Cove On the Local
by Dave Sharp on Nov 23rd, 2011
COVE On the Local
To find any measure of success in music, you have to be dedicated. Albeit, just because your dedicated (even if combined with talent) doesn’t mean your guaranteed success. But we can all agree success is impossible without dedication. That’s why musicians, especially with more clandestine sounds, are so intriguingly respectable. Their window is small, but through it they see a vast landscape of opportunity and freedom. Nashville’s COVE is an example of this mentality.
Formerly Modernhell (as recent as August 2011), the three-piece (a four-piece as recent as August 2011), has gone through lots of changes of late (see: band name and lineup change) but it’s all in the name of bettering the band by avoiding pigeon-holes and maintaining a strong and communal vision.
Part of this plan is a mutual dedication. For instance, Alex Miracle, the band’s bassist and vocalist drives from Columbia, Tenn. to Nashville (46 miles and 60 min at its shortest) at least three times a week just to practice with the band.
Shon McFall, the bands drummer has dedicated his entire livelihood to the pursuit of music creation.
“I really live the musician lifestyle,” he said. “But I don’t have the musician money. My life pretty much revolves around playing it and its all I’ve ever known or been good at.”
“I’m a bartender and, when I can, I try to record music,” said guitarist Bryan Sveum. “I basically throw all of my money from bartending into bills, rent and recording equipment. That’s pretty much my budget: just blow every paycheck every week on a new [microphone] or new acoustic treatment or something.”
It can sound frivolous and irresponsible to the musically uninterested, but the truth is that it’s a necessity to offer these degrees of consistent sacrifices in order for music, imagination and creativity to grow beyond an individual hobby.
This is why we sat down with Alex, Shon and Bryan outside of the Little Hamilton Collective in a pretty DIY interview setup: the guys lined up against a shed behind the venue with my truck headlights on them to discuss their COVE incarnation, their place in the muddied Nashville music scene and much more.
COVE’s Mixtape: a sampling of favorites and influences from Alex, Shon and Bryan of Nashville’s COVE.