The National Rifle

Music

FEATURED SONG

Play
Play Next
Add to queue

In the Weeds

Album:

Released: Aug 31, 2010

Label:

1. Play
2. Play Next
3. Add to queue
In the Weeds
4:13
2,232 plays
1. Play
2. Play Next
3. Add to queue
Jazz History of the World
3:50
1,844 plays
1. Play
2. Play Next
3. Add to queue
She's a Waste
3:40
2,033 plays
1. Play
2. Play Next
3. Add to queue
It's Just Whiskey, Mama
4:44
9,574 plays
1. Play
2. Play Next
3. Add to queue
Love Crack
3:51
5,319 plays

Total Plays: 71,977 / Plays Today: 1See All Featured ►

Videos

Oops! In order to view this, you will need to enable JavaScript and install Adobe Flash 10 or greater. Get Flash now!

The National Rifle - "In the Weeds"

04:22 | 136 plays | Jan 14 2011

Shows & Events

No upcoming shows/events

DEMAND

Powered by eventful

Bring The National Rifle to your city!

Comments

Contact The National Rifle

Booking
Promotions

General Info

Genre: Indie / Punk / Rock
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Un
Profile Views: 139029
Last Login: 8/24/2011
Member Since 8/1/2005
Website www.thenationalrifle.com
Type of Label Unsigned
Bio
“We're doing this because we don't give a shit if we're a hundred years old and still have to work day jobs to drive 18 hours to New Orleans for a show over the weekend. We're investing our lives in this because it's the only thing we care about.” That’s the voice of The National Rifle’s frontman, 28-year-old Hugh, letting you know what drives this hard-working indie rock group to create the steady flow of music that they have over the last four years. To the National Rifle, it’s all about the music, the performance, and the fans, and with their fourth EP, Vanity Press which is released on August 31st, this group of four is going all out for what matters to them most. On lead vocals and guitar as well as the band’s chief songwriter, Hugh is a multi-instrumentalist who got his start in music the same time he was learning to ride a bike. His passion for music carried on throughout his high school and college years. He took guitar lessons from a teacher with jazz influence and studied Latin guitar and Latin-jazz percussion, yet Hugh isn’t the only one in the group with a unique upbringing in music. The band’s drummer, 25-year old Buddy is a multi-instrumentalist himself who dabbled with alto sax, electric bass, piano, guitar, and even the synths since the tender age of nine before making the drums his staple, along with providing backup vocals for the group. Then there is Jeremiah who has spent half of his life playing the bass – which is the same amount of time that he’s been making music with Hugh. And there is Lynna, whose position in the group would seem at one time to be quite a surprise. “I guess I just never knew that my singing background and unconventional piano skills would be of good use to me one day.” Spending less then a year in formal lessons, Lynna has used her ears, knack for sound and experience in choir to craft her musical talent. She now uses her unique skills in the band on keys and backup vocals. The National Rifle is her first band, which she was propelled to join because of her love for live music. When you combine each band member’s musical experience and flavor together it becomes clear that The National Rifle lays slightly beyond those who would like to easily categorize them into one genre; a conundrum the group is fine with having. According to Hugh, “I don't think any band wants to be categorized since it means most likely that they're unoriginal... I'd like us to be more than a combination of just the things we like and also [to be] in constant evolution.” Born individualists, the band doesn’t see them as being influenced by those that they have shared the stage with stylistically. Rather, the artists they’ve played with have acted as either a template for the band to observe and glean from or to be used as a type of target practice. “I think anyone we have played with has only influenced us to want to bring up our energy and blow them out of the water.” Says Hugh and from Jeremiah, “I think of it as a band contest and we gotta play better than any other competitors!” And with the release of Vanity Press, their fourth EP in the last four years just around the corner, it’s safe to say that this band is evolving at an incredibly constant rate. In fact, it doesn’t seem to miss a beat. Writing for the new album began just after the release of their last EP, which came out in the spring of 2009. The group recorded their newest work over the last three weekends in April at Seventh Wave Studios in Harrisburg, PA with Jason Rubal. Recording proves to be just one more area where The National Rifle’s musical intricacies are shown. Although the group is happy to have the pros do what they’re best at when it comes to producing, they make no bones about who’s in control when it comes to the final sound. In Buddy’s mind, “There is no room for assumptions – you cannot assume someone else will make it sound good. In fact, there are moments when we experience some tension when we record, but it is certainly worth the effort in the end.” This sentiment is echoed by Lynna as she says, “Jason was definitely the studio genius who knew how to capture the sound but we were in full control of the creative process.” The National Rifle’s attention to detail is bound to be seen by anyone who listens to Vanity Press. If you are wondering where such constant inspiration comes from, you don’t need to look much further then the standstill traffic or your neutral-toned work cubicle. For the band’s head writer, musical inspiration comes from the monotony of the daily grind. “It's probably how much I hate my job and this middle class adult normal life thing… I [still] have this rat in a cage feeling about living in this superficial money-driven place.” He notes specifically on what he writes for the group, “I can [obviously] bitch about it forever so a lot of my lyrics deal with that feeling.” Indeed that feeling is found throughout the group’s lyrics, along with punching music on tracks like “Rehab” from their 2006 self-titled debut and “Love Crack” from 2009’s Man Full of Trouble. So what can fans expect from the band’s newest efforts? For members of the band, excitement for this album to reach the audience’s ears is high since they feel that this will be a turning point for them; this album being the album which they feel really embodies their live performance. One band favorite from the new release is “Jazz History of the World,” which matches fun and catchy vocals to brilliantly flowing music, set up with 6/8 time signatures. According to Hugh, “It’s probably my favorite lyrically…This song specifically deals with how I feel like that pressure of having to live a certain way, own certain things, and make a certain amount of money just seems to continue to build and even influences my self perception.” For a more all-encompassing look at the band however, they suggest you check out “In the Weeds”, which Hugh feels is a snapshot of where they’ve been and a compass for where they are going; not to mention that to Jeremiah, the track is “Just flat out rocking!”
Members
Hugh, Jeremiah, Lynna, Buddy
Influences
Sounds Like

More ▼Less ▲

No upcoming shows/events

Bring The National Rifle to your city!

Bio

Members

Influences

Sounds Like

Login