Among the busiest stages of SouthSounds 2016 was the Blind Mule, and one of its Friday-night headliners was Bantam Foxes – a group well known to Mobilians from repeated downtown appearances. We caught up with the New Orleans band during the festival weekend.
Standing out in New Orleans
Guitarist and vocalist Sam McCabe admitted New Orleans is tough, packed with musicians in every room on any given night. The band loves getting out of town, he said, noting that Alabama and Texas keep rock and roll alive and well. Smaller festivals like SouthSounds, he added, are “killer” for regional scenes because they put lesser-known bands in front of larger audiences and build community.
A fuzzy, gritty sound
McCabe described Bantam Foxes’ influences as 1990s songs listeners forgot they knew – name-checking Spacehog, Supergrass, and Fountains of Wayne – rendered with fuzzy, heavy bass and gritty guitar. The band prizes the joy of live performance, from rehearsal laughs to flubbed notes between songs.
For SouthSounds regulars, the set was a reminder of why the Blind Mule’s long weekend lineup was worth camping out at.