| 06-23-09 : OFS FEATUREED ON THE9513.COM |
| http://www.the9513.com/a-conversation-with-one-flew-south/
A Conversation With One Flew South Ken Morton | June 23rd, 2009 One Flew South Interview Royal Reed, Chris Roberts and Eddie Bush, the members of One Flew South, have built a record on the concept of harmony. And like many great harmony bands before them, including the Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Mamas and the Papas, Boys II Men and the Beach Boys, One Flew South lets the simple harmony of their voices shine on their first Nashville-based release, Last Of The Good Guys. The vocal stylings of this trio fit in perfectly with the progressive thinkers at Decca/Universal Records, where they were instantly signed upon auditioning. However, they weren’t an overnight success. These three vocalist-songwriters have been involved in show business for years prior to hitting upon a country music unique combination–attempting to perfect the notion of a band starring three superbly matched vocalists. Chris Roberts is a New Orleans native who had moved to New York by way of Montana before ending up in Nashville, where he was encouraged by legendary country music singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers. Originally hailing from Texas, Royal Reed came from a musical family and played in a top Texas country band for several years before working as a studio and demo singer in Los Angeles. Eventually, he wound his way to New York where he met Chris. Eddie Bush was better known as a guitar specialist back in his home state of South Carolina and released a self-titled album earlier this decade on the Infinity Nashville label. The 9513 had a chance to sit down in between tour spots with Eddie, Chris and Royal for a quick interview. This is what the artists from Last Of The Good Guys had to say: KEN MORTON, JR.: How was CMA Fest in Nashville? Did you guys manage to stay dry? EDDIE BUSH: We did stay dry. Well, mostly dry. We sang the National Anthem to start it all off. And it was funny; we were at this park and they were whisking us up on stage and right as they got us up on stage, the bottom dropped out. ROYAL REED: Yeah, it came at us sideways. KMJ: That had to be a little adventuresome. EB: Yeah, we were looking for the good witch of the north to show up around there somewhere. RR: We noticed that compared to last year, there felt like a lot more people there this year. People seemed to be taking advantage of the good prices they were getting on the tickets and all the acts they were getting for it. People seemed to be using it as a vacation–at least that’s what it seemed like. KMJ: Through many of the news outlets, they have seemed to report the same thing. Attendance this year was up over last year. CHRIS ROBERTS: I also noticed it in the parade. We did the parade and there were probably three times as many people along the parade route this year as last year. EB: And the interesting thing is–and this is so indicative of where our country is at and how important country music is to folks–they’re so passionate about their country music. It doesn’t matter what state we’re in, people are coming out and doing it. CR: It doesn’t matter if it’s raining– RR: –Yeah, they’re out there when it’s raining. Country fans are just unbelievable. EB: This was the busiest CMA Fest and week in Nashville that we’ve had. CR: We just got back from the Walleye Weekend Festival in Wisconsin, after playing our show here in Nashville earlier this week and we have ashow on the last day of the Fest tonight. We just landed. We played a show in beautiful Fond Du Lac just below Green Bay yesterday and we’re hitting the ground running in Nashville again today. KMJ: Okay, we’ll get one of the more obvious questions out of the way early, where did One Flew South get its name? CR: Our first gig that we did together as a band was a song for the soundtrack for Fox and the Hound 2 that Disney did. And we didn’t have a band name yet. We were stuck on a whole litany of names and the one we were leaning towards was Parachute Adams. Eddie didn’t like it but he was coming around. Or at least he was giving in. RR: He was going to suck it up. CR: It turned out that there was a band in Canada named Parachute Adams. So at the last second, Disney is calling us every day saying we need a band name to put on the record and I thought of One Flew South. I don’t really know how. It made sense to me because Eddie lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and he continually flies up to here to Nashville with us and then flies by himself back down south. So, one flies south. One Flew South. That’s why. KMJ: That probably leads me to my next question. One of you guys is from Louisiana, one is from Texas and Eddie hails from South Carolina. How did you guys all get together and meet? RR: Chris and I met doing, of all things, a Broadway show. Larry Gatlin was involved in that originally as well. We met doing that. Chris and I met in New York nearly ten years ago. Chris and Larry had this thought of putting a trio together and did it because Chris and I enjoyed music together so much, and because we kind of look at things the same way. We tried out two or three different guys but we just could never find something that felt special in any way. They were all good singers but nothing overly special and nothing Chris and I could move forward on together. So we let it go. I moved to Nashville later on. And Chris came down later. I was doing bass in a rock band of all things and Chris was songwriting with Marcus Hummon. And we met Eddie through Marcus. EB: I was a solo artist at the time. I had a song on the charts. And I was trying to get a bigger record deal. I was here at a club in Nashville and Marcus was a friend of the girl who did the graphic design on my record. We invited him to come to the club I was playing and at the end of the show, he and I got into this big conversation and he told me