You know that feeling you get when you’re listening to a great song for the
first time, one that has a ridiculously catchy guitar riff, buttery fat bass,
and drums so solid you could build a house on them? You’re listening, having a
good time, really digging it; every lick and hook is a pleasant surprise. The
notes just keep building until they reach an exhilarating crescendo when,
suddenly, there is a slight pause. Everything stops for a second, as if to let
you catch your breath, and your mind feels like it might be floating just a
little. It’s like that first hill on a roller coaster, that little break before
the big drop. You hear a slight hint of feedback building in the background,
almost a whisper, the kind of noise that wakes you from a dream. The next thing
you know, everything comes crashing back down to earth with the slam of the
drums and the screech of an electric guitar, as a tingle passes through your
entire body, and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. The Otis Jones
Project specializes in creating that feeling.
The Otis Jones Project is an indie rock trio from Nacogdoches, Texas formed by
Josh McGee (guitar/vocals), Wil Willoughby (drums), and Jim Hogle (bass) in late
2007. McGee and Willoughby met while working together as hired studio musicians
for a Country/Rock project and became good friends. It was there that the two
decided to create their own group with a more rock influenced, groovy electric
sound, in the tradition of the legendary bands of the late 1960's and early
1970's, but with a new, more modern flavor added to the mix; “I think of our
sound as being somewhere between Jimi Hendrix, Santana, and The Strokes,” says
Josh McGee. Jim Hogle, a long time friend and former band mate of Willoughby’s,
was invited to play bass on the new project and, after only a few jam sessions,
there were no questions about whether or not the three should pursue a serious
project together. Their debut recording, “The Screamin’ and Cryin’ EP”, was
released May 6, 2008 on the band's independent label, BLAST Records, and has
since been receiving radio play and very positive press reviews in Texas and
Louisiana. Currently, the band is enjoying an ever growing fan base and
increasing support from their peers in the industry, thanks in large part to
their high energy live shows, and their easy-going, down to earth personalities.
Josh McGee says of the band, "We created this project out of the need to express
ourselves. We play what we feel and we want to share it with our audience. To us
nothing compares to playing live; The crowd and the band feed off of each other
and when everyone at a show gets so wrapped up in the music that, for a little
while, nothing else matters outside of that room, that’s something special. When
everyone in the place has the hair on the back of their neck stand up and they
get that good tingly feeling all over, we’ve done our job.”
Press Release:
The Otis Jones Project released their debut EP, "Screamin' and Cryin,'" on Blast
Records in May 2008 and have been receiving radio play and very positive press
reviews ever since. This, combined with their killer live shows and a dedicated,
ever growing fan base, shows the promise of a bright future ahead for the indie
rock trio. Guitarist and vocalist Josh McGee says of the band's successful
debut, "This is all really great- I'm in the band I want to be in; we formed in
January [08] and had a wicked CD out by May, and now we're playing all these
great shows and we're getting a lot of support from all these nice people. I
really dig what we're doing and it seems a lot of other folks do too." The Otis
Jones Project has plans to get back into the studio to record their, currently
untitled, first full length album and the band should be breaking ground on that
endeavor in late September, '08, following a string of shows that caps off their
summer schedule. Stay Tuned for more on The Otis Jones Project coming soon!
Name - Josh McGee Band Name - The Otis Jones Project Genre - Rock Web Site -
http://theotisjonesproject.com City - Nacogdoches State/Province/Region - TX Country - United States
You know that feeling you get when you’re listening to a great song for the
first time, one that has a ridiculously catchy guitar riff, buttery fat bass,
and drums so solid you could build a house on them? You’re listening, having a
good time, really digging it; every lick and hook is a pleasant surprise. The
notes just keep building until they reach an exhilarating crescendo when,
suddenly, there is a slight pause. Everything stops for a second, as if to let
you catch your breath, and your mind feels like it might be floating just a
little. It’s like that first hill on a roller coaster, that little break before
the big drop. You hear a slight hint of feedback building in the background,
almost a whisper, the kind of noise that wakes you from a dream. The next thing
you know, everything comes crashing back down to earth with the slam of the
drums and the screech of an electric guitar, as a tingle passes through your
entire body, and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. The Otis Jones
Project specializes in creating that feeling.
