Texas Flood – Interview, February 2014

@louelladeville_ @PlanetMosh interview with @TheTexasFlood after their recent appearance at Winterfest, Warehouse23, Wakefield. Texas Flood were added at the eleventh hour when I AM I had to pull out.

When did Texas Flood form?
Originally the band was formed spring 2010

Whose idea was it?
Tom Sawyer

Is the line-up we see today the original line-up?
No, we wore out a few bass players before Ben joined

Can you tell us about the band, who you are, who plays what?
We are Tom Sawyer on guitar and vocals, Ben Govier on bass & Tom Williams on drums.

Do you have other jobs?
Yes, well two of us do. (Tom W & Ben)

If so how do you juggle music and your day jobs?
it’s easier with shift work because you can scramble about to find a colleague to swap with you if a gig comes up.

Texas Flood
Texas Flood

How did you choose the name Texas Flood? Why not Neath Flood or Port Talbot Flood?
Well mainly because those are awful names. But originally Tom started the band with intentions of a blues covers band but that soon went out the window when we started writing our own songs & the name stuck.

You recently played Winterfest in Wakefield as a last minute stand in for I AM I. Were you on standby or was it a surprise?
It was a total surprise but we were more than willing step up.

How do you feel that gig went?
It went fantastically. We had some great feedback and made some good connections with the other bands and a few other people. Plus after the long drive up there was a massive dressing room for all the bands where we managed to catch the rugby.

You got some great feedback – is that typical of the feedback you receive?
Yes, but with egos as large as ours we tend to only remember the good things said.

Which is the best/biggest gig you have played?
Beach Break Live was probably the biggest. But we enjoy gigs in small intimate pubs just as much.

Which is the worst gig you have played?
Don’t think we’ve had any worst gigs. But we played a festival once where the generator cut out. Electrical problems are always a bummer but there’s nobody to blame for them.

How difficult/easy is it to get gigs?
We’ve always managed to stay busy and constant with gigs. So we’re quite lucky in that respect. We managed to rack up over 90 gigs last year and covered about 10,000 miles.

What’s on your dream rider?
Well we always ask for an albino midget horse. God knows what we’d do with it if anyone ever gave it to us, but it hasn’t happened yet. A couple of beers and some food and we’re happy.

How do you decide on the set-list?
Usually we gauge it by set time. We do have our opening and closing songs usually as standard.

Who writes the songs/music?
We normally turn up to practice with a few chorus or riff ideas then jam through them together. So team effort.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
We’ve got quite a wide variety of influences between us. Obviously the blues and rock bands of the 60s and 70s, but at the same time we are great fans of some modern rock bands as well. We’re not afraid of the funk either. Though we should mention that we’re in the van listening to some rap music right now.

How many albums have you released?
We released our ‘Worth The Whiskey’ EP in 2012 and our debut album is in the final production stages right now.

What have Texas Flood good lined up for 2014?
We are preparing to release album soon and also continue to gig as much as humanly possible. Work as hard as we always have. World domination, always world domination!

Any final message?
Kids, stay in school. Failing that, form a band. Failing that, go solo. Last resort, x factor. Look out for the Album!!

Band Members: –

Tom (Sawyer) Bradford on Guitar and Vocal / Tom Williams on Drums / Ben Govier on Bass

Links: –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Flood/131451313547553

Website: http://www.thetexasflood.co.uk/

Review of Worth the Whisky: http://planetmosh.com/the-texas-flood-worth-the-whisky-ep/

Review of Winterfest: http://planetmosh.com/winterfest-warehouse-23-wakefield-1st-february-2014/

Texas Flood on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWyu1ygotAs&list=UU1lkzFh2oeaMcgD6vbOSpww

About Louise Swift

I first went to a gig in 1981, Gillan at Leeds University. I've been a regular gig goer ever since. I haven't kept count of how many gigs I've been to over the intervening years, but it's a lot! My favourite bands are AC/DC then, in no particular order, Anti-Nowhere League, Slaughter and the Dogs, Towers of London and Dirt Box Disco. I tend to like Glam/Punk and rude offensive lyrics, not sure what that says about me but as Animal would say 'So What!' The question was recently put to me - did I write for any online publications? My reply - No, but I'd like to! Planetmosh was suggested and I found myself offering to review Aces High Festival. Easy peasy I thought! Well not quite, if a jobs worth doing it's worth doing well! I had sixteen bands to research. I found I actually enjoyed that and it kept me too busy to be making lunatic comments on Facebook! ;) Then I felt a bit inadequately qualified. I mean, who am I to comment on others, when my musical expertise extends to being able to play a mean Greensleeves on the recorder and a passable Annie's song on the flute! Haven't picked up either instrument for years! What I do have, however, is over 30 years of experience as a gig goer, so I can comment on what I like and what I don't! It's only my opinion and, if I don't like a band it doesn't mean they are bad, just not to my own liking. I admire anyone who has the guts to get up on that stage and have a go!