Country music’s predicament today is one of deep roots and shallow soil. For resolution, country music fans have been turning away from the benign-ness of mainstream for the richer, more artistically creative and satisfying music of alt-country/Americana/OKOM. It’s within this sub-genre, which was essentially created out of necessity, that you’ll find many of your old favorites still revered and making great albums, as well as a crop of new talent, who, for the most part, have goals set in terms of creative vigor rather than the ultimate, almighty dollar.

The Skeeters never quite fit the mold of a cover band although that’s how they originally started, covering songs of their musical heroes such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver and Grateful Dead, among others. The songs they would cover however, tended to be obscure treasures of their influences rather than obvious chart cuts. 1998, when the decision was made to make the transition to performing primarily original material written by band member Bert Newton, things fell into place rather easily. "Even when we were a cover band we did covers in our own arrangements. We have never done a song like it is on the record. So I guess you could say we have always had "our sound" down." Matt reflects, however the he admits the band’s ‘sound’ isn’t easily defined. ""Our sound" changes in some respects from time to time and depending on the mood and live crowd. The basic dynamics are always present but if the crowd is into the music we will feed off of them and maybe jam a good bit more, take things in a new direction, see how far we can take it. We feel that's important, to push the envelope musically and stylistically."  

The band takes their collective influences and musical experiences and meld them into a funky inimitable sound that defies categorization, while still managing to remain distinctly country. Bert Newton's (rhythm guitar, lead vocals) influences are obviously from the outlaw era of country music, while Matt Martin (lead guitar, vocals) comes from a jam band direction. Rick Eller (bass guitar, vocals) brings in a solid touch of rock and roll, Dan Barker (piano, organ Rhoads, harp) was jazz trained, and Flash (drums) comes to The Skeeters via a punk band. A bevy of ironic images and contradictions, there remains a consistent honesty to their sound, an admirable loyalty to their heroes, and adamant commitment to creating their own music. Describing their sound comes with a challenge. " When someone asks we don't say we are a country band, because we're really not anymore." Matt explains "Twenty years ago we would have been." Now the band fits firmly in to the Americana scene with it's outlaw brand of revved up honky tonk.  

The band is cautious about the term 'outlaw 'in reference to their music. They'd much prefer to leave the title of outlaw to those who made it happen, to those who fought on country music's front lines. "The term 'outlaw' I guess better suits the original ones. Music has come a long way since the 70's. 'Outlaw' was a label given to them by Nashville because they didn't really fit commercialism. They paved the way a bit unintentionally for other artists to be able to express themselves in a way that they see fit." Matt explains, "There is still the commercial country and it is difficult to find your place even still today. Nothing like it was back then. There are means for us to get our music out there while back then if Nashville threw you away then you were pretty much done for. Nobody "comes crashing through our back door in the middle of a song". I think we learned from those guys that Nashville will never embrace us fully, so we know that going into it."  

Traveling around the southern US in a 1979 Winnebago, the Skeeters have been show openers for some of alt-country’s most notable troubadours, sharing the stage with the likes of such familiar names as Dale Watson, Drive By Truckers, Willie Nelson, The Derailers, Cory Morrow and Pat Green.  

This past weekend brought them to Atlanta Georgia to open for their hero Billy Joe Shaver at Smith’s Matt checked in with Take Country Back the next day from Cloud Nine: "I don't think Smith's has rocked that hard since "LIVE at". It was such a thrill to play with Billy Joe. The new band is fantastic. I had some time to talk to Jamie Hartford we hit it off well. He is just huge, a really gifted player. Bobby's slide work just knocked me out. Billy was full of life and brought the house down as always. A great honor for us that we won't soon forget."  

The Skeeters, however, are not destined to be perpetual opening acts. In fact, they already headline their own annual festival each year  – Skeeterfest.  Playing to just under 2500 this past autumn, the annual festival started out as a group of friends getting together "throwing a couple of kegs down, having some good music. As the band has progressed and matured the festival has progressed and now it's turned into something really big." 

