Mike Tillman gets a little nervous anytime his band, Common Stock, prepares to take the stage — so nervous, he usually loses his groceries prior to the first song. This morning is no exception.
As the group is preparing to perform live on KLSU’s “Truer Sound,” Tillman, the group’s singer and guitarist, sneaks behind Hodges Hall for his pre-show ritual.
“It always happens before any show we do,” said Tillman. “It’s a nervousness thing and a self-confidence issue. I’ve always wanted to be the singer in the band, but I’ve always been terrified by it. If I screw up, all eyes are on me.”
Nonetheless, after Tillman heaves his anxiety from his system, he always feels better and the show goes on.
Common Stock, a group of LSU students, is a self-described premium folk rock experience, which includes mandolin player Stephen Bedell, guitarist John Hecker, drummer Lamar Walters and Paul Holloman, playing harmonica and congas.
Formed in December 2000, the group began as a songwriting experiment between Bedell and Tillman, following numerous failed attempts to get anything off the ground.
The two unplugged their guitars, went acoustic and after writing a simple country folk tune in less than an hour, they decided to bring some friends into the project.
“I was worshipping Johnny Cash at the moment, and I ripped off an old traditional country progression,” said Tillman. “Literally, we were just testing the cheap recording equipment we had just bought and Stephen came up with this cool mandolin line. We were like, ‘OK, we finished a song,’ and that’s when we decided to call John.”
None of the members of Common Stock cared for country music or played it before, according to Bedell, but it beat carrying all the heavy equipment associated with a rock band.
“We used to be in a band where it would take an hour to setup or breakdown,” said Bedell. “Now, each of us carry one case and we’re ready to go. Basically, we still put on a rock show, just minus the rock and the broken backs.”
Recently, the group completed its much-anticipated debut album “Wreck,” a CD melting pot of rock, country and folk influences.
However, the sessions turned out to be anything but wreck-free, as broken recording gear, crashing hard drives and a brown recluse spider biting the producer set back the release of the record.
“Making this record was a complete mess,” said Tillman. “Now we’re focused on getting the band booked in Lake Charles and Lafayette and recording some more music. We’re a band. We play music. This is what we do.”
Listen for Common Stock on KLSU’s “The Truer Sound” airing on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon and on “The Saturated Neighborhood” airing Wednesday nights from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
To download Common Stock’s music visit their Web site at www.commonstockband.com or www.redstickrock.com.