Q&A: James Trimble
Watching them carousing onstage, delivering tasty, rousing Southern rock as if the Black Crowes and The Band were exiled on Main Street, you might think The Dirty Guv’nahs were all about having fun.
Behind the mike, that’s been true for the Knoxville-based sextet since the band’s impromptu origins in 2006, but treating the group like a joke ended a long time ago, said lead singer James Trimble.
“We get hundreds of e-mails from people who say, ‘This song really helped me think about this or got me through this time,'” he said. “When you realize the impact you’re having on people, you better take seriously what you’re doing … and realize the influence you have.”
Saturday, the Guv’nahs will return to Chattanooga for the first time in a year and a half to take the stage at Rhythm & Brews alongside Jettison Never.
At their formation, the Guv’nahs had only a week to prepare for a show booked before the band even existed. From that ramshackle genesis, the band has built itself up to heights Trimble said he never could have imagined.
With a trio of albums under its belt and a three-year run as Knoxville’s best band, according to Metro Pulse, the group has gained significant notoriety.
The Guv’nahs shared the stage at festivals like Bonnaroo and Wakarusa with artists such as The Drive-By Truckers, the Zac Brown Band and The Levon Helm Band, for whom they will open a second time in January.
With all the positive momentum the band has been building up lately, Trimble said the atmosphere seems charged with promise.
They’re all looking to shift into the next gear by taking the show on the road full time. It’s a risk, sure, but one worth taking, Trimble said.
“There’s something that happens in a band once you turn that corner and say, ‘Man, I want to do this for a living,’ and ‘I think we could do this for a living,'” he said. “It’s like taking that scary step off a ledge and going on faith.
“There’s something special that happens when people take that risk together. That’s where we’re at now. It’s a very exciting time.”
IF YOU GO
* What: The Dirty Guv’nahs with Jettison Never.
* When: 10 p.m. Saturday.
* Where: Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St.
* Admission: $7.
* Phone: 267-4644.
* Venue website: www.rhythm-brews.com.
* Related links at fyi.timesfreepress.com.
DISCOGRAPHY
“Youth Is in Our Blood” (2010), “Dirty Guv’nahs” (2009), “Don’t Need No Money” (2007)
WHAT’S NEXT
Lead singer James Trimble said The Dirty Guv’nahs will record a fourth album at Levon Helms’ studio in Woodstock, N.Y., next year. With no firm release date, the band will have more time to test out material for this next project than any previous record, Trimble said.
RELATED LINKS FOR WEB:
http://www.thedirtyguvnahs.com