How Heath & Roy Met: Part 1

Author's note: This is a two part blog. I originally wanted it to be one post, but I have so much information to share on this subject, that I thought it would be better to serve it up in two parts. Look for Part 2 coming very soon and thanks for reading!-Heath



Late last year, a cover project that I was involved with dissolved. This was a very informal group, made up of some very good friends. We were playing a mix of classic rock and country covers. We played a few gigs and house parties, but nothing too big or serious. It was mainly for fun and stress relief, from the everyday vigors of life.

As I previously stated, it was very informal, which meant we would get together whenever we could. We might get together one night a week, for several weeks in a row, or it might be several weeks in a row that we did not meet. It just kind of depended on everyone's schedule and availability.

During one particular lull, I was getting the itch to do something with a little more substance to it. I started checking the musicians section on Craigslist, to see what was out there. I found an ad that was looking for a guitar player. The ad described the project as an original, alternative, country band, that featured a female singer. I was intrigued, so I applied. I went and met with them shortly thereafter and we hit it off. They welcomed me aboard and we started working together. I informed my prior band that I was leaving to work on this new project. They understood and gave me their blessing. After this, they jammed on without me for a few more months, and then called it a day. I'm still good friends with all these guys. We parted on great terms and I still see them quite frequently.

My time with the alternative country band was short lived. They seemed to be going for a sound more along the lines of Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum. While, I have nothing against those artists and I respect their work immensely, it was really not the musical direction I was looking to go. We parted ways right after Thanksgiving and I decided to take the rest of the year off, from music, and enjoy the holiday season with my family.

A new year usually means a chance to start anew, and that was no different for me. I felt reinvigorated after a relaxing holiday season and some time away from work. I decided it was time to find my next musical project. I began checking out the musicians classifieds on Craigslist again. Do you see a pattern here? In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a bit of a Craigslist junkie. But, alas, that's a subject for another day. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was checking the Craigslist ads, but nothing was standing out to me. I was discussing the situation with my wife and she said, "Why don't you start your own group?" My reaction was, "I've never thought of that!" I continued, "It sounds like a great plan, but I have no idea what type of group to put together." She proceeded to ask me, "what types of music do you enjoy playing?" I went over the various genres, but nothing was sounding very appealing until I mentioned 80's New Wave Music! I figured she would immediately shoot that suggestion down, as she was not a very big fan of 80's music in general and especially not that "New Wave" crap, as I have heard her so eloquently refer to it in the past. But, she saw me light up and said, "There's your answer."

We were already a week into January, so it was time to get this pony moving! I jumped onto Craigslist, "don't laugh", and posted my ad for an "80's New Wave Startup Band". I was looking for a bass player, drummer, male and female lead singer, and most importantly, a keyboard player. If you plan on playing the 80's, then a solid keyboard player is essential to pulling off most of these songs.

Once the ad was posted, I quickly received a response from a bass player. He advised that he also knew a drummer, who was interested in the project. The best news was that they had a place to practice! This, of course, moved them to the top of the list! The next response I received was from a keyboard player who called himself Roy. Man! I was pinching myself by this time! I had a response from a keyboard player! I was so stoked, because I had the band pieces in place within a matter of days.

Roy and I hit it off right away. We discussed the project in detail and I knew that he was the right man for the job. At the time, he was wrapping up a recording project with a band from the New England area. He explained that once the project was finished, he would be looking to get out and gig again. He was a big fan of the new wave 80's music and we began shooting songs back and forth to each other and agreeing on all of them! I told Roy that I would work on coordinating everyone else and would get back to him ASAP!

In the meantime, I had a male singer respond. He said he could pull it off. He didn't have any sound clips, but I was not too worried. I figured we bring him in, audition him, and go from there. Next, I had a response from a killer female singer. She had her act together and was the complete package. She had her own website, complete with sound clips, and she sounded great! We were now ready to begin.