The festival takes place at Auburn University and demonstrates one of the many ironies of the Skeeters is their demographic clout amongst southern US college aged students. One of the very ‘sectors’ Nashville attempts to target but ends up missing by a country mile. ‘Nashville’ of course referring to the three piece business suit side of the business, pencil pushers and bottom line watchers who define country according to it’s revenue drawing potential and not it’s music. "I think there is a huge gap there. I've never had anyone at one of our shows say hey, why don't you all play some more country pop?" Matt laughs. 

When the time came and the decision was made to put the Skeeter brand of music to disc, it was almost inevitable that Johnny Sandlin would get the call to produce. "We can't say enough about Johnny Sandlin, he is a legend for sure. We knew his work from the Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic as well as many others. We had such a big catalog of songs, that's why we trusted him to pick what he thought would work well on the record. We spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to convey on the first record and by the time we started recording he knew more about what we wanted than we did. He is an amazing cat, such a kind and talented soul, and a legendary musician."  

Matt Martin dug a piece of paper out of his pocket and called the legendary producer. "I had his number for several years in my wallet. I was thinking about doing my own project but just never transpired. When we started thinking seriously about an album I just gave him a call. He wanted to hear some songs before he made a decision so we sent him some live recordings we did. I went up to the Shoals area and met with him a few weeks later and he thought we were on to something. I knew we would be in good hands with him musically. As long as he has been in the business he has never sold out to commercialism. That tells me a lot right there." 

The band's goals in recording their debut album were to put forth their unique sound, while at the same time paying honest homage to the music that has brought them to this point. Waylon once said that he felt blues, rock 'n' roll and country were about a beat apart and The Skeeters don’t miss a note as they set out to prove him right.  At first listen the album sounds intriguingly Waylon-esque and you soon begin to realize that what’s actually happening is a melding of influences being conjured up in a new form. The music’s outlaw appeal lies with it’s no boundaries approach rather than a repetitious remake of someone else’s sound.  

The reminiscent sound of Waylon Jennings was the first thing that producer Johnny Sandlin heard when he listened to the band’s demo CD. "Bert's voice got my attention right away. He's got such a great voice." He also saw great potential in the band's collective musicianship. After meeting with the band Johnny decided he believed in their potential enough to put his name to the project, recognizing the promise in the unique sincerity of the band's sound. 

Gifting the album with an honest interpretation of what the band’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses were, Johnny was also instrumental in complimenting the project with stellar vocal and instrumental guests. He was particularly pleased to get one of his personal favorites, Bonnie Bramlett on the album. 

Matt Martin recalls the experience. "I got to sing with her in the vocal booth. I grew up listening to her with Delaney and Bonnie. I have a powerful voice but when she sang in the booth it was shocking to me how small I felt. She is just the greatest vocal talent in the world as far as I am concerned. If I was a female singer in Nashville, I would beat down her door for some soul lessons." 

One of the band's longstanding heroes is singer/songwriter, Billy Joe Shaver, an integral architect of the 70’s Outlaw Movement. The Waco Texas native has left his mark on the face of country music and on the music of the Skeeters as well.  

Ironically the album includes one of Billy Joe's previously unrecorded tunes, Honey Chile, as a result of a chance meeting between Johnny Sandlin and Billy Joe almost thirty years prior. While working as a producer on another project Johnny was paid an unexpected visit by the Waco Texas native. Matt picks up the story. "Billy Joe just happened by the studio and he sat down with his flat top and said, "Hey I got a song you might want to put on this record." So he laid it down on this 1/2 inch tape, just him and his flattop. They decided not to use it and it just got put up. We got to talking when we were in the studio with Johnny and we told him what Billy Joe Shaver fans we were. He said, "Hey I have a song by Billy Joe, you may have heard it, or you may not have. He rushed over to this dusty old box and pulled out this 1/2 inch case that had Billy Joe Shaver written on the front of it. We sat there and listened to something that probably hadn't been played in about 30 years and it just happened to be Honey Chile, which had never been released." 

