Austin, Texas, is a city known for its art scene with music overflowing from every club door and garage studio.
“[Austin has a] good music scene where I thought I could make some moves,” Tim “T Bird” Crane said.
Crane moved to Austin six years ago with the idea of forming a band. He spent time going out to clubs and searching online to find the right musicians for his band. In 2007, Crane made his dream a reality and formed the band T Bird and the Breaks.
Crane said out of the eight band members, about half of them are original members.
“It’s not hard to meet musicians in a town like Austin,” Crane said.
The band produces a sound that can only be described as a “soul-funk collective with a fondness for hip-hop beats.”
T Bird and the Breaks credits Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown and Philly Soul Band as influences. The band’s sound is influenced by the ’60s and ’70s funk and soul eras. Crane’s lyrics are inspired by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.
Along with the ’60s and ’70s aspect, T Bird and the Breaks uses hip-hop groups like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest as another element to add to its sound.
As an eight piece band, T Bird and the Breaks can produce a show that includes a multitude of singers and a booming instrumental section.
Armed with a combination of vocals, vox, keys, percussion, guitar, drums, bass, saxophone and trombone the band brings a new rhythm to traditional funk and soul music. Crane said T Bird and the Breaks plays a show with a lot of horns and rhythm.
The band will return to the stage in Baton Rouge when it performs at Chelsea’s Cafe on Nov. 14 at 10 p.m. Crane said the band has performed at Chelsea’s before and enjoys coming back because of the cafe’s atmosphere.
The band will release a new album, “HARMONIZM,” in January 2015 and will perform some of its new tracks on Friday.
Crane said the record stays true to the band’s distinct sound with the big band and funk influences. While the band will be performing new tracks, he said, it also plans to play fan favorites.
For Crane, performing for college students allows for a fun crowd because of the high energy they bring to a set.
He said college students love to dance, and T Bird and the Breaks can produce exactly that with its combination of genres.
“[After] hitting the books all week, it’s a way to blow off some steam,” Crane said.
You can reach Meg Ryan on Twitter @The_MegRyan.