Meriwether is a Baton-Rouge-based rock band that wears its Louisiana pride like a badge of honor. Meriwether contends that honesty is the key to good music, and honesty flows through every note they write and play. Along with an earnestness that’s found throughout the South, the band is influenced by their home state’s musical foundation, as singer/guitarist Drew Reilley offers, “Not so much with instrumentation, but more with the emotion, like, ‘Fuck Yeah! We’re here to rock!’ “ Fans can reacquaint themselves with that passion and unique sound this fall, when Suretone Records re-releases Meriwether’s Make Your Move record via Fontana on October 16th. The album, which the band originally released in 2005 and has since sold 10,000 copies on GVE Records, now contains a revamped track listing featuring the brand new song “New Orleans RIP,” as well as classic rarities “Easier” and “About an Apparition,” which appeared as bonus tracks on the original album’s Japanese release. These newly added tunes replace fan favorites “Girl in Mexico,” “And Tonic ER,” and “Aye Julian,” which appeared on Make Your Move’s original tracklist but have been re-recorded in brand new versions for inclusion on the band’s upcoming 2008 full-length for Suretone/Interscope, tentatively titled A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. The Make Your Move reissue will also include a download card for two free songs from the upcoming album, which fans can access from a special website. The new effort, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, is helmed by acclaimed producer Howard Benson, who has manned the boards with everyone from My Chemical Romance and the All-American Rejects to Motörhead and Sepultura. It was Benson’s keen ears that prompted the band to re-record their old tracks, with the results reportedly taking the band’s tunes to “the next level.” Meriwether is currently out on tour after a summer of recording and Warped Tour dates, followed by high-profile gigs such as shows supporting The Starting Line; Up next is the Madina Lake / Mayday Parade Tour before a November stretch warming up crowds for Papa Roach. Heavy touring is nothing new to the band that clocked 300 shows in a year and a half, sharing stages with the likes of Anberlin and 30 Seconds To Mars. They also performed on a date of the inaugural Taste Of Chaos tour, featuring The Used, My Chemical Romance, Killswitch Engage and Underoath; they won this prized, coveted slot thanks to a MySpace contest where users voted on which band they wanted to see perform on the tour. On October 26, the rockers will make a triumphant home state appearance, kicking off New Orleans’ Voodoo Music Experience 2007 as the first band to appear on the main stage on Friday afternoon. The members of Meriwether are ambitious, focused and driven, and they were born to make music; they’ve got rock ‘n roll in their DNA. Formed in the summer of 2003, Meriwether is rounded out by guitarist Steve Bergeron, bassist Josh Barbier and drummer Brett Schexnayder. As for the music itself, it’s a potent, high-octane, addictively catchy blend of rock, pop hooks and emotionally raw vocals. Reilley says, “We write the lyrics and melodies in almost a singer-songwriter type of way, and that makes it easy for people to relate to, because they are well-written and well thought-out. I don’t think we’re doing something that hasn’t ever been done before, but we have a sound that isn’t the norm. We draw people into it.” Time to rock? “Fuck Yeah!”
http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/65257.html