about this duo looking to be a trio. He invited me to come back and meet them the next week. And so I did. We had coffee together at a coffeehouse and we went back over to Chris’s house, messed around with some songs, trying to find something we could sing together. We started singing “Just Remember I Love You” by Firefall and something just fell right into place. It was one of the most magnificent moments of my life. It was truly beautiful music. I’m addicted to beautiful music. From my own personal perspective, when I heard the harmony, the way it happened like that, I was just stunned. I knew at that very moment I was going to do this. KMJ: I think that’s what differentiates One Flew South so much in the country genre; your music is so much more harmony-drenched than other acts. What kind of influences drove that sound with you guys? CR: There’s a lot of influences, but obviously we’re close to Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers. I was just reminded of it a couple days ago when we went on over to the Opry. Larry was hosting the Opry and we were backstage like fans. The brothers hadn’t seen each other in awhile and they were getting dressed in their dressing room, just screwing around. Larry was singing some goofy song and the brothers jumped in and I tell you, it was the best song ever. RR: It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever heard done. It was different and it was just beautiful. So they’re the biggest influence on us. The blueprint for the group was sort of Crosby Stills and Nash. It was the idea that you could create a sound with harmonies as the lead vocal. CR: You know, when you listen to those great old CSN records, outside of when Neil Young sings, really it sounds just like one voice. The harmonies create one beautiful voice to listen to. So that’s another big influence on us. Our producer, Marcus Hummon, is another big influence on the sound that we’ve created. His songs, his writing style, the way he works in the studio, all those things. EB: He had a lot of harmony intelligence. CR: He grew up with sisters doing harmony all the time and that was something we had in common together- it was something we learned early on that we had a deep love of harmony. EB: He had a lot of influence early-on with the group. He would come up with melodies and songs for us that were really interesting and created that kind of magic love in our voices. KMJ: From an artistic achievement standpoint, was that kind of the driving force behind Last Of The Good Guys? EB: Oh, definitely. I can only talk about this from my perspective. And that’s actually a beautiful thing because we’re all so different. But to me, it’s so unique artistically. There’s so many moments on Last Of The Good Guys for myself that as a music fan, when I listen to the record, I say to myself that I’m very proud of it. I feel like it’s a part of myself from an artistic standpoint. I’m very proud of it. That’s the cool thing about One Flew South is that I feel that, for better or worse, it is our unique voice and expression and I’m proud of it personally. CR: Hopefully for better! RR: It’s really hard to be different. There’s so much music out there. But at the end of the day, I think each of us believes that it’s better to be different. KMJ: I’ll change gears a little bit and travel back a few months with you guys. You had an opportunity to participate in Farm Aid in Boston last year. Tell me about how that experience was for each of you. CR: It was awesome, we couldn’t have been more fortunate. Farm Aid as an organization, as we all learned is really great. EB: Remember how they told us at the beginning of the week that we would know more about farmers and farming by the end of the week? It was completely true. CR: Eddie says it all the time, and I think it’s true, but the best thing about the week was the press conference we got to do. We had Arlo Guthrie sitting on my right and had Dave Matthews and Neil Young sitting to our left. It was such a surreal thing. But it was also great to hear these guys that you respect so much as artists with a passion for something else and helping the community and saving the world and the whole deal. These are all the reasons you work so hard your whole life and make music. RR: Just to hang out with our heroes for a week was so cool. EB: At one point, Royal and I were standing behind the monitor mixer and watching from side stage. We were watching Jerry Lee Lewis, the “Killer,” and John Mellencamp was standing right behind us and Neil Young was standing right in front of us. And I was just pinching myself, saying, “I can’t believe this is happening.” And we even shared a dressing room with a couple of our heroes. RR: We’re hopeful that we’re allowed to do it next year. KMJ: That has to be very surreal walking around with people who you’ve idolized your whole life. EB: Yeah. Just even to meet Willie. RR: We were very lucky. It is cool to meet your heroes and even cooler for you to find out they’re even cooler in person. You’d hate to meet someone who you love that turns out to be a big jerk. Neil Young, everyone, couldn’t have been nicer. It was awesome. KMJ: Decca is such a historic label. Tell me about the importance of your band being on that label and what kind of rules and regulations they put on you. EB: Obviously, Decca has such a vast history. They turned down the Beatles for goodness sakes. At the same time, it’s the same label that had The Suns, The Who, Patsy Cline, Bing Crosby and other serious icons of music. I remember when we were even starting out and going to Decca’s offices, how exciting that was. Just the thought of being on the same label that Patsy Cline was on was cool. It’s such a huge imprint. The funny thing is, they really didn’t impose any limitations. They were definite fans of One Flew South from the minute that we met them in the conference room. In fact, the conference room performance that we did was one