I decided that it would probably be best in the beginning to bring us together in small groups, verses bringing us all in at once. I consulted with Roy on this and he agreed. I contacted the bass player and suggested that he, the drummer and I get together first and see how things go. We picked out a few songs to learn and planned to meet the following week to go over everything and see if we would mesh.

A day before we were set to meet, the bass player contacted me and advised that he had something come up and wouldn't be able to make it. He apologized and asked if we could re-schedule for the following week. I said, "no problem, and I understand that things happen." He also suggested that we go ahead and bring in one of the singers. I agreed to this and contacted the female singer to see if she could come out the following week. She said she could, so we set up a time for the following week. I contacted Roy to update him on everything, and he said, "cool, just keep me in the loop."

The next week, the bass player contacted me again, on the day before we were set to meet. He advised that the drummer would be unable to make it. Since the drummer had the practice space, I had no choice but to cancel. I contacted the the female singer, explained everything, apologized, and advised that we would try it again next week. She was real nice about it, said she understood and said next week sounded good. I also contacted Roy to let him know the latest and that we were going to try it again the following week. He was cool, said that he understood how hard it was to get a start up off the ground and running, and asked me to keep him in the loop.

By this time, I was starting to get a little frustrated. It was mid February and we had not been able to get a single practice in. I re-posted the ad on Craigslist, primarily to see if I could locate another bass player and/or drummer. I contacted Roy, to let him know what I was doing, and to explain that I still wanted him to play keyboards. He thanked me for keeping him in the loop and said he understood.

This time, I had a response from another drummer, who did not have a place to practice, another male lead singer, and a guitar player. None of these panned out. I continued to scan Craigslist, for other potential musicians, and ran across an ad for a Talking Heads tribute band. They were seeking a lead guitar player and a drummer. "Hmmm....," I thought, "this sounded kind of interesting.

We were scheduled to meet on Thursday, of the following week. I decided to contact the bass player on the Tuesday before, to confirm everything. He said we were still on, so I contacted the female singer to let her know and she said she would be ready to go.

That Thursday, a few hours before we were set to meet, the bass player contacted me and advised that the drummer would not be able to make it again. He claimed, that he didn't know why. I told him I was done messing around with with this drummer and was going to look for a replacement. He said he understood and would probably do the same thing, if he were in my shoes. I contacted the female singer and never heard back from her. This was the final straw for her and I couldn't blame her.

I spent a couple of days contemplating my next move and decided to check Craigslist again. I was mainly looking for a drummer, or anyone who might have a rehearsal space. I was also scanning for a female singer, as I knew that I had just lost mine. While I was scanning, I ran across the Talking Heads tribute ad again, only this time they were only needing a lead guitar player to complete their lineup. I thought, "What the heck?" ,and immediately applied. I received a response from the bass player, later that afternoon, and we visited on the phone for about an hour. The first thing he told me was, "Yes, we have a legitimate David Byrne." I said, "Good, because that was the first thing I was going to ask you." He said, "I know." and laughed. Our first visit went well, and he scheduled an audition for the following week.

I was really excited, as this band already had three paying gigs on the books! He emailed me a list of ten songs and asked me to learn them for the following week.

At this point, I decided to shut down my pursuit of the 80's band. It had been such a struggle. It was now late February, and I had not even been able to get one rehearsal together. I thought, if it's this difficult to get everyone together, when interest should be at it's peak, then what will it be like six months down the road?

Out of courtesy for all involved, I contacted each person to let them know that I was no longer going to pursue this project. The only two people that I heard back from was the bass player and Roy. The bass player said he understood the frustration, and that was about it. Roy said he was really appreciative of me, for letting him know and keeping him in the loop on everything. He said, "that is a very rare quality in this industry.", and he is 100% correct. I've experienced the other side of it first hand, and it is incredibly frustrating. This is why I always try to treat people the way that I would like to be treated. I am nowhere near perfect though, and have fallen short many times, so don't think I am a Saint, or anything like that.

Ok folks this is the end of Part 1 of "How Heath & Roy Met" Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon, and thanks for reading!