Starkville favorite Ingram Hill will be back in town tomorrow night for a show at Rick’s Caf. In addition to new equipment, more interviews and better venues, bassist Shea Sowell discusses a few of the changes the band has seen since signing with Hollywood Records in 2003.
Jules: What’s the most surprising change about being signed to a major label?
Sowell: The best change has definitely been going on tour for weeks at a time with people like Jonny Lang, Better Than Ezra and Dada. It’s definitely helped out our bookings. We’re getting to play in these beautiful theaters and places that we couldn’t get into before, and that’s one of the biggest changes.
Jules: Any responsibilities they’ve taken off your hands?
Sowell: That’s the whole thing-now we actually have more responsibility. Along with signing to label, we hired new management, so in picking them up, they have all these ideas about different things.
We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but there’s more stuff to do now, especially if you want to keep creative control over your merchandise and things like that. And there are a whole lot more interviews to do.
Jules: “Will I Ever Make It Home” is on the new “13 Going On 30” movie soundtrack. How did that happen?
Sowell: I don’t know exactly how it happened. We’re signed to Disney, and it’s a Disney movie, so they had been looking for a place to put one of our songs. It’s kind of crazy, because the soundtrack is all ’80s hits, so I’m still waiting to see how it fits in with the rest of the soundtrack. We’re excited about it, though.
Jules: June’s Picture Show was re-released in February. Were you guys open to the changes or did it all come from a higher-up, so to speak?
Sowell: With the artwork, we were sent 50 or so ideas for album covers and we narrowed it down to, like, five and chose from those. The meaning to us was that we recorded the album in June and we were hoping that when you listen to it, you would sort of play your own life story. The new artwork, with the little girl and her camera, kind of gives the name June’s Picture Show a different meaning, but we went with that. It was definitely our choice.
Jules: And this is the third incarnation for some of these songs, right?
Sowell: Yeah, this would be the third go around for “Almost Perfect” and “Will I Ever Make It Home.”
Jules: How did everyone feel about continuing to change material that you’ve been playing for so long?
Sowell: If the idea is good and it works well with the band format, then it’s a no-brainer. It’s kind of weird after playing a song for two and a half years to all of a sudden throw in a new line-sometimes it’s hard to make yourself play that new part. All of the things we changed have made so much sense. We realized that it should have been like that from the beginning.
Jules: What was your immediate reaction to the new release?
Sowell: I was like, ‘man, I cannot wait to see this on shelves throughout the country.’ I was just a little skeptical about the new record, the new way it looked and everything. When I got it, I just hoped that presentation of the record represents it well and that it appeals to people. I know they’re trying to get to the music inside, but I hope the artwork draws them in.
Jules: Do you think Ingram Hill will embark on a new creative journey anytime soon?
Sowell: I’m already ready to go back into the studio and make a new record. Since we got the record deal, now there’s a little money so we can purchase things that help us with pre-production and things like that, because it takes a lot to get a song ready for production. We’ve actually bought new laptops and things so that when we get to a hotel room, we can go ahead and start recording if we want to.
Jules: Why aren’t you playing Memphis in May this year?
Sowell: To make it not repetitious, they only let bands play two years in a row. Even Dave Matthews couldn’t play this year if he wanted to.
Jules: But you’re Memphis children!
Sowell: Yeah, it’s our home. I heard it through the grapevine that the guy in charge said he would be willing to do anything he could to get us on the bill, but since we’re playing some other local things like Southaven Springfest, we decided not to worry about it too much.
Jules: And how is the quest to buy a new tour bus coming along?
Sowell: I don’t know, man. I’m ready. All my problems are solved once the tour bus comes in. I’m looking so forward to it.