Well on their way into the top forty on the active rock charts, Anchored is poised to explode onto the mainstream rock scene. On the heels of their recent single Dirty In Texas, gaining number sixty in the charts, Anchored is also the supporting band for this summer's Adler's Appetite tour adding to their already swelling popularity.
The founder and front man, Brandan Narrell, is no stranger to rock, once being recommended by ex-Pantera and current HellYeah drummer Vinnie Paul for the vocal slot in Drowning Pool after original vocalist Dave Williams passed away. Anchored's music has been likened to a cross between Shinedown, Nickelback and Stone Temple Pilots. That does not come close to describing the music really. Most modern hard rock bands will undoubtedly have songs that can be compared to one another as most have the same influences. Anchored has taken these influences to heart, put their twist on it and come out with a hard rock record that does not lack in originality and is brimming with hard rock attitude and punch.
The single Dirty In Texas is grungy without being grunge. Buzzsaw guitars and gravelly vocals dominate this song in the tradition of the harder rocking bands of the late seventies and early eighties, which is what makes the rest of the songs on this album more original than most hard rock out there right now. There is a no frills feel to the songs. They are well written, but do not overly depend on effects and are not overly produced. This is just great, straight up hard rock that does not dissapoint.
Anchored will be playing at Union Station in Colorado Springs with Adler's Appetite on August 19th and at The Roadhouse on August 20th, also with Adler's.
Interstate Live recently had a chance to speak with Brandan Narrell about the tour, the new album and their rising popularity.
Interstate Live Interviews Brandan Narrell of Anchored
So, the new CD ......how's it doing?
It's actually doing really well. It's available on Itunes now and it's showing that it's doing well. Obviously you have to wait for Apple to send details, but as far as the first single goes, radio has been awesome and we've had a lot of ads. We debuted on the active rock charts at 140, we moved to 98 the next week, 67 the week after and we just found out that we moved up to 60. So we're hoping to get into the top fifty, top forty just so more people can hear it, because the higher you are the more it reaches out. So far it's been a blessing.
How did you come about the song Dirty In Texas? How did the writing go on that?
It was myself and a guy named Geoff Byrd. He's a real talented songwriter, Grammy nominated and just a great dude. Basically the way it went down was I had always wanted to write a song about Texas and I was introduced to him (Geoff) by Waymon Boone, the guy that produced our record and is the singer for Splender. I told him about my idea about Texas, grabbed a notebook and wrote down just words. Nothing rhymed, it was just words that described Texas. I sent it to him and he loved the idea and he sent me a little scratch track of the intro. When I heard it I knew I had my work cut out for me to make it worth it to all the cool people in Texas. Just make it worth it to them to make or sing a song about their state.
It seemed to work, whatever you did!
What's funny is, the best songs in the world, in my opinion are written very fast. You know? They're not ones that you spend years on. That song, between me and geoff, we did it in a night! Because it just kept flowing out. I demo'd it, then I sent it to the producer and he was like, "I love this song"! And I think we have our first single. Just for it to be that fast, it was very shocking. I wrote the record in a month and a lot of them were five minute songs, just because I've wanted to do a record like this for many, many years. I always wanted to do a record that anybody from eighty years old to one year old could enjoy. I guess that's why it just flowed.
You're originally from Alaska?
Yep. I'm originally from Anchorage Alaska. Hence the name Anchored!
You guys have been together since 2009?
We've only been together for almost a year. With this line up now - luckily we got Josh Franklin from Faktion, he joined up four months ago, right before the Saliva tour. Technically, the album was recorded a year ago, but the band was fully formed the last six months. So, we're all kind of shocked at the response so far.
It seems like you guys are from all over the U.S.. How did you all end up in Texas?
Well, (laughs) it was pretty odd. The band was built first thing, not by corporate giants or any of that stuff. I did the record and then I sent it out to people that had basically been down the same road as I had. Everybody in the band is seasoned. Like my guitar player B.G. Simpson is from a band called Waking Season and they were on Sony/Columbia. Then we have Joel Estes, the other guitar player. He was in a band called Venture, Josh was from Faktion and our drummer Matty was in a band called Bidwell from Sacramento. He was also in Waymon's (Splender) side project. It's just a mix of half Waymon's connections and half mine, being from Texas. Actually I'm from Alaska, but living in Texas and being in that scene is how I knew Josh and Joel. Basically I sent them the record, nothing was discussed as far as percentages or any of that stuff. I told them I just want you to love the record and if you love the record, I would love to have you come to Dallas. We'll jam and see if it works, because you can' just fall in love with someone over the phone. You have to have a certain chemistry on stage, as well as personal stuff, because you're on a bus together for months and months. They become your other family.We all hit it off, and everybody that signed on loved the record. Still to this day, we haven't had a single fight. We're all basically the same. It goes back to Motley Crue days where originally Motley Crue were a band of brothers and if somebody gets hit you got all four guys on him. That's just kind of the way we roll, except it's us with the world instead of against it.
