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Get ready to loosen up after listening to Tucson’s own blues-reggae-hip-hop group, The Hounds, and songs from their new EP. A CD release party Nov. 21 at Plush makes that easy to do, as your $5 cover includes a copy of "The Deuce."
We sat down with singer and guitarist Yogi to talk about the band's second CD—the full-length "Bonafied" came out in 2008—and to see what's next.
The members: In addition to Yogi, the singer's brother, Blue (bass) and friend Bruiser (drummer) round out the group. Yogi and Blue were raised in Houston but have lived in Tucson for the great majority of their lives. Bruiser is a native of San Diego but has also lived in Tucson for quite some time.
The music: “Since we were kids, [music] has been in our lives. It's not all we know, but something we all have a passion for,” Yogi says as he sits back, comfortable in a black T-shirt and jeans, sipping Starbucks coffee through one of those famous green straws.
The blues-reggae-hip-hop mixture creates a “Sublime or Sugar Ray” type sound, Yogi explains, which he says the band has worked really hard to get right since they first began in 2004. He says their basic sound really hasn’t changed over the past five years, only gotten more comfortable and improved.
The three band members write the lyrics and music together, so it's a truly collaborative effort you get with "The Deuce." Yogi notes that The Hounds felt out what works for them and the resultant EP really shows how talented and capable they are.
And though their first album took about two years to produce, Yogi expects a new set of 12 or so songs to come out in about 12 months.
The shows: After "Bonafied" was born, The Hounds started booking shows all around Arizona. In 2008 alone, they played more than 75 shows (!), including treks to Flagstaff, Phoenix and Prescott as well as a few shows in California and Texas. Locally, The Hounds have played throughout downtown and Fourth Avenue, with plenty of performances at one of their favorites, The Hut.
In addition to the CD release party at Plush, The Hounds play a New Year's Eve party at The Hut and open for Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime February.
The future: The relaxed but determined trio is looking to tour more extensively and, hopefully, get signed.
“We are currently booking a California tour for 2010 with friends of ours out there," Yogi says. "Hopefully we'll continue to spread The Hounds throughout the U.S. That would be awesome!”
