Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Vonnegutt, the self-described “alternative/hip-hop/pop” four-piece repping the Dirty South.  Fronted by emcee Kyle Lucas from Marietta, Georgia, Kyle had been hustlin’ on the mixtape scene for years before meeting with session guitarist Neil Garrard, who was crafting hooks for some of southern hip-hop and R&B’s larger acts, including Kelly Rowland.  After perfecting their lineup with the additions of Patrick Postlewait on bass and Taylor White on drums, they were able to join the likes of Killer Mike and Janelle Monae by signing a deal with Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon label.  After performances at the Vans Warped Tour and Austin City Limits, more people are beginning to take notice.  Their fusion of accessible rhymes over tough and funky guitar and bass sound, to me, like a marriage between Citizen Cope and the Gym Class Heroes.

You may have already heard of Vonnegutt on Big Boi’s “Follow Us”:

Kristina Villarini: The signing to Big Boi’s label, Purple Ribbon, certainly lends a large part of musical credibility to you, for people who are unfamiliar to your band or your sound.  What are the challenges of coming from such different musical backgrounds for a collaboration?

Kyle Lucas: It makes it interesting, because we all have ideas on what we want songs to be. But surprisingly, it’s not that hard at all.  We all have a common goal: What Vonnegutt should sound like. So actually, that’s the fun part.  Everyone in Vonnegutt has complete different taste in music.  There’s four guys; We all write our own songs, everyone plays their own part.  They’re no producers there.  We don’t have people giving us songs to learn…  That’s the fun part.

KV: How has being in a band changed the way you listen to music?

Neil Garrard: I’m definitely not as judgmental about other bands.  I used to be really critical about other people’s work.  I see the process and the sacrifice you have to make to get there.  So I don’t hate on other people’s work anymore.  That’s definitely the biggest thing.

KL: When you’re younger…  We get to read the posts on music forums and message boards, and they’re from 15 and 16 year old kids, saying, “hey, you guys suck!”  [Laughs]  I know those kids.  We used to be those kids.  Now we’re in our mid-twenties, and even if we don’t like another band’s music, I can say “man, I respect where you’re at,” because to be successful in the music industry, it is just so hard.  The whole process and the work; it’s so hard.

NG: The other thing, I’ve just learned, is you can’t please everybody.  No matter how good you are.  It’s like, if the critics love you, somebody else hates you.  You just have to be comfortable with who you are and what you’re doing and not get caught up in what everyone thinks of you.

KL: Once we got pass what the Internet had on it and what people were saying about us, it was smooth sailing.  Then, we were able to have fun.  Our performance at Austin City Limits was our most fun show, yet.

 

KV: Your album is coming out in 2011, and your sets have been around forty-five minutes to an hour.  So how much of a role does performance play in the impact you want Vonnegutt to make?

NG: I think it’s a huge part.  That’s where we really shine, because we do put a lot of work into it.

KL: Because of the press we’ve received, there’s a bit of interest in who we are right now.  We get to talk to fans after shows, and they’ll pick up merch or the EP [The Appetizer] saying, “that’s the first time we’ve heard of you guys and you’re awesome.”  That’s a hard thing to do, to make an impression like that on someone the first time.

 

KV: Who is Vonnegutt listening to right now?

KL: Manchester Orchestra, of course.  We’re a part of the Manchester Orchestra “Favorite Gentlemen” artist community.  Also, The Constellations.

 

KV: What is the initial reaction to getting signed by Big Boi?

NG: Overjoyed!

KL: It was crazy, because we were demo’ing songs out of Stankonia, and I don’t think Big Boi knew who we were.  We were hearing how he was feeling all of those songs, but when I saw him in the hallway, I’d try to say “what’s up” to him and he’d just nod and walk right by.  For a minute I was thinking, “maybe he DOESN’T like these songs.”  I think he thought we were interns or something.  But we did some demos for “Royal Flush,” and I got a call from Rick saying, “it’s about to go down, you need to get down here right now.”  When I got there, Big walked in, and I said “what’s up” and he just kept walking.  So I was thinking, again, “well, I guess it’s NOT going down.”  Finally, Rick got involved, and he stopped him and told him, “no, that’s Kyle, that’s the rapper.”  It finally clicked, and he told me he wanted to sign us right there.  So, I called everybody.

NG: For me, I have such a love for the producers Organized Noize (TLC’s “Waterfalls”, En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go”, and Ludacris’ “Saturday (Oooh Ooooh)”).  They had a studio upstairs that we weren’t even allowed in, and to hear our song in the background and their enthusiasm about it, was unbelievable.  I had the chills.  The album, Stankonia (Organized Noize produced), made me want to do this.  The guitar riff off “Gasoline Dreams” wasn’t heavy but it had attitude and it was so bad-a**.  For them to want to work with us was definitely…

KL: Surreal.

 

KV: Where does Vonnegutt go musically from here?

KL: It’s only going to get better and better, because we’re getting more comfortable on stage and in the studio together.  Now, we’re just going to start experimenting too.  Our album, 2011′s Falling Up The Stairs, is not done yet.  We’ve got the bulk of it, but we’re still trying things out.  We’ve talked about going into the studio with Andy Hull (of Manchester Orchestra) and just experimenting.

NG: That’s the exciting thing for me.  I don’t know where it’s going to go, sound-wise.  We have our instincts, as a band, but as we continue to grow and listen to music together, it’s hard to tell where it’s going to go.

 

KV: If there is a song in the last year or two that you’ve heard and wished, “I wish I wrote that song, dropped a verse or added a hook on that,” what would it be?

NG: Animal Collective did an EP, Fall Be Kind, and that tune “I Think I Can”.

KL: I would have loved to drop a verse on any of The Roots’ albums.  But that Cee Lo track, “F*** You”, I definitely wondered why we didn’t write that.

KV: That’s the song Vonnegutt would have written if you said what you really wanted on “ExGirlfriends Are Stupid.”

KL: Yeah, that’s like…  The remix.  Part two is going to sound just like that.

 

KV: If you had to describe your sound to new fans, what would it be?

NG: It’s just alternative/hip-hop and pop.  We do keep that pop element to it.  But I think most people, when they hear it, know what their feelings for it are.

KL: We don’t want our songs to ‘grow’ on people.  You either like it or you don’t.

 

KV: If you guys could ask or say anything to the musical press, what would it be?

[Group laughs.]

KL: I’d say, “we’re people, too.”  We have feelings and we try really hard.  Recently, we were torn apart by a musical outlet, and it just makes me want to say that you don’t have to stick the knife in and twist.  Just stab and leave.

NG: For me, I’d just say that when they have a band and they’re trying to make it, they’ll understand.

KL: The guy who ripped us apart…  He has a band, and of course, I had to check it out.  They’re just horrible.  [Laughs]

 

If you long for a band you can turn on at any time of day to get you amped, Vonnegutt is it.  They create fun, light, party tunes but they aren’t lacking in the musical chops or influence department.  Look out for their 2011 debut full-length album, but pick up their EP, The Appetizer on iTunes or Amazon.