Jacksonville.com - Tishamingo Keeps Southern Rock Sound Rolling
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Wednesday, May 24, 2006
By Tamara McClaran, Shorelines correspondent

As good as the past few years have been, things keep getting better and better for Tishamingo.

The band known for its funky, blues-soaked Southern rock 'n' roll sound is making its first appearance next month at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn. The festival appearance is a dream come true for the band.

If You Go Tishamingo will perform Friday at Freebird Live, 200 First St. N., Jacksonville Beach. Tickets are $10. For information, call 246-2473 or go to www.freebirdlive.com

"I didn't believe it when I first heard it," Tishamingo singer and guitarist Cameron Williams said. "We've been working on this for awhile. It's an honor to play there. It's a huge event."

Friday, Tishamingo will kick off Memorial Day weekend with a show at Freebird Live nightclub in Jacksonville Beach.

Tishamingo plays about 200 live shows a year across the country. Last year they also toured Italy, Switzerland and Austria. In June, the band will travel to Santa Fe, N.M., although it's not part of a tour. Tishamingo is working on its, third album, this one with John Kurzweg, a producer the Athens, Ga.-based band first met when they were part of the Tallahassee music scene.

"At the time, he stopped working on our project to go work with Creed years ago," Williams said.

Kurzweg established his reputation as an A-list producer while working with Creed. He produced Creed's debut album that sold more than 5 million copies and Creed's follow-up release that sold about 10 million copies. Kurzweg also produced the successful debut release for Puddle of Mudd, a band discovered by Jacksonville's Fred Durst of Limp Bizket fame.

"He's a top-notch producer," Williams said. "We are really lucky to be working with him again."

With their previous releases, Tishamingo sought out industry professionals with proven track records. John Keane, who has worked with Widespread Panic, R.E.M. and Indigo Girls, produced the group's self-titled debut album in 2002. David Barbe, who has worked with the Drive-by Truckers, produced their second release, Wear N' Tear.

Although Williams admits Creed and Puddle of Mudd's music is nothing like Tishamingo's sound, he says the band is excited about the opportunity to work with Kurzweg again. Williams says the band has new material ready to record and hopes to have the next release out by the end of the year.

"I believe our next record will be more cohesive than Wear N' Tear or our first release," Williams said. "They were really all over the place. That's where we were."

Tishamingo has brought a new bass player, Chuck Thomas, on board. Other changes are guitarist Jess Franklin adding a Fender Rhodes electric piano to the mix. While Franklin has played the keys on tracks in the studio, this is something new for the band's live show.

"It changes the sound," Williams said. It adds a soul feel to the sound."

That soul sound has a deeper meaning for Franklin, who learned to play the piano as a child. His father, an accomplished concert pianist, died four years ago.

"It means a lot to Jess to play the piano," Williams said. "That's what his father did."
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