Every band I've been in scratches an itch for me

'Bill Anderson.'

By Brit Jones

Poison 13. Hand of Glory. The Horsies. The Meat Purveyors. Churchwood. And, whereas that would be a complete resume for most musicians, it’s not even a complete list for Austin, Texas mainstay Bill Anderson. Spanning almost 50 years, Bill’s career is star-studded, with every band he played in reaching a level of success that eludes the vast majority of bands. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the vaunted Austin music scene simply would not have been the same without him. I caught up with Bill, who’s retired to Taos, New Mexico. But, as you’ll see, he’s not done yet. And we’ll all be better off for it.

Brit Jones: You’ve mentioned to me that you saw the first Hickoids show at Taco Land in San Antonio in 1984, in which they opened for The Meat Puppets and Black Flag. How did you discover and get into punk rock?

Bill Anderson: In the late ‘70s is when I started hearing stuff I liked that they were calling “New Wave,” like the B-52s, Elvis Costello, and Lene Lovich. Then when I heard Never Mind the Bollocks, that was a big thing, but it was probably right after the Pistols broke up. Seeing the B-52s in DC in 1978 was a big deal for me – the freshness, but also the retro-ness, of that band was super entertaining to me. And seeing Devo videos around that time kinda blew my mind, and I think I instinctively “got” them. And of course I was a big Clash fan in the very early ‘80s when I lived in the Bay Area. But it wasn’t until I moved to Austin that I really started feeling a connection to any kind of scene.

**When did you arrive in Austin and how soon after did you start your first band? **I moved to Austin in the summer of ‘82 because my girlfriend at the time raved about how cheap Austin and UT were, and that sounded good. I was putting myself through college and, because of having to work, it was taking a while to get my degree. I started going to Club Foot and meeting folks in the punk rock scene, and by January of ‘84 I got in a hardcore band, Happy Death. The scene, at that point, was manageably small and so encouraging. In our short existence, we had some really great fun shows. By then, I was pretty good friends with Chris Gates, and that led to me being asked to join Poison 13. Pretty great break for me because Chris and Tim were already so well known from the Big Boys and had so many connections with other punk rock bands that I got to see and play shows with most of the great bands of the ‘80s, like the Minutemen, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, etc.

**You’ve been in a variety of bands over the years – Poison 13, Hand of Glory, The Meat Purveyors, Churchwood, and Ice Cold Singles to name a few. Each has a distinct musical style, and none sound alike. What’s your creative process in forming a new band? **When I was starting out, I would join bands when people invited me if I liked their songs and the vibe. Poison 13 was kind of easy because I just played the same stuff I had been playing by myself but louder and dirtier. The first two bands I did with Joe Doerr — Ballad Shambles and Hand of Glory — made me stretch my horizons a little and tighten up my playing because I was the only guitarist. Joe and I became a songwriting team in Hand of Glory, and because Joe writes great lyrics and can make a song out of any music I send his way, that was part of what made Churchwood so gratifying a couple of decades later. Bands I started, or helped start, like The Meat Purveyors, Cat Scientist, Churchwood, or the Fontanelles, were put together with people I either knew and really liked or really wanted to play music with. From those different personalities and talents, hopefully a great band would emerge organically. Does that make sense?

Are you the primary songwriter in your bands or is it more of a collaborative effort?

It depends on the band. I wrote about three-quarters of the Meat Purveyors originals by myself, though I used Jo and Cherilyn as my muses. Other bands like the Horsies, Cat Scientist, Churchwood, and especially the Fontantelles were hyper-collaborative. In all those bands, we split the songwriting credits equally no matter how the song originated. In all those bands, I was lucky enough to have my fingerprints all over most of the songs, sometimes lyrically but mostly musically. In three out of four of those bands, I helped write a lot of songs with Brant Bingamon, who I would say is one of the backbones of the Austin music scene that I’m a part of. The beauty of collaboration, and this was my thinking when I put together Churchwood, is that you get people who will come up with stuff you wouldn’t think of on your own.

All your bands have had a degree of success that most musicians dream of. Do you attribute this to the songwriting, promotion, hard work, or some combination of these?

Hah! Definitely not promotion, though when the Meat Purveyors were on Bloodshot Records, that helped our band a ton when we were on the road. I’d say any success I’ve had is due to having so many friends that are talented songwriters and performers. Also, any band I’ve been serious about has taken practice seriously as far as consistently showing up, which is maybe the most important part of being in a band besides listening. Once we’re all there, band practice can take many forms, but it should be fun, so chemistry is pretty important. You pretty much HAVE to enjoy hanging out with your bandmates. Cocktails to start off practice can be nice!

