Songs for the Working Class

Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse makes music for the masses

By Kim Dunbar

March 2005 – In June 2004, members of Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse told the PULSE that they wanted to impact Worcester’s music scene. And they have — the group has one the fastest growing fan bases of any band in the area and they recently cut their first full length album, Tracks. Now the band is looking to impact the national rock scene with their back-tobasics rock and roll.

“We just always knew it was music for us,” guitarist Sean Ryan says. “We aren’t those ‘real job’ kinda guys. We weren’t made for that.”

Sean’s brother Jody, the other half of the songwriting team, is just as dedicated. He gave up a full scholarship to UMass Amherst because it did not allow him to study music.

“We just do what we love,” said the keyboardist/vocalist. “That’s all you can do.”

Yet it takes a lot more than simply a dream to build the fan base and establish the touring circuit that Uncle Billy’s has. Formed in 2002, the band already has a solid and diverse following that will trek across the state and even over the state line for shows.

“We literally have 15 year olds and 80 year olds coming up to us, telling us they love our music,” says Jody Ryan. “We have songs that people remember.”

Those loyal fans will be rewarded with the release of Uncle Billy’s first full-length album, Tracks, on March 17. Don’t miss the St. Patrick’s Day bash/ CD-release party at Tammany Hall on Pleasant Street in Worcester.

Talking to the Ryans, they make it sound like the road to this point was an easy one. But digging deeper, there are stories of brotherly conflicts, difficult band members and a group that was often on the rocks. Sean and Jody Ryan have played together with drummer Brad Simmons for eight years, yet it wasn’t until the recent introduction of bassist Steven “Janky Bones” Sullivan that the band united under the vision they share today.

Sullivan initially met the three other band members when Uncle Billy’s played with The Late Messengers in October. He was undeniably impressed.

“When I saw them on stage, I knew they were only missing one thing,” he says, “and that was me on bass.”

The Ryans and Simmons saw something in Sullivan too — the talent and drive that they needed to solidify their rhythm section. They made some long awaited personnel changes, and the band started to come together. “It fell together perfectly,” Jody Ryan says.

The band’s luck continued when manager Tony Scavone met sound engineer Todd Harris from Str8 Up Studios in Worcester. Initially, the band headed into the studio to create a five song demo. However when they got in there, they were struck by how easily the sound was flowing.

“We didn’t even practice beforehand,” Simmons says. “But once we heard how good it sounded, we decided to keep going.”

“We got lucky with Todd. We can’t say enough good things about him,” Sullivan says, referring to the sound engineer who made Uncle Billy’s vision a reality. Scavone adamantly agrees. “With any other studio it wouldn’t have
gone so efficiently. It wouldn’t have run so smoothly.”

The resulting album will surely win over even more fans. Uncle Billy’s left their jamming tendencies behind and tightened up their sometimes lengthy songs. The result is a fun collection, with sound influences ranging from early 90s alternative rock ala Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, to an elusive Southern twang that could be likened to The Allman Brothers. The album as a whole is an uplifting fusion of jam and pop — “jampop” is a term Sullivan coined at this interview.

UBS strived to create an album of accessible songs that anyone can sing along to. And they did just that.

“We’re the working class,” Jody Ryan says. “We work all day to get by, and that comes across to the crowd. That’s why a lot of people relate to us and relate to our lyrics.”

The band has no plan to rest now that the album is completed — they have big things on the agenda for the year ahead.

“We want to sell as many albums as we can, tour as much as we can and get on the radio,” Simmons says. He’s “itchy” to get back into the studio, something the band has scheduled for August but hopes to do sooner. Simmons’s goals are echoed throughout the band — they are all determined to succeed. Uncle Billy’s will be taking the music festival route down the East Coast this spring and summer, playing at three different jam festivals. They are also eager to continue touring in cities like New York and Chicago. However, they insist that they will never lose sight of home.

“We want to remind people where music came from,” Sean Ryan says. “Music has lost its creativity. We want to bring back the art for a young audience with some real singing.”

There is no question that Jody, Sean, Brad and Steven had to be passionate about music to make it this far, since the band members have had virtually no musical training. “You can get the same knowledge on the street that you can learn in school if you put the time in,” Sean says.

“We feel the music.”

UPCOMING SHOWS
Tammany Club
43 Pleasant Street, Worcester
Mar 17 CD Release Party w/ The Bridge
Muddy River Smokehouse
21 Congress Street,
Portsmouth, NH
Mar 18 CD Release Party w/ The Bridge
The Lucky Dog Music Hall
89 Green Street, Worcester
Mar 25 w/ NRBQ (a.k.a. Baby Macaroni)
Mill Street Brews
Southbridge, MA
Mar 26
The Plantation Club
151 Plantation Street,
Worcester
Apr 8 w/ Entrain
Ralph’s Chadwick Diner
95 Prescott Street, Worcester
Apr 16 w/ Craig