of the most energized and highlight performances that we’ve had in my career. RR: You have to tell the whole story. EB: So we flew out on a Thursday night for a Friday showcase performance that was to be at 9am on Friday morning. We were meeting our to-be management that morning as well. Our plane was initially delayed out of Nashville for a couple hours. We finally got in the air and while we were in the air, they developed some crazy weather in New York. Then the plane was circling. Then they were going to land in JFK. Then all of a sudden we couldn’t land in JFK. Then they announce that they’re running out of fuel, and we go to Baltimore. So we finally get into Baltimore and the time’s the middle of the night, sometime after midnight. They tell us that there are no additional flights into New York, that we’re not going to make our big break, when at the very last moment they find us a flight and we get in early that morning. And it seems like everything that’s ever happened to us has been just like that, at the last second. And that includes the meeting with Decca. Just when it seems like it isn’t going to happen, it all comes through. When we finally did make it to JFK, our luggage didn’t make it and we had to wait another two hours at the airport for our luggage to make it. So we’re just stuck there waiting. Luckily, thank God, we had a car waiting on us. We finally make it to our hotel sometime after 4:30 in the morning. And we had to wake up there and brave traffic and be there by 9 o’clock. We get less than 3 hours of sleep, meet down in the lobby, meet our management for the very first time, and when we finally get there they pulled Marcus Hummon aside and said, “We’ve heard these guys on disc, but can they really sing?” So we walk into the conference room, and we’re all absolutely exhausted. After all that, there’s like 30 people in the room from the Decca offices. And by the time we played our first song, it was like we were playing to a bar. They were freaking out. We played every song we knew. CR: And we walked out the door with a record deal. KMJ: JD Souther has been a critical piece of The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt’s success. What’s been working with a great songwriter like him like? EB: JD is magnificent. When we first heard that he was going to pitch songs to us, it was so cool. We first cut a song that Marcus and JD wrote called “It Is Good.” We went into the studio to cut it and JD actually came into the studio to watch us record. When we got done singing, apparently he was so blown away, that moment he decided to write with us. We wrote a song called “Jealousy” with him. It’s still a bit incomplete, but a very cool demo at least. Then after that, I was fortunate enough to write two songs with him. One of the songs is called “Let The Day Carry You” which when we finished was one of my favorite days of my whole career. The other song was a great song called “She’s A Gift.” As a person who is a huge fan of the history of music, the honor of just sitting in the same room as someone who has been as important as JD in moments of music history, that in itself was incredible. Just to watch him write is cool. When we wrote “Let The Day Carry You,” he sat in a corner for about an hour and a half and made no sound whatsoever. I was dabbling with a musical idea that I had during that time. He literally spent three months after that perfecting the lyrics to the sound we created for “Let The Day Carry You.” That’s how important it was to him. It was a lesson to me. I had the opportunity to study the craft of writing and watch this genius do his thing. He went so far with it. And then with “She’s A Gift,” it was the exact opposite. He heard an idea one day and the next day he had all the verses done for that song. RR: All I heard was a bunch of good pick-up lines. CR: That’s right! KMJ: This is a question for each of you. What’s your favorite song on your album? CR: I’m going to stick with “It Is Good” for my favorite song on the album RR: Gosh, that is really difficult. I think it is “Sara.” I think when we did that first song we knew that would be on the record. We had “Sara” and “Coming Up Close.” Those were two songs we weren’t going to let Decca hear until we knew we had our record deal. EB: This is hard. If I answer truthfully, they’re mine. I think it’s “Let The Day Carry You.” Maybe, “She’s A Gift.” KMJ: I know you guys have been in active promotion mode on this album, but have you been working on new music for your next project already? RR: Tons of new music. CR: We have at least enough stuff written or recorded for a whole other album for sure. We just need a whole lot more time to get into the studio and cut them. KMJ: Is that writing done as a group together or individually? EB: Most of it has been together this time. CR: Yes. We have a lot of it written together to go along with a little bit of independent stuff. EB: We’ve been working really hard and writing quite a bit. We all have a wonderful relationship together, we don’t hesitate to throw out any idea to let any of the others to run and work with it. KMJ: What is country music to you? CR: Country music to me, done really really well, is an entire novel written in three minutes. It’s a Broadway show in three minutes. It’s an entire lifetime in three minutes. A great country song can be a guiding post for someone’s life. It can really be that important. I love the fact that in country music, a lot of different styles can move in there and still be considered country music lyrically. To me, it’s about lyrics and storytelling. That’s all. KMJ: Royal and Eddie, Chris has set the bar high. What is country music to you guys? RR: Expounding a little on what Chris said, to me it’s the most universal music. It’s a festival. It’s a common man’s music. It’s about the stories. And although I love all types of music, I really do, with country music anybody can like it. EB: Country music to me is the purest American art form. It’s real. It’s sincere. And it’s also the big tent that houses so many different kinds of artists. I don’t think there’s another genre that succeeds with that very fact. Years ago when it was more traditional, you had artists like Glen Campbell right alongside artists like Merle Haggard. It’s definitely a big tent. Of course, now, it’s incredibly vast. |
