Get to Know: The Amboys

Lots of times you can peg where a band is from by their sound.  When I first heard The Amboys, I thought… How have I not heard this Nashville band before?  Alas, they threw me a curveball, they are from New Jersey.

The Amboys are a band to keep your eye on.  It is an updated old timey sound that incorporates all that great folk and bluegrass history; the story telling of country music; and the hard driving, foot stomping, beer swilling wail and beat of rock and roll.  It’s the kind of music that you don’t know what you are going to hear in the next song that queues up.

Here’s what I do know about them.  This band of New Jerseyians (who play like they are from somewhere else) consists of C.M. Smith (vocals/guitar), Connor (drums/vocals) & Daniel (guitar/vocals) “our last name would be great for a hamburger joint” Effenberger, & Manny Castanon (bass).  However, they take on a very Nashville attribute in their records by inviting a number of other musicians in to help them get the sound that they are looking for, be it horns, slide guitar, keys, etc.

I asked the guys for some personal stories that I could pass along, and they forwarded this interview that they did with Antimusic.  Rather than recycle material, you can head over here to check it out.  It’s a funny read replete with snore tracks, drunk dialing, rifles, wolves, and hedonism.

They’ve been touring around the east coast for a while now in support of their first two releases, and they are hoping to stop in Nashville on their way through to SXSW this spring.  They’re looking for a gig here around that time if anyone wants to book them or propose a show trade set up.  I’ll definitely let you know if that happens, but, in the meantime, I’ve attached some  players with their first two records below so that you can get to know The Amboys.

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