Not knowing each other originally, it's cool you guys get along like that.
We have plenty of time to get to know each other too. We're together twenty four seven, three quarters of the year.
You guys hit the ground running didn't you? Because you just wrapped up a tour not too long ago right?
Yeah, we got back, I think it was, May 15th? Everybody got to go home and enjoy their families for a couple of weeks and then we've been doing tour rehearsals for the last month. Now this one is going to be a long one.
Damn, you guys are a busy band!
Yeah, real busy! Which is good, because if the phone isn't ringin', I'm not singin'!
Where did the name Anchored come from?
Well, the Anchor part is for Anchorage Alaska where I was born. My Grandfather's favorite color is red, his first horse was named red and he even named his company after it. It was called Little Red Services. So that's why we added the 'e-d' to it, so I could do like an ode to my grandfather which, luckily, he's still alive. That's why it's Anchored. The little star - the wholeTexas thing - he's from Texas. He's always wanted me to do a song about Texas, so that's where the little star in our logo.....that's one of his favorite things in the world, is a star. I got it tattooed on me as well, to honor him. Everybody loves their home state and my whole family is from Texas. I'm like the odd one out, the runt that was born in Alaska. Alaska is a great state too, so I'm hitting both places.
That's a hell of a way to come up with a name! That's pretty cool!
I can't take all the credit, because my wife said,"you should think about your grandpa and where you're from". So, if it wasn't for her saying that we might be called something else.
When it comes to writing where do your influences lie?
I love Shaun Morgan from Seether, Kevin Martin from Candlebox. The main reason I love them is because they write real lyrics and it doesn't matter if it rhymes or any of that and that's what I try to do with my new stuff, tell a story. Like everything on this record is true except a couple metaphors here or there, just to where it can relate to everybody else. I've always loved the deep side of stuff, but you can still have fun with it. A lot of the songs on this record are feel good, have fun songs, but if you listen to the words there is a message in there, or a story that someone has had happen to them at one point.
So, true songwriting! Not just boy chases girl.
It's like, we did an interview yesterday with a great radio station in Texas, ROCK108 and they said, "Hey, at least you don't write like, find something that rhymes with red". It's like, okay guys, we're gonna write a song about the color red and anything that rhymes with red....that's what we're gonna do. I like to write stuff that actually has some meaning.
Any wild or crazy tour stories?
Every night's wild because we hang out with - we don't even call the fans, we call them friends - and it's like a big tailgate party before the show, after the show......there is way too many to name, as far as crazy stuff. If you get fifty, sixty people out in front of a tour bus with some shots and some beer and some music, who knows what happens! We've had funny stuff happen and we like to play pranks on each other. It's pretty much like a traveling...family that jokes around a lot.
I'm sure being on the road for that much and that long can kind of make you weary after a while.
The hardest part is being away from families and waking up in a different city every day, not knowing where you're at. Pretty much the worst part, and I'm sure all national bands will agree, is public restrooms, truck stops and all that. When you get home even if you don't have to go to the bathroom, or you don't have to take a shower you stay in the bathroom because it's clean! We do get weary and we do get tired, but that's what we chose, we love it and you're never going to hear us complain once.
Brandan is a great guy, really easy to talk to and Anchored's music kicks ass! So do yourself a favor and make any of the remaining shows. Both nights are sure to be a blast with some awesome, ass kickin' rock n roll!
Aug 12 2010 8:00P Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
Aug 13 2010 8:00P Reverb Cedar Falls, IA
Aug 14 2010 8:00P Elko Speedway Elko, MN
Aug 15 2010 8:00A Phoenix Lounge Harrisbug, San Diego
Aug 19 2010 8:00P Union Station colorado springs, co Aug 20 2010 8:00P Roadhouse Dacono, CO
Aug 25 2010 8:00P Cedardome Milton, WA
Aug 26 2010 8:00P Hayley's Bar and Grill Everett, WA Aug 29 2010 8:00P Ramona Mainstage Ramona, California
Sep 2 2010 8:00P WASTED SPACE AT HARD ROCK CASINO Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep 3 2010 8:00P Canyon Club Augoura Hills, CA
Westminster, Colorado