| 05-26-09 : OFS FEATURED ON SUITE101.COM |
| http://www.suite101.com/blog/llrjour/new_country_trio_one_fl
ew_south_releases_decca_records_debut_cd Decca Records recording artists One Flew South, a new vocal trio who has just released its brand-new single titled Life, which is a tune that champions human triumph against the odds. Per label reports, the act—which comprises New Orleans, La., native Chris Roberts, El Paso, Texas, son Royal Reed and South Carolina’s Eddie Bush—has been likened to echoing the early sounds of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Eagles, Poco and The Beach Boys. "From the first moment the three of us sang together it felt like home," Roberts said in the group’s artist bio. "There was something about the way that we all came together," Royal added. "Musically it all just fell into place. It just felt right." Featured on the March cover of Music Connection Magazine, the debut CD by One Flew South was produced by Marcus Hummon, a Nashville-based songwriter whose catalog contains six No. 1 tunes recorded by the likes of The Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. As for initial reviews, one of this writer’s favorite country historian’s, Bob Oermann, has said this about the Life single: “The lyric is pure poetry. The production is a swirl of wonder. The harmonized vocals are celestial. This little piece of magic is like a country version of CSN&Y." RPR media rep Brandy Reed, in a recent e-mail, gushed over the trio, saying,”Their vocal abilities are so overwhelming that they can sit down with only stools and guitars and fill the room with such a powerful blending of voices that it nearly knocks you off your chair. In fact, that is just how they have been performing since the record's release and have opened up for acts such as Heart, Phil Vassar, the Zac Brown Band and Juliane Hough. …” On their forthcoming CD, the trio also managed to team with distinguished songsmith J.D. Souther (of Eagles fame) to write several of the album’s tracks on the album. To learn more about the group or its new Decca release, please access http://www.oneflewsouth.com/. |
| 03-20-09 : LOW COUNTRY TODAY! |
| Check out the below article in Low Country Today with Eddie
Bush! http://www.lowcountrytoday.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=9731 Local Musician Eddie Bush Found His Way In 'One Flew South' Lowcountry Singer Songwriter Making Waves In Nashville By Jeff Walker, Entertainment Writer The name Eddie Bush may not be easily recognizable to everyone in the low country, however those of us who are familiar with the local music scene are familiar with the singer songwriter. For over two decades the self taught guitarist had been a regular in local clubs as a solo performer and as the lead singer of the Eddie Bush Group. In the 1990’s his guitar wizardry earned him several first place honors in local battle of the bands contests. His dedication to the craft has slowly continued to bring him success. Several years ago a solo release began to garner him attention as an alternative country artist. His musicianship, combined with his songwriting ability and smooth voice attracted the attention of noted Nashville producer/songwriter Marcus Hummon. Hummon’s credits include penning number one hits for Sara Evans and the Dixie Chicks, as well as his songs being recorded by the likes of Tim McGraw, Patty Loveless, Alabama, and Wynonna. A successful recording artist in his own right Hummon had been looking to assemble like minded musicians in a group that would reflect the sound of one of rock n’rolls legendary groups. After stumbling upon Bush he quickly paired him up with fellow musicians Royal Reed and Chris Roberts, and the pop country band, One Flew South was born. According to Bush the combination was magical. “Marcus was hoping to put together a band that would recall the great harmonies of Crosby Stills and Nash. That’s a very lofty goal, considering the success they’ve had and their place in rock n’ roll history. But I was intrigued right away and after I met Royal and Chris it was like, wow. Our voices blended together right away. It’s as though we had known each other for years and had been singing together for a really long time. Sort of like instant karma. And then after we got in the recording studio and I listened to some tracks I knew with Marcus at the lead the band had a shot. Of course after I heard the finished product I was even more convinced.” The band was signed by Decca Records and the process was put into motion. Their debut album ‘Last Of The Good Guys’ was released last year with the first single, ‘My Kind Of Beautiful’ sent to country radio stations. “It was a safe choice. It’s a very up tempo song. It’s very reminiscent of the songs that you hear on country radio right now.” The single received moderate attention. “It broke the top 50 on the country charts. That’s not bad for a debut single. More importantly it gave us some great recognition and provided the band with some great reviews. People in Nashville were beginning to take notice.” As most new artists do, One Flew South hit the road. Bush admits 2008 was fast paced. “We did what all new bands have to do. We played in clubs at night and did a series of interviews on country radio in the morning. We literally toured all over the country.” The band performed live on the CBS Morning Early Show last summer and opened several shows for Phil Vassar, but gained considerable attention when they took part in Farm Aid 2008. “That was almost surreal. To share the stage with some of the icons of the industry was a great thrill. Several of the artists have had a great impact on myself and the guys. And to be part of a organization that continues to do so much for the farming community meant a lot to us.” Bush says their next single, ‘Life’, which is set to be released in April 2009 should provide the turning point for One Flew South. “There’s a lot of buzz already on this single. Many Nashville insiders who have heard it say it’s going to be a big hit. It's sort of an up tempo ballad. The lyrics are awesome. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. I feel certain if radio stations give it a fair shake it has the potential to be really big hit for us.” Perhaps the greatest thrill for Bush on the album came from co-writing and working with legendary country rock singer songwriter J.D. Souther. For nearly four decades the Texas native has contributed to the success of the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Poco, and countless other artists that emerged in the 1970’s. “We’re talking J.D. Souther. This guy is a heavyweight in the industry. He said he was quite impressed with songwriting ability. That alone was worth any collaboration. I sent him several songs to look at. He re-worked ‘She’s A Gift’ and it found its way onto the album. I’m extremely proud of that That looks to be the third release from the album.” On the One Flew South website Souther is quoted as saying the band’s harmonies remind him of the Eagles and the Beach Boys. Most of the cuts on the album were co-written by Hummon. That was fine with Bush and his fellow band mates. “Marcus has a solid track record. He’s the architect behind One Flew South. He’s been around Nashville long enough and he knows the business. He has an incredible list of contacts which allowed us to get the best musicians in the studio. And he’s just one hell of a gifted songwriter. And the good thing about Marcus is that he is very smart when it comes to recording. He listens to everyone and is willing to take outside advice. Working with him was an absolute joy.” Bush’s journey to Nashville began in the low country. His parents moved from Indiana to Summerville when he was six and then settled in North Charleston where his father worked as an English teacher at Trident Tech. As a young boy he became fascinated with the guitar. “My father, God love him traded his golf clubs for a guitar which subsequently found its way into the closet. It wasn’t there long. I seemed to be attracted to the instrument right away.” Of course Bush was only four years old at the time. “It was awkward at the start. I actually began playing the ukulele just so I could learn how move across the strings. I was about eight or ten when I finally started playing the guitar on a regular basis.” His training came more along the lines of, the school of hard knocks. “I was self taught. I was determined to master the guitar and all my free time was dedicated to practicing.” Bush would try to duplicate the music he grew up listening to. “I listened to the Eagles on the radio. And I started to get into the Beatles long after they were broken up. My family were big Beatles fans. At a young age I began to appreciate the guitar and songwriting.” His guitar influences were loftier. “I was really into Jimi Hendrix. So you could say I set the bar high for myself.” Bush remembers playing before a live audience for the first time while attending Stall High School. “Seems like a lifetime ago. We were performing as part on an assembly and as I recall one of the faculty told my dad I was pretty good and that he should consider guitar lessons for me. That’s the only time in my life I took any lessons. I met with an instructor named Dennis McMillan who worked at Fox Music. We didn’t work together all that long but he did give me some pointers that helped guide me as an up and coming musician. Soon after that I began working for Fox Music. That’s when they had a store in Northwoods Mall. Now I’m really dating myself. I would literally finish school and go right to work at Fox Music. Being in that environment only helped fuel my passion for the music industry.” Fast forward through numerous battle of the bands, countless Windjammer and Myskins performances, and several opening gigs at Myrtle Beach’s House of Blues and were back to One Flew South. It would appear Eddie Bush has come full circle. “Everything I’ve accomplished over the years has been a learning experience and prepared me for the next step. Right now I’m having the time of my life. I feel as though I’m a part of something that really is a part of me. I have a connection to the band. There are a lot of variables to consider, but I have a feeling One Flew South will be around for a long time.” © 2006-2009 Low Country Today, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
| 03-03-09 : ONE FLEW SOUTH WITH COUNTRY STARS CENTRAL |
| http://www.countrystarscentral.com/oneflewsouthchat.htm (CSC) 1. Thanks for the visit! Please tell us about the creative process behind the release of your debut album, “Last Of The Good Guys.” (One Flew South) Eddie: The creative process was a true joy, and a journey at that. When the group first came together, our writing sessions involved the three of us and our producer Marcus Hummon. Marcus, of course, is one of Nashville's finest, most prolific writers, with 6 #1s to his credit. As we evolved, the writing sessions started spreading out. We were introduced to several other notable writers, and would work with them both in group and solo formats. My favorite of these was legendary writer J.D. Souther (practically a member of the Eagles, he wrote "Best of my love" , "Heartache tonight", "New kid in town", "Victim of love", "Sad Cafe", "Heart of the matter", etc. ) . J.D. and I wrote two songs on "Last of the Good guys"..."She's a gift,” and "Let the day carry you.” What an honor, and a GREAT experience! Chris: The last of the good guys was an