If you’ve been paying attention to the local music scene here in Fayetteville, you’ve probably at least heard of Cletus Got Shot. If you’ve never seen them live though, then you’re missing out on one of Fayetteville’s best bands, and a really good time.
Cletus Got Shot is a four piece bluegrass-
Americana band from Fayetteville. One guitar, a bass, a mandolin, and a fiddle player make up the band, and all four members of the band sing harmonies. But Cletus Got Shot is not your typical bluegrass band. Lead singer Adam Cox is a former drummer of a punk rock band, and you can hear a lot more than old country and bluegrass in their music.
You can click below to check out one of their songs, or you can check out more on their myspace page. Of course the best way to experience Cletus Got Shot is to check them out live tonight at the Heartbreakers Ball at the Smoke and Barrel. Three Penny Acre will open the show.
We got in touch with the band, and they were nice enough to answer some questions for us.
Fayetteville Flyer: What have you been listening to lately?
Cletus Got Shot: Adam really likes opera. No, really. But he’s been listening to Elliot Smith & Neko Case a lot lately. Nathan’s been listening to Blind Boys of Alabama. Mark’s dial knob broke off and so his radio has been stuck at KXUA. Richard listens to KXUA a lot too, and he likes to get out his fiddle and practice with the Americana and Bluegrass channels on digital cable.
FF: Where are you guys from?
CGS: Adam moved here from Ft. Smith, but most of his family is just over the border in Oklahoma. Nathan grew up out in Hindsville and lives in Mayfield now, although he’s spent some time out in Washington State and Colorado. Mark is originally from Colorado, but he moved to Fayetteville when he was 12. He went to college in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and now he’s back in Fayetteville. Richard has lived all over the place – OKC, New York City, LA, San Fransisco, Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas. But we all like to say we’re from Fayetteville – this is where we call home.
FF: You guys seem to have some punk rock roots somewhere in there, or maybe it’s country roots with punk rock branches?
CGS: Yeah, well, Adam – the lead singer, guitar player, and who writes most of the songs – used to be a drummer in a punk band.
FF: What other bands have you guys been in?
CGS: Adam was in The Great American Mullet, and “a couple other crappy punk rock bands.” Nathan has played with his family for years, and still enjoys “family music night.” Mark’s first band didn’t really have a name – it was just a garage band in high school that played funk and metal. He was in several jazz combos in school, and he was in a funk/jam band in college called Supergroup. Richard has been in so many it’s impossible to name them all, but some you might recognize because they’re local: Jackson’s Buick, Mimosa, and Ozone Players. Richard also occasionally sits in with Pope County Bootleggers as well as Effron White.
FF: What are some other local bands we need to check out?
CGS: Man, there are so many good bands locally right now, we’d hate to leave someone out… 3 Penny Acre (we’ll be doing a show with them on Valentine’s Day at the Smoke & Barrel), Shackrats, 1 Oz. Jig, Well, Well, Well, The Good Fear, and The Pullout Method.
FF: Word on the street is you guys are working on a record right now. How’s that going, and when can we get a copy?
CGS: It went really well. Dwight Chalmers at The Listen Laboratory is awesome! We were going to upload all the artwork and info to the duplicators the week that the ice storm hit, so that got delayed a little. We finally got all of it sent off, and we are expecting the CD’s to get here by March 1st, if not sooner! We’ll have them for sale at shows, and we’re planning on dropping some off at Sound Warehouse too. Our CD Release Party is planned for March 28th at Smoke & Barrel.
FF: What’s the weirdest show you guys have ever played?
CGS: Um, we guess we’d have to say the Tree Farm. There was no electricity and we were out in the middle of nowhere after dark. We couldn’t see 2 inches in front of our face, let alone our instruments. But we had a good time anyway.
FF: How do you perceive the music scene in Fayetteville right now?
CGS: Boy, that’s a tough one. Richard is often comparing Fayetteville to “Austin back in the day,” whatever that means. But there are some great things going on in this town, and not just down on Dickson Street. There are House Concerts and Punk Shows and some great DJ’s spinning Industrial.
FF: What’s next for you guys? Any touring plans after the record comes out?
CGS: We’re working on that right now. We’d like to try to play a little farther out than the Arkansas-Missouri-Oklahoma area. We’re thinking about a tour toward Colorado, or maybe venture down into Texas. But we’ll see.
Click below to hear “Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em” by Cletus Got Shot
[audio:https://fayettevilleflyer.com/mp3/cletusgotshot_loveemandleaveem.mp3]