**It’s almost become a running gag as to how many bands you play with during the South by Southwest music festival. If you recall, what year was the most, and how many shows did you play? **I admit I feel a bit sheepish about playing in so many bands at every single SXSW, but I have so many connections, especially now, and people I just love having an excuse to hang out with. I know I played at least 17 sets, at the least, one year, but even now it’s not weird for me to play a dozen times at SXSW, with 3 or 4 different bands.

**Now that you live in New Mexico, do you keep your hand in, traveling to Austin for SXSW and other random gigs throughout the year? **Yes! I will never not love coming to Austin to play music with my friends. They are what I miss most about not living here anymore. I still come to Texas 4 or 5 times a year, and it’s a blast pretty much every time.

**What bands are you listening to these days? Is there anyone new that’s caught your ear? **Jeez, I’m the worst person to answer this question. I’m absolutely terrible at keeping up with modern music. I hear stuff I like, then forget to check who it is. I know I’m really happy when I hear good Afrobeat or Afropop bands. If I had to listen to rock steady or early reggae all day, I’d be fine with that. I’m still a giant Beefheart fan. As for new bands, I’m just not qualified to say. I really enjoy seeing local music in smaller, crowded or uncrowded venues.

**Are you participating in any musical projects in New Mexico or taking a well-deserved rest? **When I moved to Taos five years ago, I really wasn’t sure if I was still going to keep being a band guy. I knew that no matter what, I’d still play with my friends in Austin and Jon Langford and stuff like that, and I figured at least I’d find some people in New Mexico to jam with, but somehow I started meeting some talented musicians almost immediately, and so, yes, I’m in 3 bands at the moment in Taos! Big Violet is a heavyish rock band with my very talented friend Audra, who writes the songs. A previous project of ours, Audra Rodgers and the Sweethearts, which also included my friend Kenna Tuggle, won Album of the Year in the New Mexico Music Awards last year. I’m in a pretty new band, also with Audra, called Darlin’ Please that plays classic country and honky tonk tunes, something I’ve wanted to do for years. From our very first show, we had the dance floor filled with two-steppers! That’s been a blast so far. I also play with a great quirky songwriter named Dave Spalding, and that’s been another kind of fun.

**Finally, out of all the bands you’ve played with, do you have a favorite? **Whoa! That’s like asking who’s my favorite brother or sister! Every band scratches a different itch for me. Poison 13 was great because it plunged me right into the thick of things, and people still listen to it today. In fact, a label just re-released our first album on vinyl for the first time in 40 years. I loved Mike’s singing, songwriting, and musical taste. The Horsies I loved because of the freedom to play whatever I wanted and the collaboration. A bunch of songwriters in that band! Being in the Meat Purveyors was maybe the most fun I’ve had playing live, and everyone in the band was hilarious. Even though it was acoustic, it may have actually been the most punk rock band I’ve played in. Churchwood is probably the band that’s most me, musically. I’m really proud of our six albums, and I’m grateful to Jeff Smith for being a patron of the arts and putting them out. It was my third band with Joe Doerr and my second band with Julien Petersen (who is a monster musically).

I had played in the Daniel Johnston rock opera (a real labor of love for me) with Adam Kahan, so I knew he would be a great addition. I had never played with Billysteve Korpi, but I could see and hear that we would be musically copacetic. That ended up being my favorite two-guitar collaboration of any of my bands. (I also loved playing guitar with Tim Kerr, Davy Jones, and Chris Vestre.) Finally, I’ll give a shout-out to the Fontanelles, one of the most talented groups I’ve known who played way too few shows. All six of us are songwriters, and they are people that I really love. Those were maybe my favorite band practices, and I love band practice.

Share

About Brit Jones:

Brit Jones spent 35 years in Austin, TX, ostensibly to attend The University of Texas but received his real education immersing himself in the Austin music scene. During that time, he played guitar in punk, rockabilly, and country bands and met a ton of interesting people; he later played with national acts ranging from mediocre one-hit wonders to those with staying power and real success. In 2019, out of gas, he relocated to Houston with his little dog Maya. But music has a way of sinking its hooks in you, and he now travels to Austin to play music with old bandmates and, of course, write for this fine publication.