intense and fun collaboration between the three of us and our producer Marcus Hummon. (CSC) 2. With this new record, how would you like to be perceived by Country Music listeners, and what can they expect from you? (One Flew South) Eddie: I hope that country music fans will appreciate some of the new textures I feel we're bringing to the format, with regard to some of the more folk friendly chord passages and our overall harmony approach. Also, I hope they see our intention of bringing back the harmony singing that plays a big role in Country music's deep history. They can expect honesty and a genuine love for making music every time OFS hits the stage. Chris: I hope that country radio falls in love with this music as much as we have. Singing and writing together to create something larger than just yourself feels great. (CSC) 3. How have your individual musical tastes played a part in the style of your band being that you’re all influenced by different genres of music? (One Flew South) Eddie: Well, all one has to do is listen to our disc to hear the amalgamation of musical influences. We’re all fans of a big variety of artists- nothing specific in this group- and I feel that shines through on the disc. Also, add to that the influence of Marcus Hummon, as his presence is undeniable. Chris: I think the record has some folk and bluegrass and a few weird harmonies because of me. (CSC) 4. What are some of the highlights that you’ve been able to experience since breaking onto the scene, and how have you adjusted to the music business so far? (One Flew South) Eddie: Playing legendary festivals like Farm Aid and Newport Folk, playing on the CBS Early Show, being in People Magazine...lots of fun! The music biz is tough all the way around; you have to love playing music, and the reward in sharing it with others in order to survive its rough edges. That has been my entire existence, so, no adjustment necessary. Chris: We have played Farm Aid, Newport Folk, and Country Thunder festivals. We have played with a huge diversity of artists from Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffet to Dave Mathews and The Temptations. As far as adjusting to the music biz...I think the Business of music is in constant flux and it is the job of the artist to be very present in the here and now to try and discern the future of the industry. (CSC) 5. All three of you have had successful careers prior to forming your band, what did you appreciate about that, and how is it different from what you’re doing now? (One Flew South) Eddie: For me, every time I was able to release a disc, that was a success. The only difference now is that it's built around a group, instead of a singular artist; the sense of accomplishment is the same, as well as the challenges of getting the music to the public. Chris: I had such respect for the careers that we all had forged in music that working together just makes sense. It's nice to be able to lean on people that you trust. (CSC) 6. As songwriters…do you tend to write as a group, or do you prefer to write on your own? (One Flew South) Eddie: I prefer to write by myself, but with OFS, we o lots of co-writing, both in a group format, and separately with outside writers. It's a blast working that way. When the three of us write together, it usually starts with one of us bringing an idea to the table, and then we all gather around and finish it. Chris: Mostly on our own. (CSC) 7. This question goes out to Eddie Bush. You’ve had the opportunity to play with some of the greatest legends of Rock. (Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, and Sammy Hagar) What was that experience like for you as a solo artist, and what did you learn from them, if anything? (One Flew South) Eddie: From Ted, I learned that the audience is no different from you...Be yourself with them, no pretense. From Sammy, I learned to reach out to other artists as he did to me...He didn't present himself as some rock star, but instead as an ordinary ,music loving guy. Kevin Cronin of REO agreed to play a song in their set that night just because a buddy of mine, who was NOT at the show, asked me to mention the cut to them; Very classy. Playing with artists like that gave me even more drive towards attaining my own career goals. By working with these guys, I felt like I was on the right track. (CSC) 8. What has life been like for all of you living on the road? (Pros and Cons) (One Flew South) Eddie: It’s fun hanging with the guys, playing music every day. It's a drag, however, being away from home. Chris: I really love seeing new places and getting to know new people so.....Bring on the Road!! (CSC) 9. What’s the most challenging part about recording and performing as a trio? (One Flew South) Eddie: Agreeing on harmony parts, and the choice of songs to perform. Chris: Everyone has bad days and you just have to learn to adjust to each personality as best you can. (CSC) 10. With the music business changing constantly, what are some ways that you have been able to connect with the listeners and have an involvement with the latest technology? (One Flew South) Eddie: MySpace and Facebook are both great for reaching lots of people! Chris: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter etc. (CSC) 11. Who are some “legendary” Country Music artists (Male/Female or both) whom you have admired, and what’s ONE thing about their careers that you have been able to apply to yours? (One Flew South) Eddie: Glen Campbell was my first guitar hero, and inspired me to play...and that is application! Chris: Having worked for awhile with Larry Gatlin I learned that to be a great entertainer you actually have to be ....Entertaining. That is important. You can write all the great songs in the world but if you can't connect with people on some level and entertain than what's the point? (CSC) 12. Lastly, what goals do you plan to conquer in the next few years professionally? (One Flew South) Eddie: A Platinum record, and some successful tours. Chris: I want to write songs that matter and mean something and sing them every day. |
