Suit
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Suit

Band Rock Blues

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"Suitable"

When the band Suit plays in Columbia, you might see a few familiar faces.
That’s because the Clemson-based trio is what remains of Barney’s Jive Band, who played in Columbia countless times over the last three years. Their favorite local venue was Minglewood and playing there earned them a loyal Columbia fan base. The band went through many changes while they were together and at one point had six members. With the departure of guitarist Paul Loiodice in December of 2005, Barney’s became a three-piece and consists of guitarist Adam Way, bassist Kit Richardson, and drummer Jonathan Hunt.

Way admitted that the transition might be confusing to some. “With the name change, we’re pretty much going to have to rebuild our fan base,” he said. “There are still some kids around from back in the Barney’s days, but for the most part, we’re starting from scratch.” The band is excited about their new set-up and has spent the last few months regrouping to prepare for the spring show season, which will pick up in the next few weeks. Their main focus has been cleaning up old songs and writing simple songs with meaningful words and succinct changes, a departure from the meandering jam-style approach taken by Barney’s. Way, Richardson, and Hunt have all been working on their vocals because they will be important in defining their sound.

Way said that playing in a three-piece requires accountability from each person. “Each element is more important than it was when there were, say, six people in the band,” he said. As for the roles each member plays, Way said that bassist Richardson has stepped up in terms of “holding down the fort,” and that drummer Hunt is still the “heartbeat of the band.” Way said he has taken on a greater role in terms of playing rhythm guitar. Way credits the strong friendships between the band members as being the force that drives them. “We’re first and foremost great friends,” Way said. “We have to be able to trust and respect each other. Without those two elements, the music is nothing.”

The band’s commitment to taking their music seriously is evidenced by the fact that they are taking on a manager to help with booking shows, making live recordings, and handling their finances. “You have to realize that you can only do so much, and that it’s okay to ask for help,” Way said. “We’re excited about building a management team. That’s going to be a huge step for us.” Additionally, they are considering moving out of Clemson to help spread their sound to a larger audience.“The idea is to play for about a year or so in four particular cities,” Way said. “The ones we want to focus on are Columbia, Athens, Asheville, and Charleston. I could see us in any one of those, just to rebuild a larger base and have cooler venues at our disposal.”

Way has many fond memories from playing in Barney’s Jive Band. One of his favorite venues is The Pour House in Raleigh, N.C, because of their great sound system and the fact that they have 40 beers on tap. They also made connections with other bands, and Way’s favorite is Tishamingo from Athens, G.A. “We played with them in Raleigh, and their management team was always very responsive and kind to us,” he said. “They’ve gone on to be a Bonnaroo and Jam Cruise-sized band, and hopefully we’ll be able to catch up with them sooner or later.”
Way said that maintaining momentum for playing in a band is challenging, but that the encouragement and support he gets from his family and close friends has meant a lot. His main motivation for playing music is to leave something behind for others.
“All of the recordings, all of the pictures, the friends you’ve made, and the places you’ve been- no one can take that from you,” he said. “And the larger your music becomes, the more people you can reach, and the more smiles you can put on peoples’ faces.”
Way said that he learned some valuable lessons from playing in Barney’s Jive Band that he will incorporate into Suit. “The main thing that Barney’s taught me was that if you’re going to do music, you have to accept adversity and change,” he said. “You have to change yourself to “suit” the music. It will not change for you.” Way said that Suit hopes to make it back to Columbia in the very near future, so be on the lookout for show dates.

- L. Turbeville, Columbia, SC


Discography

Barney's first recording was a five song, untitled demo cd at Overall Recording Studios above Spartanburg SC. Later in 2002, the band won the Grady Miller Mics and Bikes challenge (a competition for all of the Upstate) which entitled them additional recording time at Pheonix Studios in Greenville, SC. We used this time to record two additional tracks to add to our demo. Currently you can hear these songs on Rock 101.1, the Upstate's ONLY Classic Rock Station.

Recently the band recorded 7 more songs at The Brooks Center at Clemson University and they plan to develop a full length, self released album within the next year.

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Bio

Suit is an acrobatical new three piece hailing from Upstate South Carolina. After Barney's Jive Band had toured the Southeast for three years, some of the members decided to go their separate ways. So now the core survives and lives on as Suit.

The group spends much of their time developing new material, but still travels their region as often as possible, playing hometown shows and making runs to the coast. They hope to soon be reviving their markets in Columbia, Raleigh, Atlanta, Athens, and Charleston.

The band has experienced everything from clubs to large festivals (Fall for Greenville, 3 Rivers), music conferences (Altantis Music Conference), and studio recording time.

We pride ourselves on being the hardest working band in Upstate South Carolina, and it shows in our three-part harmonies, flexible break-downs, and rock solid rhythm.