Six men alone in a field, dressed in foil, chasing cows. No, these are not your stereotypical fraternity pledges; it’s the “Kudzu Kings.” As their description implies, they aren’t the typical bluegrass band.
Their latest album, “Y2Kow,” released in 1999 on the Beer Drenched Lyrics record label testifies to the uniqueness of the band’s music. From the banjo riff opening the album to the yodeling somewhere in track 12, the band blends together the genres of bluegrass, country, and rock.
The instrumental makeup of the band, including an organ and bandobrolin, points directly toward a bluegrass or country band. However, the band also features an upright bass that drives songs with an almost rock beat and electric guitar solos that sound as though they should be in a rock song.
The band blends these three genres together for the instrumental part of the songs, but the lyrics are all country. The lead singer, Tate Moore, belts out the sad, heartfelt lyrics in songs of lost love such as “Sugar Daddy” or “Hangover Heart,” about drinking and women, in his twangy, whiny voice.
The band’s topics range greatly from song to song. In other songs, such as “Bryan’s Song,” band members comment on what they could have been doing if they weren’t in the band, just like their moms prayed they’d do.
“There’s a hole in my heart where the music comes from. That’s why I keep on playin’ despite my mama’s prayin’ that I’ll stop and become a reproductive member of society,” sings Kudzu Kings in “Bryan’s Song.”
The Kudzu Kings originally formed six years ago in Oxford, Miss. The band members found one another during Moore’s regular Tuesday night acoustic show at a local venue. Moore invited other musicians up on stage and the future members of the Kudzu Kings took him up on the offer. As the group gained popularity, the Kudzu Kings were born.
The band is slowly becoming a force. It has sold more than 10,000 copies of “Y2Kow” and has accumulated fans all over the nation. With two albums released, the band plans to head back to the studio soon to produce a third.
“I really like the banjo. It’s got a bluegrass or country feel to it, but there’s something more that I can’t quite name,” said Bryan Hilbun, a math junior. “It’s different, but it’s a good kind of different.”
The Kudzu Kings take their name from a vine that grows rapidly, choking and killing everything in its path.
“That was one of the toughest things when we first started. Nobody seemed to know exactly what kudzu was,” said Robert Chaffe, keyboardist. “We seemed to spend more time telling people about that than we did actually playing.”
The Kudzu Kings play at the Varsity Theater on Thursday, Nov. 21 then at Tipitina’s in New Orleans on Friday, Nov. 22. For more information or to listen to a music sample, go to the band’s official Web site at www.kudzukings.com.