Husk – interview

By Travis Mamone

Husk is a new hard rocking band deeply rooted in the sounds and feelings of the old South. They mix the old-school twang of Hank and Merle with the classic Southern Rock of Lynard Skynard. And did I mention these guys are from Canada? I recently had the opportunity to do an email interview with Carl Petzelt, the lead singer of this up-and-coming band.

Country Music Goodness: How did the band form? How long have you been playing together?

Carl Petzelt: It started at the end of 2005. In the beginning it was myself, Michelle [Smith, bass], and Gord [Cummings, slide guitar]. We met in a bar and we all had broken hearts at the same time. I dragged them to my studio to listen to some songs I had recently recorded. They jumped in. We were completely trashed for every note that went down. Still, it became the first record. No drums; the kick and snare were in my acoustic guitar strumming. We were too drunk to even find a tuner. Every subsequent session for that first record was done the same way. When we sobered up we realized we had done something special. So I mixed it and got it mastered and basically put it up on MySpace for shits and giggles. To our surprise people began to leave very nice messages. It was all I needed to continue.

CMG: Who are some of your influences?

CP: The Allman Brothers band, JJ Cale, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Stones, The Band, Dylan, Marley, etc.

CMG: What do you think each member brings to the band?

CP: Gord plays a mean slide and sings hillbilly really well, he also has a great music mind from working in a record store for years. Michelle has a sweet voice and because she’s from Montana–the only American in the band–she can transport us into the mountains pretty fucking quick. Dano [lead guitar] is my right hand man and the best guitarist I know. For myself, well it just wouldn’t be without me. It’s my vision. I write the songs. I fucking do everything.

CMG: Describe a typical Husk live show. What should audiences expect?

CP: We haven’t played yet because we haven’t found the right drummer or bass player. Dano and myself handle the drums and the bass for the recordings. We are hoping by 2009 this will all be sorted out.

CMG: Do you have any CDs that fans can buy?

CP: We have three EP’s. We are currently out of stock of Stomping Grounds and Help the Planet…Play More Southern Rock. Our first full length record will be the songs of Stomping Grounds and a batch of new ones we are currently working on. Husk is officially a six song EP as well, but there are versions of it with 5 more songs. [The five-song version can be purchased on CD Baby]

CMG: What do you hope audiences will get from your music?

CP: I’m fucking dead sick and tired of hip hop and all this Barbie punk shit. I’m sick of all this tuned down fuzzed out shit and I’m also sick and tired of really bad lyrics everywhere I turn. So for me, I hope people will feel they are getting something that sounds familiar from a day gone by but at the same time new. I hope people will feel the love and work we put into this. We do everything ourselves, sometimes it’s painstakingly slow. Sometimes it will take me three weeks to rewrite a lyric cuz I want it to be as perfect as I can. But we want to bring people back to another time, a time of letting your hair down, hitting the road with your friends, buying records along the way, smoking some reefer, helping a stray dog out, whatever. Fuck the bling bling and the horse that rode in on. Fuck that whole attitude. Fuck new country. I’m drowning in shit here bud.