Howdy,
Craig Duskin steps up to the podium and asks a question about Knoxville's
own Judybats: <<I am wondering if anyone knows what's up with this band.
[They] put out 4 albums between 1990- and 94. Then they broke up, reformed
under the name The Doubters Club and self-released and album. then they
disappeared.>>
Close, but not quite.
Actually, not all former 'Bats were members of the Doubters Club. Some 'Bats
who were part of Doubters Club included Jeff Heiskell, Dave Jenkins, and
Paul Noe. Other 'Bats persued other projects.
Jenkins and Noe teamed up with former Viceroy (now known as the V-Roys, of
course) John Paul Keith to help form a new group-- the Nevers.
The Nevers debut release was originally scheduled for release in January but
Sire (which, coincidentally, was also the Judybats old label) has pushed the
debut back to March or April 1999.
Pre-publicity on the Nevers has generated quite a buzz in Nashville and
beyond. You can read an article about the Nevers (which touches on a little
bit of the Judybats connection) at
http://weeklywire.com/ww/03-30-98/nash_music-local_view.html
The aforementioned article was written about the Nevers following last
year's performance at Nashville's Extravaganza. The article originally
appeared in the Nashville Scene.
You can also find out about the Nevers at their own web site at
www.nevers.net The band maintains an announcement-based mailing list which I
subscribe to, but haven't received any mail from in a few weeks since the
announcement of the debut's delay.
The Nevers are scheduled to appear in Knoxville on February 6. (Opening act,
by the way, will be Flesh Vehicle-- which consists of several moonlighting
members of another Knoxville-gone-national band, Superdrag.)
Craig continues: <<I seem to remember reading something awile back about the
band regforming under a name very similar to the Judybats(I think it just
had another word or something added on to it). Does anyone know anything
about this?>>
Back in September 1998 on P2, I posted an article about former Judybats
frontman Jeff Heiskell starting a new group here in Knoxville. The new group
is currently operating under the name The Judybats, but Heiskell says he's
going to change it at some point. Rumor has it that not everyone is amused
by the reincarnation of the Judybats name.
For your reading pleasure, here's the article again...
--------
Knoxville News-Sentinel
September 24, 1998
Judybats Reincarnated with One Original 'Bat
by Shannon Stanfield
Though there was only one place to be last Saturday night, the Long Branch
on
Cumberland was definitely the place to be the night before.
With 'Branch regulars talking trash with Florida fans upstairs, three bands
ripped it up to a packed house on the ground floor.
Kicking off the raucous evening was a band with a name that may be more
remembered in these parts for headlining bills than opening them: The
Judybats.
The original version of Knoxville's biggest college rock band to date first
played on The Strip in 1990 and later went through several personnel changes
during its four releases on Sire Records.
The current Judybats lineup contains only one original 'Bat-- frontman Jeff
Heiskell.
With a hopped-up, jingle-jangle college radio-ready guitar sound somewhat
reminiscent of early R.E.M., Heiskell says the music he and his newbie-Bats
are making these days is more important to him than their logo.
"I call it the 'Judybats U.K.' Then I call it the "Judybats 2000," and next
week it may be called the 'Judybats, inc.,' " Heiskell says. "If you don't
have a record deal, and you don't have any product out, who cares what you
call it? I just thought it was a recognizable name, and I was the front man
all those years so I was just thinking about using it again."
At least one original Judybat, guitarist Johnny Sughrue, may not care as
little as Heiskell about the new band using the old name.
"I wish them the best, but it's not *really* the Judybats, is it?" Surghrue
says.
Joining Heiskell in his new band is bassist Rob Bell, and former Immortal
Chorus guitarist Reed Pendelton. Twin brothers Doug and Mike Harrell play
guitar and drums respectively and may also be remembered as members of the
early '90s UT college rockers Wet Jonah.
Heiskell says his current band was thrown together three months ago to make
demo tapes to shop to record labels, not so much to perform.
"We have demoed five songs at one studio and seven at another, and I don't
know what we're going to do. I'd like to get a deal 'cause if we don't get
a publishing deal, I can't quit my job and , if I don't quit my job, we
ain't going anywhere, you know what I'm saying?"
Though Heiskell also fronted the Doubters Club, a band comprised of several
former Judybats members, his lineup has more of a rock 'n' roll edge, a
sound the singer says he has wanted for a long time.
"Some people are just a little shocked. People who haven't cared much for
what I have done in the past really like this. I don't believe I've had
that many compliments [on Friday] on anything I have done in years where
people were just coming up flipping out about how much they enjoyed it and
it really made me feel good."
----------
And that's pretty much where we are up to now. The new Judybats have
appeared on The Strip a few times, but I'll admit I haven't heard them yet
and haven't heard much of a buzz about it.
Craig again: <<Any info would be appreciated.>>
Your welcome.
Take care,
Shane Rhyne
Knoxville, TN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
NP: Alan Jackson, Don't Rock the Jukebox
