Posted on March 26, 2006
Last spring, alt-country rockers Sons of Bill were preparing to release their debut album, A Far Cry From Freedom. Months of writing, playing and recording led up to its May release show at the Starr Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville, Va.What they didn’t know was that it was only the beginning of a roller-coaster year that would catapult them to the top of the local music scene.
Now, almost a year later, the band has pressed a second thousand copies of A Far Cry From Freedom after selling the first thousand in a mere six months, astounding local critics. Bookings picked up at clubs all over Virginia and the band began picking up a loyal fan base, sending them one step closer to rock-star status.
“They’ve only been an actual band for a year-and-a-half and have already had sell-out performances at The Red and Black in D.C. and the Old Office at the Knitting Factory in New York City,” said Tammy Brackett, who works with Sons of Bill through Moonstruck Promotions. “That’s really unheard of for such a young group.”
The Wilson brothers, James, Abe and Sam, grew up surrounded by music. Their father William had them listening to country and bluegrass since they were little, inscribing its sound into their roots.
As the boys grew into their teens, they individually played with different bands and groups of people, each following his own musical path, never performing with a fellow Wilson.
After high school, James headed out West to live life as a cowboy. Abe continued making music throughout his years at U.Va. Sam headed up the highway to Harrisonburg to study classical guitar at James Madison University, graduated with the class of ’02. He then moved to New York City with hopes of continuing his music career.
It wasn’t until James returned home to Charlottesville that the brothers decided to collaborate their musical talents and form a band in the fall of 2005. Friends Seth Green and Todd Wellons joined on bass and percussion, and Sons of Bill was born. Wellons has since moved to Boston and now Jonathan Flax, who has spent the past eight years drumming in Nashville, has picked up the drums for the band.
From their first show last December to winning UVa.’s Battle of the Bands, Sons of Bill quickly made their way around the Charlottesville music scene. After the Battle of the Bands, they were given the chance to record at a local recording studio and it was in this studio that their debut album, A Far Cry From Freedom, was produced.
Putting the album together was a group effort. While James writes a lot of Sons of Bill’s material, including the 11 tracks on the album, the other members of the band add things to the mix.
“Everyone in the band is writing and contributing to the songs, which provides the basis to our sound,” James said.
Drawing upon influences from artists such as Steve Earle, Wilco, Dwight Yoakam, Robert Earl and various other rock and country artists, Sons of Bill bring some high-energy, alt-country music to Virginia.
This past fall, after selling their first thousand CDs, the band decided to re-mix their album in Nashville with the help of Chris Kress, who has worked with artists such as Charlottesville’s Dave Matthews and Richmond’s Wrinkle Neck Mules. The second thousand copies of A Far Cry From Freedom were released earlier this year.
When not in the recording studio, Sons of Bill are out performing on the road or in local Charlottesville venues drawing in fans, both new and old.
“I’ve heard them play since they were in high school,” said Lauren Pack, bassist Seth Green’s neighbor. “I’ve seen their shows and they are always high-energy. Since my whole high school knows about them, their shows are always like a fun high school reunion.”
Like Pack, many of their fans have followed the band’s success since their start.
“I’ve seen the band grow since its conception,” said Loretta Vitt, a local fan. “Since I’m from Charlottesville, I’ve actually played at the same ‘open-mic’ nights as them. I completely respect them and their integrity. As a musician myself, I know how much hard work it takes to write and perform songs.”
Sons of Bill have recently been performing on a regular basis at The Pub, a popular restaurant and bar in Harrisonburg. The band has been a staple at the establishment’s “College Rock Nights” on Wednesdays.
Chuck Troutman, the general manager at The Pub, recognizes Sons of Bill’s talents, citing that they play more than any other college band at The Pub.
“They’re an Americana band,” Troutman said. “The fact that they are three brothers gives them their ‘brother harmony.’ You can’t fake that.”
The band has watched their shows’ gain in popularity over the past few years.
“We’ve been growing steadily,” James said of the band’s shows at The Pub. “It’s always a great mix of JMU and Harrisonburg people.”
Troutman has also seen some changes in the band, as well.
“They’ve really honed their skills,” Troutman said. “They’re top-notch.”
However, the band’s recent success has not come easy. As a young, aspiring musician, James Wilson knows how hard it is to get a foot off the ground in the music industry, but he urges other college bands to work hard and not be discouraged.
