The Revolvers are (from left to right): Hamilton Jordan (Guitar, Vocals) Austin Keeble (Drums) Jay Loyd (Bass, Goofy Shoes)
The Revolvers are not Local Legends. They don’t rub shoulders with Butch Walker from the Marvelous 3. They have yet to see an Injected concert. They didn’t listen to Outkast before Outkast was big. They have yet to open up for [Minus]. And, actually, they still don’t listen to Outkast.
Let’s not make it sound more special than it is - The Revlolvers were spawned out of boredom. It all started when three teenaged musicians -- Austin Keeble, Hamilton Jordan, and Jay Lloyd -- decided to start a band so that they could “provide a non-Phish alternative” for their friends who were sick of listening to the same bands at parties. “We thought we’d ‘mix things up,’ if you will, by learning some cover songs to play for our friends,” states Lloyd, the band’s lanky bassist. The band started off playing house parties and school events, covering groups like The Pixies, Nirvana, and Guns N’ Roses. After months and months of playing other musicians’ songs, The Revolvers decided that they had more than enough creative talent between the three of them to really create some solid music. Simply put, they did just that.
“Man, when people started hearing our original stuff, they went even crazier. Our fanbase was solid to begin with, but it just blew up once we began to write and perform music,” says Keeble, who plays drums and sings back-up vocals. It was clear that school events and parties would no longer suit The Revolvers’ fiery live show; they needed to move on to real gigs. Too impatient to attempt involvement in the difficult Atlanta club circuit, the trio began renting out random buildings in which to perform, which suited their fans just fine. “We’re not a punk band,” states singer/guitarist Jordan, “but we definitely believe in punk’s whole DIY ethic. If it’s too hard to get booked at a popular venue, why not set up a concert yourself?” Word of their exciting live shows - labeled “insane”, “scary”, and “hilarious” by some of the fans - spread across Atlanta highschools, and soon enough, hundreds of fans began to show.
The Revolvers released a demo CD-R, the “Tokyo Campus EP”, to fantastic reactions from listeners. Covering a wide range of sonic values, the 3-song recording includes “Slap,” a brutal foot-stomper reminiscent of the Melvins, “Dirger,” a buzzed-out masterpiece that showcases how well Lloyd and Keeble can groove, and “Tokyo Campus,” a rollercoaster of epic choruses, searing guitar, chilled-out bongos, and beautiful Philip Glass-like piano.
Due to the fantastic response to “Tokyo Campus EP”, the band plans to press a full-length album in the spring, which will be sold through their website (revolversmusic.tripod.com). Their first official release on their own Precious Roy Records label, the album is being engineered by industry veteran Dave Reeves, who has worked with Nine Inch Nails, Offspring, and Korn.
The Revolvers have been very happy with their limited local success, and hope that things will continue to go smoothly for them. “I’m just excited to be putting out an album,” quips Lloyd. “As a musician, there’s nothing much cooler than that.” Jordan agrees, adding, “Yeah, the album will be fun. But I just want to keep playing shows -- it’s so cool to know that you have hundreds of fans who will literally come to everything you do.” However, it is Keeble who best describes how the Revolvers feel about their future: “It would be rad if we kept getting bigger, but we’re not too worried about it. Everything should be cool as long as we continue to not take ourselves too seriously.”