| 02-12-09 : OFS IN CONCORD MONITOR |
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200
90212/ENTERTAINMENT/902120320Talking with One Flew SouthBand brings harmony-laden country pop to the Cap CenterBy VICTORIA SHOULDIS For the Monitor February 12, 2009 - 7:20 am Eddie Bush still doesn't admit that he jumped all over the furniture the first time he sang with his two future band mates. But Bush - one-third of the harmony-driven, country-pop group One Flew South - admits that he had one of those Eureka! moments when he, Royal Reed, and Chris Roberts blended their voices for the first time. "We didn't plan what to sing - I just started to sing 'Just Remember I Love You,' that great '70's song by Firefall, and the guys joined in - and it was perfect!" said Bush, whose group One Flew South opens tomorrow for Phil Vassar at the Capitol Center for the Arts. It was so perfect, in fact, that Bush's band mates claim that Bush went into a tiny frenzy. "Those guys still say I climbed on the couch and was screaming 'Oh God - that was perfect! Did you hear that? Did you guys hear that?' after we sang," said Bush earlier this week from his home in South Carolina (he is the band member that flew south). "I don't remember doing a crazy Tom-Cruise-runs-around-on-the-sofa thing, but I do know I was saying how awesome our three voices randomly together sounded." The mix of the three voices has charmed a lot of people since the band formed in 2005. In a posting under a One Flew South performance on YouTube, one fan wrote: "Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome." And then some. And veteran songwriter, producer and performer J.D. Souther has become a mentor to the group, likening their sound to the most melodic tunes from Poco, The Eagles, and even The Beach Boys; Souther co-wrote songs on the band's debut album Last of the Good Guys. OFS has also been compared frequently to Crosby Stills & Nash, with their delicate harmonies and lyrics advising people to live a bit off of our assigned paths ("Blue Highways.") As they prepared to bring their brand of harmonic convergence to Concord, Bush talked about trying to succeed in a bad economy and just why the band is so, well, awesome to see. With the death of the traditional record industry and the awful economy, it seems like a scary time to try to succeed in a band. You're exactly right - every level of the business has been immensely affected by what's going on, and it takes a little courage to plow forward. How does the One Flew South attitude and style of performance fit with the times? You know, part of the reason for our success so far is that we can just pick up our guitars and play. Anywhere. We are three voices and a couple of guitars - you add a couple of stools and that is all we need. It's really a David and Goliath thing out here - we finally made it to a major label, but that's just the beginning of the battle almost, with its own set of challenges. What surprises people the first time they see OFS play live? We deliver. We stand shoulder to shoulder and the spotlight is just us, our voices, the songs. The harmonies on the record are so nice that I think people assume that the voices are manipulated in the studio to go so nice together - when they see us in person, they realize there's no manipulation there. It's us. You've said that you started playing guitar at age 4. What inspired that? I saw someone play a guitar on TV and that was it - I just had to have one! My father - God bless him - traded his golf clubs to my cousin Tom for an acoustic guitar, which was promptly put in the closet. So I followed it into the closet and started trying to play it. At age 4. Were your fingers even big enough to make chords? Were you strong enough? Not really. We had a couple of ukuleles around the house and that was what I really started to learn on. The uke had nylon strings - much softer for a little boy's fingers. And from that time did you know that you were going to pursue music? Yes, I did. The family kept figuring I'd grow out of it - you know, 'eventually, he's gonna want to be a fireman like every other kid,' but it never happened. I was a music geek and I wanted to be a rock star. I was in love with the guitar. I still am. You said you were a music geek. What's the first song you remember really getting obsessed about? I remember it perfectly - it was "Wichita Lineman." I first heard it on an album by Jimmy Webb, who was actually the songwriter - his performance was almost theatrical. Then the Glen Campbell version. From there I loved so much of what I heard: Hendrix, of course. The Eagles. When I was 10, the Beatles were absolutely it for me! Never mind that by that time the Beatles were long broken up - they were new to me and I loved that music and learned so much from it. Like how you can add instruments that aren't typical to a song. You know the cello part on "Eleanor Rigby?" That use of strings - on a Beatles record! - was illuminating to me. One Flew South is a little different than the stereotypical band story, where the guys grow up together and dream of someday starting a group. You guys were introduced because others in the business thought you'd work well together - so you were a band first and then you had to work on friendship. What were the challenges in that? The first time we were to meet it was for coffee at Chris's house, and that was where we first sang the Firefall song. And I think hearing the voices and how they sounded together was a huge help in acting as a force to join us together. Even now, when I sing with these guys, it is so comfortable it feels like I am singing with my brothers. Being in a group is like being married to these guys - without a basis of respect and maturity it isn't going to work, no matter how long everyone has known everyone else. But knowing from that first moment that we'd make a great band - it brought us together right away. Describe the feeling of a great night on stage. There's this great feeling to hearing these harmonies and the thing is, we're interactive and even though we're guys playing guitars, we're not fuddy duddies about this - there's a lot of energy. We get up there and we're into it, and the audience gets into it. It works. |
