spoke with vocalist Duke Crider about staying indie and touring in Florida.
EU: You guys are still independent and I just wanted to ask if your goal is to stay unsigned?
Crider: It certainly all depends. I don’t think we’re particularly interested in major labels anymore. Which we did for a while. But I think the major label deals are going away. I really don’t think there are any great deals out there anymore. So, we’re probably going to try to keep it independent.
EU: What do you think are the benefits to staying independent?
Crider: Well, number one—you don’t owe anybody a ton of money. We have no debt at all. Which is a great thing for a band. These labels dish out all this money, then you have to inevitably pay it back with record sales. You can make a living without a label, I guess. And you have more control over your music…I think independent labels nurture their bands a little bit more and they’re not as concerned with the bottom line. They’re more concerned with building a fan base and watching it develop into something better. I think major labels just want a cash cow, you know?
EU: What’s the UK influence to your sound?
Crider: Directly, I would say Radiohead. We’ve been getting a lot of Muse comparisons lately…I don’t really see it but, I’m not going to tell them they’re wrong.
EU: Plain Jane Automobile is originally from Orlando and you’ve played all around Florida. What’s been your favorite Florida venue?
Crider: I’m going to have to go with The Social here, in Orlando…It’s a great club, it’s got a great vibe, and it’s got a lot of history…I like that place in Jacksonville we just played, Freebirds…We normally play Jack Rabbits but the last couple of times we played there with Julius Airwave…And, we played once at Thee Imperial with Gasoline Cart. I kind of liked that place. It was like the inside of somebody’s garage, it was cool.
EU: You’ve had some success getting on the radio. How does an unsigned band go about getting airtime?
Crider: Uh, you know, I really don’t know. The guy that put us on was kind of a forward-thinker in terms of radio. He didn’t require any sort of a record label. He…just heard the song, thought it was good and took the chance to put it on. It worked out really well…We were pretty shocked, because, you know, it’s…a hard thing to do, even if you’re on a major label—it’s still hard to get radio play. We’re trying to expand into other markets but, it’s tough because everybody wants to hear the usual eight or nine songs that are on the radio.
You can catch Plain Jane Automobile, along with the Ozma and the Actual live at Jackrabbits next Thursday on June 14th.
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