“Talk is cheap from the industry and everyone who says is hard knows it’s a lot harder than they say,” James said. “But if you focus on writing good stuff, that’s your core.”
This summer, the band is heading back into the studio to record a follow-up to A Far Cry From Freedom. The CD should be released sometime in the fall, and after that, it’s all touring, touring, touring. While many bands have big dreams of fame and fortune, Sons of Bill like to keep things simple.
“I like playing at small, intimate clubs,” James said. “I definitely don’t see us ever becoming an amphitheatre band. Our dream gig is just to continue to play at small clubs and to see more and more people learning our songs.”
If their success continues to skyrocket like it’s done for the past year and a half, there it is no doubt that everyone will be crooning along to Sons of Bill.
hopes of continuing his music career.
It wasn’t until James returned home to Charlottesville that the brothers decided to collaborate their musical talents and form a band in the fall of 2005. Friends Seth Green and Todd Wellons joined on bass and percussion, and Sons of Bill was born. Wellons has since moved to Boston and now Jonathan Flax, who has spent the past eight years drumming in Nashville, has picked up the drums for the band.
From their first show last December to winning U. Va.’s Battle of the Bands, Sons of Bill quickly made its way around the Charlottesville music scene. After the Battle of the Bands, the band was given the chance to record at a local recording studio and it was in this studio that their debut album, A Far Cry From Freedom, was produced.
Putting the album together was a group effort. While James writes a lot of Sons of Bill’s material, including the 11 tracks on the album, the other members of the band add things to the mix.
“Everyone in the band is writing and contributing to the songs, which provides the basis to our sound,” James said.
Drawing upon influences from artists such as Steve Earle, Wilco, Dwight Yoakam, Robert Earl and various other rock and country artists, Sons of Bill bring some high-energy, alt-country music to Virginia.
This past fall, after selling its first thousand CDs, the band decided to re-mix its album in Nashville with the help of Chris Kress, who has worked with artists such as Charlottesville’s Dave Matthews and Richmond’s Wrinkle Neck Mules. The second thousand copies of A Far Cry From Freedom were released earlier this year.
When not in the recording studio, Sons of Bill are out performing on the road or in local Charlottesville venues drawing in fans, both new and old.
“I’ve heard them play since they were in high school,” said junior Lauren Pack, bassist Seth Green’s neighbor. “I’ve seen their shows and they are always high-energy. Since my whole high school knows about them, their shows are always like a fun high school reunion.”
Like Pack, many of their fans have followed the band’s success since their start.
“I’ve seen the band grow since its conception,” said Loretta Vitt, a local fan. “Since I’m from Charlottesville, I’ve actually played at the same open-mic nights as them. I completely respect them and their integrity. As a musician myself, I know how much hard work it takes to write and perform songs.”
Sons of Bill has recently been performing on a regular basis at The Pub, a popular restaurant and bar in Harrisonburg. The band has been a staple at the establishment’s “College Rock Nights” on Wednesdays.
Chuck Troutman, the general manager at The Pub, recognizes Sons of Bill’s talents, citing that they play more than any other college band at The Pub.
“They’re an Americana band,” Troutman said. “The fact that they are three brothers gives them their ‘brother harmony.’ You can’t fake that.”
The band has watched its shows gain in popularity over the past few years.
“We’ve been growing steadily,” James said of the band’s shows at The Pub. “It’s always a great mix of JMU and Harrisonburg people.”
Troutman has also seen some changes in the band, as well.
“They’ve really honed their skills,” Troutman said. “They’re top-notch.”
However, the band’s recent success has not come easy. As a young, aspiring musician, James Wilson knows how hard it is to get a foot off the ground in the music industry, but he urges other college bands to work hard and not be discouraged.
“Talk is cheap from the industry and everyone who says is hard knows it’s a lot harder than they say,” James said. “But if you focus on writing good stuff, that’s your core.”
This summer, the band is heading back into the studio to record a follow-up to A Far Cry From Freedom. The CD should be released sometime in the fall, and after that, it’s all touring, touring, touring. While many bands have big dreams of fame and fortune, Sons of Bill likes to keep things simple.
“I like playing at small, intimate clubs,” James said. “I definitely don’t see us ever becoming an amphitheatre band. Our dream gig is just to continue to play at small clubs and to see more and more people learning our songs.”
If the band’s success continues to skyrocket like it’s done for the past year and a half, there it is no doubt that everyone will be crooning along to Sons of Bill.
