Americana / Country / Rock
Dickie Wood - lead vocals, guitar.
Jeff Williams - mandolin, guitar, vocals
Jamie Wood - harmony vocals, percussion
Ricky Breland - bass
Mike Ferry - fiddle
Kris Krull - drums, harmony vocals
- From left to right: Jeff Williams, Ricky Breland, Dickie Wood, Jamie Wood,
and Mike Ferry
So tell me how The Atkinsons got started, what brought all of you together?
Jeff and I started out on open mic night and did it for about a year and a half. We begged another band, the
Ex-Patriots, to let us open for them. They said we needed a name, so we got our last name from a friend of ours, who
is Gary Atkinson. That's how The Atkinsons started.
So I guess Gary Atkinson is pretty happy about you guys using his name. What made you guys think of that?
There was a contest for us to get our name because we couldn't decide what our name should be at all. So we made
a rule, we were in a bar so none of us could go to the bathroom until we had a name for the band. It went on for a
long, long time, and it got to the point where we were about to kill each other, and Dr. Gary Atkinson said "take my
name!" We said that's it! We both got up, ran to the bathroom and got into a fight about who would go first. It just
seemed to really stick. We liked the family and country connotation to it. The name really fit our band.
For someone who has never been to an Atkinsons show, describe what your shows are like?
We're like the Rolling Stones with a mandolin and a fiddle.
We're like the Rolling Stones but it's more like the Rolling Stones meets Nirvana meets Green Day. You never know
what you're gonna get. We try to make it a rock n' roll show, but there's so many parts that make it country and
bluegrass. I don't really know where they came from, but they are definitely there.
Who influenced you musically? Is there anyone in your
personal life growing up that was musically gifted? Did
someone turn you on to a certain style of music?
I wish I could say there was one major factor in my family, but
I'm not from a musical family at all. I just grew up liking music. I
had a really big family and music was my escape from my
brothers and sisters. I would go in my room and turn my radio
on or put on an album. My grandmother, she was an artist.
She played keyboard. She liked to draw. She was the only
artistic person that had any influence on me at all.
I was an only child and my parents didn't listen to much music
so I'd lock myself in the basement and turn on every single
thing that I could hear. There were other people in my life that
turned me onto different types of music, but Dickie influenced
me on the music that he listened to. Now I've gotten to the
point where I think I'm influencing him on some music too.
I moved here to Richmond from Louisiana and my influences are mostly R&B and soul, and Louisiana music. I grew
up playing Fats Domino and things like that. My dad first taught me how to play things like Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis
Presley. Basically roots rock.
I grew up in the mountains of Virginia, in a pretty rural area. So, I spent a lot of time listening to everything from Led
Zeppelin to John Prine to Earl Scruggs. When I went to college, I realized nobody was playing that stuff, so I started
playing punk and somehow in the end of it there was The Atkinsons.
Everything's my influence. I have an
older brother who subjected me to all the
great rock n' roll in the late 60s early
70s.
I grew up in a non-musical family, but I
started out playing classical violin. My
family is Irish, so I was exposed to Irish
traditional music at a young age. I didn't
start listening to pop music until I was
older, like middle school. I listened to U2
and more recently Radio Head. Just the
British pop stuff has influenced my
hook-oriented pieces.
What's the best part about being a musician?
I've been playing music since I was 4 years old, so it's just a part of me. It's like a language. I can't NOT play music, it's
in my blood. It's just a great release and it all comes naturally because I've always known it.
What I like about being a musician, I like the whole process for the most part. I like someone bringing in a part or the
basis of the band and having the whole thing flush out and start to work really, really well. My favorite part is the
whole sound, when you're playing with the band and the band is playing good music, there's just nothing better than
that.
The best part about being a musician is
that it's a way to be creative. It's
something to do, it's a way to express
yourself.
I love everything about music -
listening, playing, writing, and the
whole creative process. Doesn't matter
if I'm playing guitar at home by myself,
in the band room working a new song,
or on stage with the band in front of a
crowd, I'm enjoying it all.
Growing up I played piano and acoustic guitar, but I don't play an instrument in The Atkinsons. I just enjoy
harmonizing with Dickie and I shake a tambourine from time to time.
What is the greatest challenge to being in a band?
If you're looking for success, Richmond's not the place to be. Once you get over that, the biggest challenge is just
finding a place to play and be accepted. Having a good time is easy. Band practice is fun. Finding a place to play
sometimes is the biggest challenge.
You want to have support. You want to get out there and have people know your music and be liked. There's so many
venues in Richmond that are great but having so many also keeps the crowds kinda thin sometimes. When there's
organizations like Richmond Roots Revival and others that can help out and support local musicians, it's great
because it is really hard for just a band to do all the work themselves. It takes a lot of work and you've gotta do it
because you're passionate about it.
You really have to have a thick skin to
be a musician, some people naturally
have it and some people don't. I was one
of the ones who didn't. You have to
realize it's nothing personal when some
people don't like what you're doing. Just
because they don't like it doesn't mean
it's a tear down to you personally. It's
best to focus on the people that do like
it. So now, I have a pretty thick skin and
my girlfriend doesn't at all. When she
hears somebody say that the band's
music is okay but they're not that great,
she gets all defensive. I've had to tell her
that it's not everybody who feels that
way, it's just that one person.
Some of the songs that you've written are pretty deep, with songs like "Caroline", what was the inspiration behind
writing that song?
