Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Future Stars
Wednesday
August 3, 2005
I don't want to get too excited, and I don't want to overhype them. But I think that my friends' band, the Karg Boys, have a very good shot to make it in the music biz.
I mentioned on here a couple of weeks ago about how my friends Richard and Andy Karg had signed a publishing/developmental deal with Universal Music.
|  | The Karg Boys signed a developmental deal with Universal Music.
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Well, in looking online, I found the official press release, which is available as of this writing right here.
It's exciting for me to see them do so well. With country music, it has the rep (at least in the old-school sense) of being about whiskey drinkin', fightin', and having depressing themes in general. The Karg Boys are old school in many ways... but not with their themes. It's like they've tapped into the roots of country in many ways (with a modern sound), yet their songs are, by and large, happier and upbeat than the typical fair. Nothing that's a downer. They're a good time country band.
And that particular mix is what I think will help them be so successful. They certainly have the look to make it, and they have the sound. They don't have the false bravado that many bands get, which is actually a good thing. Stay humble and you'll stay true. You can develop a stage presence without getting a rock band style ego. The fact that their father, Dick Karg, worked so hard in writing country songs for years I think has given them both inspiration for their work as well as an appreciation for just how hard it is to get the breaks necessary to make it in the business. Consequently, they're taking it seriously (like they should), and they're giving the situation the proper respect due. It's all adding up to good things for them.
And what's more, they've been patient. They know that rushing out a CD (I almost typed "album", but in this day and age, that term is really antiquated) isn't going to spell success for them. They've been working with some amazingly talented songwriters and slowly built up their own skills, while also listening and learning.
With the way the country music business has changed, where country/pop is as big as straight-forward country acts, I could see them falling somewhere in the middle and making it big. They're not about the pop scene, but there will be a natural appeal there from people who listen to both country and adult contemporary/Hot AC radio. Trust me on the radio thing, that's what I do for a living.
What I like most about this, besides seeing two friends make it to the next level, is that I actually like their music. It's not me being in an uncomfortable situation feeling obligated trying to shill for something I don't like. I really enjoy their music, both the recorded variety and live in concert. When I was cheering for them at their December 2004 show (where the Universal Music rep happened to hear me, unbeknowst to me until after the fact), it wasn't me trying to artifically pump up the crowd. I really liked what I heard, and I wanted to let them know it. And remember, I'm very selective when it comes to country songs/artists that I like. Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Garth Brooks... it's not a huge list.
How will things play out? Who knows. But I'll do everything in my power to help them out, and I'll pull any strings I can to get them any breaks (not that they need my help).
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