I don't think I've ever loved a band quite as much as I do We Are Augustines. Granted, I have my favourites - they're all brilliant. But We Are Augustines have a special sort of chemistry, a rare sincerity, a striking intensity and choking emotional depth that makes them stand out from the bog-standard 'favourite band ever.' If it hadn't been for Jack's persistance/desperation in dragging a very unenthusiastic me out to see them one Sunday last year, I wouldn't have realised just how brilliant they are. This just about sums it up: the encore went on for like an hour and I cried. Also Billy told us to "keep in touch." Yep, that was an above average Sunday.
Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson of We Are Augustines. There's also Rob Allen who plays the drums but I had to pick this photo because they look so cute
Besides the unbearable loveliness and just, yeah, it is actually their music that we fell in love with. It's impossible to stress just how much their recorded sound doesn't even nearly compare to their live performance, but here's a few of my favourite songs by them anyway. The fact that it took me a good ten minutes to narrow it down indicates once again just how bloody good they are:
Also listen to: Strange Days, Book of James, Juarez. Actually, screw it and listen to all of them.
I also love this record & all the songs, it's on my fav albums playlist and always helps on the journey to work! Very lucky to see them live, I hope to catch them one day.
Juarez is actually my favorite video as I am from the southwest,USA. I learned about WAA from a Counting Crows blog but have yet to see them in person.
Wow, I could have written this! Everything you said I've thought that too....as for choosing Philadelphia and Chapel Song.... I presume you saw them at the Thekla in Bristol? You're spot on about their live act. Superb though their album is, you just aren't ready for what's going to hit you when they start to ramp it up on stage. What they have in spades - apart from talent, an enviable work ethic, original music sung from the heart, etc, etc - is a real love between them....they support each other on stage as if their lives depend on it - and it's all real!....."Brotherly love", like the man says. They are seriously approachable too.....Eric is earnest, sincere and appreciative of all you say, Rob is THE man, like a mate you've known all your life....as for Billy.....a shyness mixes incongruously with a sly sense of humour and an apparent lack of awareness of just how powerful he is as a performer. It's hard to reconcile the onstage persona: this often tortured guy whose voice veers between that of a wounded bull and the softness of a lost soul ravaged by a pain he finds hard to share, and the amiable troubadour who wanders up to you cheerily and asks you about YOU.......I actually believe he might actually still be unaware just how good he/they are! Anyway, enough of the pomposity. They come across as ordinary joes, grateful for the chance to make their music....yet one day, in spite of themselves, they will be huge. If so (when so!) I suspect they will manage to remain the same nice guys that they are now. Good on 'em...
Thanks for your essay of a comment! Everything you say is so true. Yeah I saw them at Thekla last year. It was so good - they were brilliant performers but we were even more unprepared for how lovely they would be. They were all really nice people and like you said, Billy made an effort to talk to US! We got there early and were hanging around when he introduced himself and we had a lovely conversation. Then we saw him again straight afterwards and then again outside - it wasn't even intentional, we just kept bumping into him and having a little chat. I totally agree, I'm certain they're going to be very famous one day. I'm just really glad we got to see them perform at such an intimate venue and get to know them a bit - although I completely agree that they will manage to remain nice people. It's just so refreshing to come across talented musicians who are lovely at the same time - it doesn't seem to happen all that often.
I saw them twice at the Thekla, spoke to them both times.....chances are I may have seen you talking to them outside that last time...but the thing is, they remembered us (my son's band supported them at the February gig.....a massive entry on his music world 'CV'!) and they even remembered my name....great, great guys....Billy couln't believe I once saw Hendrix live....he wasn't interested in talking about himself - it was all "tell me about you!"...and he got me a beer! Modest,humble, even, genuine....and Eric and Rob are the same.....thanks for sharing it all....and fair do's on getting the Facebook mention - it shows they keep tabs on it all, doesn't it? Please may they stay the same guys,eh? Btw, I'm 63, and never heard such a great band in decades! Kevin....btw, great blog!
Aw that's so nice of them, they really are lovely. It was so exciting and a complete surprise, just goes to show how appreciative they are - I'm sure that won't change! And thank you very much :)
I also love this record & all the songs, it's on my fav albums playlist and always helps on the journey to work! Very lucky to see them live, I hope to catch them one day.
ReplyDeleteThey were seriously brilliant, I hope you get to see them live for yourself!
DeleteJuarez is actually my favorite video as I am from the southwest,USA. I learned about WAA from a Counting Crows blog but have yet to see them in person.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should, they're amazing performers!
DeleteWow, I could have written this! Everything you said I've thought that too....as for choosing Philadelphia and Chapel Song....
ReplyDeleteI presume you saw them at the Thekla in Bristol?
You're spot on about their live act. Superb though their album is, you just aren't ready for what's going to hit you when they start to ramp it up on stage. What they have in spades - apart from talent, an enviable work ethic, original music sung from the heart, etc, etc - is a real love between them....they support each other on stage as if their lives depend on it - and it's all real!....."Brotherly love", like the man says.
They are seriously approachable too.....Eric is earnest, sincere and appreciative of all you say, Rob is THE man, like a mate you've known all your life....as for Billy.....a shyness mixes incongruously with a sly sense of humour and an apparent lack of awareness of just how powerful he is as a performer.
It's hard to reconcile the onstage persona: this often tortured guy whose voice veers between that of a wounded bull and the softness of a lost soul ravaged by a pain he finds hard to share, and the amiable troubadour who wanders up to you cheerily and asks you about YOU.......I actually believe he might actually still be unaware just how good he/they are!
Anyway, enough of the pomposity. They come across as ordinary joes, grateful for the chance to make their music....yet one day, in spite of themselves, they will be huge. If so (when so!) I suspect they will manage to remain the same nice guys that they are now. Good on 'em...
Thanks for your essay of a comment! Everything you say is so true.
DeleteYeah I saw them at Thekla last year. It was so good - they were brilliant performers but we were even more unprepared for how lovely they would be. They were all really nice people and like you said, Billy made an effort to talk to US! We got there early and were hanging around when he introduced himself and we had a lovely conversation. Then we saw him again straight afterwards and then again outside - it wasn't even intentional, we just kept bumping into him and having a little chat.
I totally agree, I'm certain they're going to be very famous one day. I'm just really glad we got to see them perform at such an intimate venue and get to know them a bit - although I completely agree that they will manage to remain nice people. It's just so refreshing to come across talented musicians who are lovely at the same time - it doesn't seem to happen all that often.
I saw them twice at the Thekla, spoke to them both times.....chances are I may have seen you talking to them outside that last time...but the thing is, they remembered us (my son's band supported them at the February gig.....a massive entry on his music world 'CV'!) and they even remembered my name....great, great guys....Billy couln't believe I once saw Hendrix live....he wasn't interested in talking about himself - it was all "tell me about you!"...and he got me a beer! Modest,humble, even, genuine....and Eric and Rob are the same.....thanks for sharing it all....and fair do's on getting the Facebook mention - it shows they keep tabs on it all, doesn't it? Please may they stay the same guys,eh? Btw, I'm 63, and never heard such a great band in decades!
ReplyDeleteKevin....btw, great blog!
Aw that's so nice of them, they really are lovely. It was so exciting and a complete surprise, just goes to show how appreciative they are - I'm sure that won't change! And thank you very much :)
Delete