The inspiration behind all the songs is really family, experience, and life. I know it's kind of a vague thing to say and
everyone says that, but it's the honest to God truth. I have a large family and we have a lot of problems, so it's really
easy to pull from that well.
In terms of your creative writing process, who does what?
I mean, right now, I don't mean to be the person that writes all the songs, but for the most part I am. Jeff has written a
couple songs and played a couple covers too. The concept of the new album coming out is really mine and for the
most part, the songs are mine. I really hate to answer this question because it seems like it's all about me, but it's not.
Everybody brings their own things to these songs and they make them what they are. But, I bring the initial acoustic
version to the table.
This one goes to Dickie and Jamie - Tell me about how Richmond Roots Revival
got started and how bands can become a part of that?
Dickie came up with the idea to kinda make the shows for bands more of an event
and to get more people out to shows. The bands would get more promotion,
recognition, and help get their music out there. Since he is an original songwriter,
we decided to concentrate on local Richmond bands that concentrate on original
music. We started in October 2004, and we just had our 2 year anniversary in
October. Every month, we have a show that showcases an original acoustic
musician opening and two original bands. RRR takes care of all the website work,
booking the bands and the gigs. We organize the shows and contact the bands.
We listen to music sent in by bands and select who to put on a show. Dickie and
Jeff then make it all happen after we organize the shows. They make sure they run
smooth and organized. Jeff is so wonderful about running the sound for the shows
and making everybody sound great. Any interested bands that want to get involved
should contact RRR through the website if they are a Richmond band that writes
their own original music. The bands are put on a waiting list and when a show
comes up, we look and listen to everybody and decide who to put on to make a
good show. We only have 12 shows a year, but we also do events too, like the
Shockoe Craft Beer Festival and others. We have so many contacts with bands that
the event organizers are now coming to Richmond Roots Revival to help organize
the entertainment for local events. It's been a great thing that has comes out of it all.
The concept was mine, but without Jamie and Jeff, it would have never taken off. I
mean, Jamie got on the phone, she emailed, and tore up the computer like crazy.
The buzz line that we use is Richmond Roots Revival's goal is to promote, support and connect the local Richmond
bands that concentrate on their own original music.
Jamie, if Jeff was no longer a part of the band, what would be missing, what does Jeff bring to the table?
Jeff and Dickie were the Atkinsons. They were there from the beginning, they are the core of the band. They were the
ones who made our signature sound; Jeff on his mandolin, Dickie on his guitar and singing. They brought the rest of
the band together. I really don't see The Atkinsons without those two. I was the second to last to join and Kris was the
last to join. The way that we all connect and everything is great, you know? I just can't see the band with out Jeff.
Jeff, if Kris was no longer a part of the band what would be missing? What does Kris bring to the table?
Kris brings a lot to this band. When Kris came on, it was almost like we were high school kids at the prom because we
knew when Kris came up available, and we were a little scared to ask him and he was a little scared to talk to us. We
had a feeling the other one would just say no. To make a long story short, Kris and Ricky have really work pretty tight,
and Ricky and I have talked about this several times about how it's better for us now that we've got that solid rhythm
section going. We're a little more free to make mistakes, to have fun, and to try to play a little better than we were ever
before. Kris really brought that to the band and kicked us up another level. We're really thankful for that.
Kris, if Ricky was no longer apart of the band, what would be missing? What does Ricky bring to the table?
What would be missing would be his true and utter dependence of us all. Ricky's good looks, his wonderful hot body.
Oh yeah, and his great bass playing. (Laughs)
Ricky, if Mike was no longer a part of the
band, what would be missing? What
does Mike bring to the table?
All of the wail! The power of the wail
comes from the violin, it comes from Mr.
Mike. It wouldn't be The Atkinsons
without the high lonesome sound of the
violin.
Mike, if Dickie was no longer a part of the band what would be missing, what does Dickie bring to the table?
If Dickie was no longer a part of the band, we would no longer play. Or if we did play, we'd only play 3 songs. (laughs)
And we'd have to find another place to practice. And we couldn't call it The Atkinsons anymore.
Dickie, if Jamie was no longer a part of the band what would be missing? What does Jamie bring to the table?
The chick in the band does so many things. From the promoting and the managing and singing wonderful harmonies
to looking good, we'd be just another bunch of dudes playing music without the chick in the band. So, she is a big part
of what we have going on right now.
In your opinion, what makes a band great? What separates mediocre bands from ones that stand out in a crowd?
Ultimately, it's the songwriting. You can have a really sucky band that doesn't know how to play their instruments, but
if they've got great songs it will bi-pass everything. I mean, Nirvana is not a sucky band, they weren't the greatest
musicians but they wrote the greatest songs ever. I mean, you can go back to the Ramones. I mean there's so many
wonderful bands that aren't these pristine musicians, it's just all about the songs.
Where would you all like to see the band go from here?
to Charlotesville (laughs).
That'd be great if we were signed and we were rock stars and whatever, but ultimately I would continue writing songs
and do another CD, a follow up CD to the one that we have coming out. The biggest thing is that I want to stay
together and remain friends. I mean, it'd be great to be stars like I said, but ultimately I just want to stay together. Most
bands just can't seem to do that and that's what I want most for us.
Tell me about your latest CD and where it is available.
Our new CD that's coming out is going to be called "American Gothic". It's actually a concept album. It didn't start out
to be that way, but the songs were sort of falling into place and we didn't even realize it. But each song is a chapter, it
goes from Chapter 1 to Chapter 11. You really have to listen to it, it's like a book. The music is great and again, I'm
just lucky enough to have these guys back me up.
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