| 01-10-09 : ONE FLEW SOUTH FLIES NORTH TO OPEN MEGA WINTERFEST |
| http://countrymusicchicago.com/?p=469&print=1 Pheasant Run and AStar Promotions present Mega WinterFest 2009 By Scott Winterroth, CountryMusicChicago.com Editor January 8, 2009 Eddie Bush, Royal Reed and Chris Roberts makeup one of country music’s newest trios, One Flew South, are they on tap to kick-off the premiere evening of Pheasant Run’s two-day country music extravaganza, Mega WinterFest. One Flew South entered the country music scene with My Kind of Beautiful a harmonic, fresh and fun-loving country music song that’s ode to everything about that “one girl.” My Kind of Beautiful is truly a fantastic song, it’s of fun and has some great imagery, Eddie Bush said. “It also represents a little bit of history for us, it was one of the songs that helped us get our record deal.” Bush, Reed and Roberts are all professional musicians from separate areas of the country but when they played for the first time together, it immediately felt right, Bush explains. “It was truly unbelievable the first time we heard our three voices together. The three of us have very different and unique voices and our music reflects that.” After a trip to New York’s DECCA Records, the trio went on to immediately create their debut album titled Last of the Good Guys. The album’s songs are arranged in an interesting combination of rhythms, harmonic chords and country sounds. Songs like “Blue Highway” and “Junkie” are interesting and bring us back to sounds of the 1970s, and tracks like “Life” and “She’s a Gift” have a fresh, country music sound that will help bring One Flew South to a new level. So what’s next for One Flew South? “We’re really excited about record and very proud of it, and we’re looking forward to releasing our next single, Life, and getting some road-time,” said Bush. “We’ve visited Chicago a few times in the past and we love it, its one of the most beautiful, clean cities in the word. The architecture is beautiful.” Catch One Flew south on Friday night with Jason Aldean, Joe Nichols, Kellie Picker, Julianne Hough, The Lost Trailers and The Road Hammers. WHEN: January 16; 5pm WHERE: Pheasant Run Mega Center, 4051 East Main Street, St. Charles, IL TICKETS: $49.00 - $89.00 | Ticketmaster [1] Two day passes, six pack tickets and overnight packages are available. |
| 08-21-08 : ONE FLEW SOUTH ADDED TO FARM AID SEPT 20TH |
| ONE FLEW SOUTH TO JOIN ALL-STAR LINEUP AT FARM AID 2008 SEPTEMBER 20TH August 20, 2008 – Newcomers One Flew South have been added to the first-ever New England Farm Aid music festival at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Mass. September 20th. The trio made up of Royal Reed, Chris Roberts, and Eddie Bush will join Farm Aid board members and legendary artists Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews at the 23rd annual day long festival. One Flew South will perform their single “My Kind of Beautiful,” which is currently climbing the Country Charts and garnering Adds at major stations across the country. “It is such an honor for us to perform at Farm Aid 2008 alongside artists who have changed the face of music and who we have all looked up to as musical icons in some way or another,” said Chris Roberts. “It is an unbelievable opportunity for us to get our music heard and to help out a great cause.” One Flew South is currently on a radio tour across the country in support of their album Last of the Good Guys. The trio recently had their first national television appearance on the CBS Early Show where they performed their single “My Kind of Beautiful.” Since releasing their debut album the group has had write-ups in People Magazine’s Country Special issue, CMA CloseUp Magazine, Performing Songwriter, AOL: The Boot, and Country Weekly, all unanimously stating that One Flew South has what it takes to make a real impact on the Country music world. Tickets for Farm Aid 2008 Presented by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, livenation.com or by calling (866) 448-7849. Tickets are priced at $35 for lawn, $55 for uncovered seats, $95 for covered seats and $200 for VIP plus a $7 parking and facility fee for all tickets. Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family-farmed food. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms. For more information on One Flew South you can visit their website at www.oneflewsouth.com. |
| 08-09-08 : OFS JOINS HEART AT WILDHORSE SAT NIGHT |
| Dreams were realized as One Flew South took the stage at the
Wildhorse in Nashville last Saturday night. Before a packed
house that had been sold out for weeks, OFS performed a 45
min acoustic set that had the entire house whooping and
hollerin' from begining to end. The extraordinary trio
pulled out all the stops and had the crowd on their feet,
primed and ready for a classic Heart show. The Wilson
sisters took it from there and didn't disapoint. One hit
after another with the crowd standing, dancing and singing
for over 90 minutes of pure joy. What A Night!! |
| 07-23-08 : ONE FLEW SOUTH TO PLAY NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL! |
| One Flew South will be playing on the Newport Folk Festival
on Sunday August 3rd froom 4-5pm on the Waterside Stage. Tickets available now by clicking HERE This is sure to be a great event! |
| 05-27-08 : ONE FLEW SOUTH'S DEBUT ALBUM! |
| Our debut album has been released! You can find it on
Amazon.com, iTunes, and most major record stores in your
area. We're so excited to finally share this music with you
- hope you enjoy it! |