Amarillo Junction
Bethany, Oklahoma, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF | AFM
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Amarillo Junction
July 21, 2014
A couple of weeks ago I was able to sit down and interview one of our River Lounge regular bands, Amarillo Junction. Now I know what you are all wondering, “Where did the name Amarillo Junction come from?” Well, the “Amarillo Junction” is the corridor of I-35 where I-40 and I-44 intersect. The band thought this was a fitting name since the members all came together there from all different walks of life.
To get you more familiar with Amarillo Junction, let me introduce you to the band:
Kyle Rainer – Vocals, Guitars
Ronnie Deane – Vocals, Guitars
Chris Walls – Guitars
Paul Courtney – Bass, Guitars
Jake Lynn – Drums, Percussion, Piano
I know you all are biting at the bit to get to know the band even more, so here’s an interview I hosted with them:
C: How did Amarillo Junction get started?
AJ: The original idea of the band started with a male and a female duo until Ronnie joined the band in October 2012. It quickly evolved into a three vocalist-fronted band, with an edgier feel coined as “Oklahoma Outlaw Country.” Our sound has evolved and developed into more of a country mixed with a southern rock feel. Make no mistake, we may be market ourselves as a country band, but seeing us live you will experience a rock show similar to Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and others.
C: Where does your musical inspiration come from?
AJ: Our influences come from anywhere – a movie, a feeling, another song, something that happened at work, home, etc. We interpret those signs and translate them into music, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
C: Where do you see the Amarillo Junction in 5 years? What about in 10 years?
AJ: Hopefully, we’re still at it, just on a larger scale! We would love to be headlining our own regional tours and playing festivals or events with other national artists around the country. Eventually, we would like to open our own studio and create our own independent label/management company to help other bands get their careers started.
C: What’s one word to describe the Amarillo Junction?
AJ: If we had to choose one word, it would be entertaining. The presentation of the show is our main priority. People remember bands that are fun to watch, and those artists continually attract fans in to see what they’re going to do next.
C: Is there something you’ve learned along the way that you wish you knew when you first started performing?
AJ: The short answer is: make friends with your soundman. He can make the worst artists sound like Beethoven or make the best artists sound loud and staticky.
The long answer is: perception is 9/10 of everything. “Act like you belong and people think you do” is an adage we live by. If you’re in public and people know you’re in a popular band, you still have to act accordingly and present yourself in a positive manner.
C: What does a typical day in the life of your band look like?
AJ: Right now, we all still have day jobs or are in school full-time. When we have a late rehearsal or weekday shows, we’re still getting up the next day and going to work. We all live and breathe Amarillo Junction and we work toward making it better every day.
I’ll see you all in the River Lounge on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26, to hear Amarillo Junction’s infamous Oklahoma Outlaw Country sound!
Caroline -
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
We Are Amarillo Junction
The 'Amarillo Junction' is where I-40 intersects I-44 near the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in West Central Oklahoma City. This path is the intersection point that gives highway access from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA, following the path of Old Route 66. The members of the band came together in OKC from different birthplaces, states, backgrounds, and upbringings, so it was the perfect name for this band that signifies the unity of its members.
In only a few months of getting together, the band was booking shows all over OKC and surrounding areas. After a few member lineup and musical direction changes, the band finally came together is taking the genre and industry by storm. With all members contributing to the writing process, they have created new, original material available to develop and record for the masses.
With upbeat rockin' tunes, to bluesy, honky-tonk styles, and to alternative ballads, the band has created their own form of "country meets rock" that has positioned themselves quite uniquely in the local music scene, and have been similarly compared mainstream bands and artists while keeping that rockin' country style that is all their own.
Their original song 'Texarkana' world premiered and released to radio in 2015 and has had substantial airplay throughout the US, Canada, and the UK. Their debut album single called "That Could Be Us" is due for release in October 2017 and complete album following in December 2017, was engineered and recorded at 50 Rock Studios in Bethany, OK and Bell Labs, in Norman, OK, and is produced by Grammy-winning Producer Trent Bell and published by Terranova Entertainment Group, LLC.
The band is currently booking acoustic and electric events all over Oklahoma and beyond. They have a full-night's set list with a mix of originals and fun, danceable covers, and they can keep any audience entertained for hours. They love what they do, and want to share it with you!
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