The band performed its first gig as The Sandies at the Charleston, on Bedford Ave., to a packed house, and, upon receiving requests for a fifth tune, they gamely launched into a crowd-pleasing cover of Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum." The Charleston and the crowd were wowed, and the then-Sandies soon found themselves with a monthly Wednesday night gig for the duration of the summer of '03. Sandy declared she was tired of being an eponym, though, so a new handle was needed before the next show. Hours of lists and negotiations followed. Finally, inspiration, though the band's ultimate choice has raised a question or three since then. According to Karl, "We liked the idea of being named after someone's name, and Waylon seemed an interesting name. Of course now we battle the consequences-Waylon Jennings remarks, references to a 'wailing' sound, the ethical problems of whaling practices, and so forth." Sean agrees, saying, "We wanted a name that sounded good but without ready associations; we got a name that invariably prompts people to ask about our association with Waylon Jennings or Bob Marley's backing band. One might view it as a curse. On sunny days it's a challenge." And no, the band is also not named after Waylon Smithers.
The Waylons came together for the first time in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn practice space in 2003. As Sean Leadem (vocals, guitar) tells it, he'd been playing drums in a country band for a while, but was itching to return to guitar and "especially not play country music." Sean heard that an old friend of his from college, Pennsylvania-born Sandy Levering, was a drummer without a (musical) home, and the two agreed to hang out and play some Billy Bragg covers while Sean worked on his forthcoming arsenal of songs. In short order, while out boozing one night, Sean met Karl Wachter (vocals, guitar), who'd been writing and recording music for years starting back in his hometown of Seattle, but was also fortuitously band-reft. Once together in the studio, Karl and Sean confessed to one another that, if forced, they'd both cite The Magnetic Fields as an influence; Sandy agreed to be influenced by absolutely everything, and they all proclaimed allegiance to the beer vending machine in the hallway. All the band needed now was a bassist, some songs, a gig, and a name.
The Waylons were soon refining their sound on stages at venues other than the Charleston, including band-friendly NYC bars such as The Continental, Freddie's Back Room, CB's Gallery, The C-Note, Splendid (now sadly defunct), Galapagos, and Trash. A turning point came in May 2004 when bassist Rob Ritzinger left the band, and was replaced by Patrick Cadigan, late of Springfield, Ill. via the U.K., who had plenty of time on his hands just then for rocking. Patrick and Sandy "just clicked" musically, according to Sean, while Karl cites Patrick's "sheer untapped talent" as the reason the Waylons seemed to coalesce instantly around this new member, suddenly playing bolder and brighter music at bigger and better venues.
In due course the band found a bassist, Rob Ritzinger, and a sound began to emerge. Karl, whose first instrument was the piano, brings to his songwriting a melodic melancholia suffused with classic tonalities hearkening from such diverse influences as The Flaming Lips, Nick Drake, and The Beach Boys. Paired with Sean's more frenetic, yet similarly tuneful style (think The Clash meets The Boss meets The Old 97s), the pop songs that reared their heads were the kind that would stick in yours. With four fresh new tunes in hand, it was time to go live.
With the optimal Waylons line-up achieved, Sean and Karl were free to keep writing songs that reviewers and fans called "great guitar pop" and compared to The Replacements, early R.E.M., The Jayhawks, and Pavement. Special mention has also been made of the band's compelling harmonies, sung primarily by Sean and Karl, with Sandy contributing ethereal back-up on a few heartbreaking numbers. Just after Patrick became a Waylon the band released its self-titled debut EP, to rave reviews, via a launch party thrown in conjunction with online magazine The Black Table at the East Village's Lit, an event which drew an audience of well over 100. Pat's take on the band's sound is: "60s rock/pop with modern influences and a hint of old school country." Karl describes it as "The Band meets Pet Shop Boys-a polished scruffiness," while Sean takes a stab with "Jangly but driven. Fierce whimsy?" Sandy opts to leave that question to the boys. At base, the Waylons are the kind of rock and roll band that's all too rare these days-no gimmicks, no faux-hawks, no hotpants. Just a wealth of finely crafted pop tunes with melodies that stick with you even after the hangover has worn off.
Thus far in '06 the Waylons have been playing all over town, and working on new tunes for summer appearances. Recent shows include gigs at The Mercury Lounge, Pianos, Sin-e, and NorthSix. Stay tuned for the for the continuing saga.