This is a story that involves Kansas. No, not
this Kansas, but the actual state KANSAS. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the first story I’ve ever written where I’ve mentioned the word Kansas more than twice. Aside from sharing a name with a shitty band, being the home of the Jayhawks, Dorothy and Toto, Kansas is also the home of an old-school blues band with new-school ideas in mind called
Moreland and Arbuckle.
Traditional tales involving diamond rings, souls belonging to the devil, and fried food are common themes heard inside of their latest album 1861(the year Kansas became a state). Upbeat songs like “Never Far Behind” get the juices flowing, but this multi-influenced band is as down-home and wholesome as getting under a blanket in the winter after a house cat has been laying on it for hours.
MnA are smack-dab in the middle of a U.S. tour, but Aaron Moreland took some time to have a hilarious and entertaining chat with me:
(L-R) Brad Horner, Aaron Moreland, Dustin Arbuckle
You’re 3 white guys from Kansas? Why are you playing the blues instead of Warrant or White Snake covers?
Interesting question. We had a Poison cover band for several weeks. Unfortunately, it’s hard to pull off the live aspect of their shows if you’re not a skinny, make-up wearing, glam-boy.
YOU were in the Poison cover band, or there was 1 in Kansas? And what really killed that band? The lack of cocaine ingesting ability, or the lack of the glam boy look?
We WERE the band!! But, the chunky waistline was what really killed us. That effectively threw out any real hopes of having the glam-boy look.
Kansas is a very boring state to drive through on I-70. List 3 reasons to stop and stay a while.
I don’t think its boring at all!
1- Good PEOPLE
2- Safe
3- Down-home, genuine feel.
How many tornadoes have you experienced in your lifetime?
Thirty three years in Kansas, and I have never seen a twister.
Is the game “Twister” a secret craze in Kansas that most people don’t know about? Come on, give me something to work with here...
OK, for the record, “Twister” the game is ‘in’ in this fine state. Our drummer (Brad Horner) was the state champ in Kansas for 2 years of high school in the “Twister Challenge.” I will hit him up for photos as proof. All jokes aside, Dustin Arbuckle, DID experience a life changing tornado that completely wiped out his hometown back in the early 90s. Devastation.
Aaron Moreland
If both Buddy Guy and B.B. King turned down the offer, who would you elect as the President of the Blues in November?
Gary Glitter…?
“Fresh out of prison, Gary Glitter searches for his new blues band. A new reality show on NBC this Fall.” Thanks for the idea!
Yes! I heard about this, and have offered to help. Potential band titles have been whittled to: Young Tarts, the Dirty Old Man, or Girls Under 13.
How do you feel about bands like the Black Keys or the White Stripes and their versions of blues rock?
Both are very talented bands who have been able to tap the mainstream industry.
Do you think bands like these are transforming the next generation of blues? You see less and less of a black man sitting around with an acoustic, singing the blues. The world of musicians like King, Guy, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie McTell, John Lee Hooker and Little Walter seems to be fading off.
I certainly agree with this. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of young, black blues musicians at the current time in history. I do think that bands like the aforementioned are adding to the deep well of blues. But they are adding to rock too. Music, regardless of genre, is always changing and morphing. I believe bands like the Black Keys or the White Stripes are important because they do bring some blues as an art form to the masses. That is a good thing. Blues-based music as a whole is not very popular at the current time. But, I do believe it’s all a cycle.
Dustin Arbuckle
You do a cover of R.L. Burnside’s classic “See My Jumper” on your new album. How did you decide on that song rather than others?
It is one of Burnside’s tunes that hasn’t been covered much. For one reason or another, it has always been one we can hit well.
We have a lot of “indie” readers. Would you like to briefly tell our audience who R.L. Burnside was?
North Mississippi Blues Man who garnered international attention in the mid 90s. He attained a nearly cult-like status after releasing some records on the Fat Possum label.
Your song “the Legend” has an old, country-western feel to it. What made you decide to add that element to the album?
It’s just a tune we wrote. We have lots of different influences, and those are bound to come out in an eclectic fashion from time to time.
How about polka? Can we expect a polka song from MnA in the future?
You just never know. I will get cracking on a polka groove.
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