Shaver is not the only original outlaw remembered when making this album. One of the handful of covers included secures a spot as also one of the highlights, as the band brings a long standing favorites from their live show to the project. "Late Again," with its swampy blues rock, is steeped with classic Kris Kristofferson funk along with his trademark conversational-style lyrics. Johnny called on legendary Shoals musician and Alabama Music Hall of Famer, Donnie Fritts to lend a hand. "He was just up the road from here at Shoals" Johnny recalls. A long time Kristofferson band member, Donnie adds his magic with a Hammond B3. If you don’t find any part of your body moving during this one you should have someone take your pulse.  

"It was an honor to have Donnie Fritts come in and play with us on Late Again." says Matt "He is just the funkiest man in Alabama. He held down the funk for Kris Kristofferson for years and years. He was very kind to us and treated us like brothers." 

James Pennybaker is another stellar guest musician on the project. "James played pedal steel, fiddle and mandolin with us on the tracks. Man, just a great player. He plays live with us from time to time, when he is not on the road with Pam  or Delbert." Matt shares, "I saw him on Imus this morning playing with Delbert. Imus said "who is that fiddle player , play something so he can get down on it" "Delbert said that's James Pennybaker, and he is a walking orchestra" I agree. He's just a super guy. I love playing with him." 

Debut albums  that are backed up with such an impressive showcase of original material are few and far between. Bert Newton, the band's lead, wrote most of the album's songs. Standing out above the crowd are the compositions are Clydesdales and Texas Day. 

The band stands steadfast in their refusal to play by anyone’s rules but their own. Nashville’s been hammered with a few anti-faux country anthems over the past few years, and The Skeeters add one of their with "Country Pop" (also written by Newton) which gives translucent testament to their mindset.

Waylon once said ‘Where do we take it from here?’

Hell, I think some people took it the wrong way,

We are taking back country music,

We don’t care what Nashville’s got to say

Bert admits the song was included on the album with the open intention to raise a few eyebrows. "That was definitely there to open some eyes. Just wanted to get some attention  I'm not necessarily saying everything in Nashville is bad, but everything is so commercialized. I figured it might open an eye or two down there. Johnny listened to it. He said "Man we need to send that thing to Nashville."

Added to the Billy Joe and Kris Kristofferson covers and Bert's self penned contributions are a couple of other songs penned outside of the band. "There were two more songs on the album that we didn't write: "God Bless 'Em All" and "Blues Flowin Freely"." Matt shares, "Mickey Buckins was our engineer and just a great songwriter. He wrote "God Bless 'Em All" and Levon Helms of The Band cut it years ago. Mickey played it for us one day. We believed in the song, It hit close to home for us and worked well with the rest of the material so we cut it. "

"Scott Boyer wrote "Blues Flowin Freely". Scott has always been a hero of mine especially. We heard "Blues on a demo tape and liked it a lot. One day we were messing around with this funky, swampy groove and we thought Hey that would work great with Scott's song. He helped us arrange the vocal harmonies on much of the album."

There's something special about debut projects. The artistic enthusiasm that is yet un-jaded by many years of industry experience, coupled with the cream of the crop when it comes to original material to choose from. Johnny Sandlin agrees. "These guys have something special, something unique." The Skeeters start the album on a high note and reach new pinnacles with every song until the last note fades out. Their music makes it unique and their purpose makes it pull together to be an exceptional first step on what promises to be a memorable journey.

Matt Martin sums it up best. "All in all we just want to play honest music about real life. I have to believe most folks would rather hear music that is soulful and true. We just play the music that moves us, that's all you can do. If people like it, that's just even better. I'm not saying we are perfect, far from it; but when you’re following Willie, Billy Joe, Waylon, Kris, The Dead etc., hell, you better try to be perfect."

Laurie Joulie Take Country Back December 2002