Meriwether to release first new CD in four years

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By Kaiya Morrison

No one ever said the music industry is easy to break in to, and no one knows this better than the members of the local rock band, Meriwether. Over the past four years the quintet has been on a rollercoaster ride of experiences. Now, they are moving their way back up as they release their first new album in four years on Tuesday, November 24 at the Varsity Theatre.

"The CD is called Plug in the Snakes and it's pretty fast-paced and full of energy," Drew Reilley, lead vocalist and guitar player for Meriwether said when discussing the new album. "This will be our first release since 2005's Make your Move, actually. The record we did with Interscope is still tied up in legalities so we decided to take it upon ourselves to do this ourselves for our own sanity and for our fans who have been ever so patient."

In 2006, the group, which currently includes Reilley and members Steve Bergeron (guitar), Josh Barbier (bass), Skip Angelle (guitar), and Sam Anderson (drums), signed a multi-record deal with Suretone Records and it seemed like a dream come true. But that dream turned into a nightmare after the group recorded a full-length album for the label and they continued to push the release date back.

"We've overcome many obstacles in the past and we'll have to overcome many more in the future, but we've remained tight and strong through everything we've been through," Reilley said. "Where we come from, you don't just give up. We're going to force the name Meriwether down the music industry's throat, and no matter how many times it might puke it back up, eventually we're going to sit right where we should be - in its big fat belly."

Now that Meriwether is no longer with the label and therefore working completely independently, they have regained a sense of freedom and have decided to push the limits a bit more.

"We went out-of-the-box for the recordings and tried to have a lot of fun experimenting with different instruments," Reilley explained. "It's much more aggressive than our past recordings. I think our frustration with the situation we've been in with the industry over the last few years has definitely contributed to this."

"I've never cursed on a record before. Ever," he continued to say. "But I found myself doing so a bit on this one. It wasn't because I was trying to do it intentionally, or to be cool, it's just what came out naturally when I was writing."

"I don't regret it," he added candidly. "I know I'm going to get a lot of guff from some people about this, which is something I'm prepared to deal with, but sometimes you just can't censor what you're really feeling. I've preached for so long that the most important part of music is honesty. So it's like, 'Here ya go folks, I'm being honest. I'm f-ing pissed off and I just said the F word...deal with it.'"

Taking lyrical risks wasn't the only path Meriwether walked down with the track "Wake Up Lion."

"We asked Six Pack Deep's horn section to perform on [the tracks] 'Abandon All Hope' and 'Wake Up Lion.' It's always cool to hear instruments like that mixed into big, heavy rock songs."

The three week process of recording the album was completed at Little House Productions by Brian Beyt, and members of the local ska band Six Pack Deep were not alone on the roster of musicians who came out to contribute to the new tunes.

"Luis Mariani plays guitar in Bearfighter and he tracked an amazing blues solo on a track called 'Come Home with Me,'" Reilley said. "Gabe and Kenyon of American Fangs laid down some group vocals on the title track, and Gable gnarled out the bridge for us as well."

"What was meant to be a four or five song EP turned into something bigger and we just rolled with it," he added.

Bearfighter, American Fangs and Six Pack Deep will all open the CD release show at The Varsity, so chances are pretty high that the end of the night might yield all of these band members on the stage at one time.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the first 100 advanced tickets sold are only $5. Tickets bought at the door are $10. You can learn more about Meriwether or purchase a copy of the new album online at www.meriwetherrock.com.

Originally Published: Issue 824 - November 18, 2009

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