The Harvest Thieves are the first band on the bill at our Holy Mountain show this weekend – Saturday! At $9! For only $5! We thought we should all get to know these guys – a third of whom used to be in Guns of Navarone – a bit better before the big day. Check out this brief e-mail interview we did with them, and we’ll see you at the show!
OVRLD: Guns of Navarone seemingly ended pretty suddenly after a great run. What was the catalyst for the decision to move on?
Cory: It was a great run and I remain fond of all we were able to accomplish, along with the effort involved, but it was time to move on. Life often dictates change for various reasons, and that’s what happened here. There’s a bit more flexibility involved, on multiple levels, with this new project and that was something of a priority for me.
Dustin: After Guns of Navarone ended, I had already decided I was going to do something; I just hadn’t figured out what. A few weeks after Guns disbanded, Cory and I were talking and found we still had similar goals and ambitions. We threw around the idea of making Harvest Thieves a full-time project and it seemed like a good move since we had the EP. We talked to James and he was on-board. Then it was a matter of finding the right musicians who had time for a full-time project.
OVRLD: Harvest Thieves is nominally the same genre as Guns of Navarone, and shares two band members – how is the new band different from the old one?
James: Personally I think we’re doing something different than what Guns of Navarone did. Maybe that’s not apparent in the EP we recorded, but that’s almost a year old, and with a different lineup. With the six people we have in Harvest Thieves now I think we’re writing some really interesting songs that stretch out and push us all musically. It’s still rooted in Americana for sure but it’s got more to offer.
Cory: I think there’s a concerted effort at versatility in this band. I feel like I can kind of “stretch my legs” a little more with Harvest Thieves than I’ve been able to in the past. Much of that comes down to my own growth and being ready to do so. I feel like I’ve matured as a writer and musician because of my time involved with past projects, and this band has given me the perfect opportunity to broaden those boundaries, I suppose. Another quite obvious difference is the fact that there are more moving pieces to Harvest Thieves. There are more of us, so we have more parts in the engine.
OVRLD: As an alt-country-ish band, what kind of receptions do you get when you play a more rock-oriented show or venue, versus a more country-oriented show or venue? Or do you see a difference at all?
James: I don’t really know that there’s any “country” music in our sound. You’ll probably never see us on a bill with Mike and the Moonpies or Crooks — but we damn sure love those bands.
Cory: We’re still a young band, so I’m sure we’ll discover more of this dynamic as we move forward. However, while the initial ideas and songs are predominately established from a folk or country origin, I don’t think they always develop into that. I think that’s inherently due to the musicians in this band and the voice they give to each song as individuals. With this band, the songs take on their own form and it’s always for the best. There’s no doubt that we play roots music, but ultimately we want to be versatile enough to hold our own in any setting.
Dustin: We’ve had a warm reception at the shows we’ve played, all rock oriented. We have a country/roots influence and that’s probably heard but we’re writing more roots rock songs and arrangements.
OVRLD: What are you most excited about for 2014?
James: Getting into the studio so people can hear what we really have to offer. We cut 15 demo songs with John Michael Landon at Estuary Studios last week. April we’re going to begin work on the album with a Fall release date. Hopefully some touring this summer.
Dustin: Studio and van time.
Cory: Recording a full-length album with Michael Landon at Estuary is at the top of the list. I’m eager to give people the opportunity to hear what we can come up with, and I’m excited about what we’ve come up with so far. We have a full slate this year, and we’re diving right in.
-Carter Delloro