The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 18, 1996, The Void, Page 10, Image 22
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For us it's about the
music, it's not about
stardom. Our goal was
never to be huge, the
fact that we are is cool
as hell, I'm not comnloininn
Kiit mo*
plaining, uui wt judi
like to play music and
we're very good friends and we
always will be."
Mark Bryan, guitarist forHootie
and the Blowfish, on the philosophy
he and his bandmates have followed
since becominghousehold names
throughout America. With their
sophomore effort Fairweather Johnson
about to be released, Bryan said the.
UVU Ull/Ulll JO (U OUUlIg \J 1 SUUlI^tl
than Cracked Rear View.
"I love the last album, but my
philosophy is that any time you make
an album it is like a product of that
period," Bryan said. Cracked Rear
View is a really good record for where
we were at that point. It was more of a
summation of everything up to that
point."
He said that as a whole, some of
the songs had run their course even
while they were recording them.
'Hold my Hand' and 'Time' were
already tour years old when they were
recorded for the first album.
'Fairweather Johnson' is composed of
all new material, with the exception of
'The Old Man and Me.'
"I can't wait to tour right now,"
Bryan said. "I'm just burning inside to
play the songs live."
Bryan said individual members
of the band have been writing material
all along. He said as a band they came
together to iam and work out the
songs that made it on the new album.
Some of the songs on 'Fairweather
Johnson' were written four years ago,
but hadn't been brought into the band,
according to Bryan.
With every band member writing
material, Bryan said Hootie and the
Blowfish will always have a big collection
of stuff to tap. Along with lead
mmm mm
iUU u c
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J " H JTy D t
singer Darius Rucker, bassist Dean
Felber and drummer Jim 'Soni'
Sonefeld, Bryan said the material is a
product of right now.
"Fortunately, we'll always be
able to make a good record, hoping
that everybody's been working on the
side. That's what you hope anyway,
and it worked on this one," he said.
Although they haven't allowed
success to change them, they have
enjoyed the benefits. Bryan said the
best nart of heinp successful is that it
I o "
allows him to make a living by making
music.
"It's been my dream for a long
time," he said.
He has also been able to meet
people he never thought he'd get a
chance to meet. Bruce Springsteen
and Cal Ripken, Jr. are two people
Bryan has admired for a long time and
he said meeting them was a thrill for
mm.
"I'm an early Springsteen fanatic.
He's just like people say, totally
down to earth," Bryan said. "I told
him how much his song writing
affected me when I was younger."
Bryan said he has followed the
career of Cal Ripken, Jr. ever since he
broke into the major leagues in 1983.
"I've been a fan of his since I
was a little kid," he said. "I latched
onto him immediately, I thought he
was a bad ass. I named my dog after
him."
As the band's following grew
bieeer and the members of Hootie
became fixtures of American pop culture
they took the Gamecock name
with them. Whether sporting the garnet
and black while playing basketball
in the 'Only Wanna be with You'
video or calling for Gamecock alumni
during their concerts all over the
country, the band has given South
Carolina a badly needed positive
image.
Bryan said the band didn't set
out to spread the Gamecock word. He
said they just believe in supporting
UN'
B U I I S
I their teams and are very antiFairweather
Johnson.
"South Carolina has never had a
fighting chance. It wasn't like we set
out to do it, but we kind of felt like we
were actually doing something with
the name Gamecocks of South
Carolina," Bryan said.
Although he does support
Carolina, Bryan said he is still very
pro-Maryland, the state where he
grew up.
"Anything that I'm into, I supnort
the colors, not iust South
I 7 J
Carolina," he said.
The band will be hitting the road
soon to support the new album, but
the guys still enjoy hanging out in
Five Points as they did before success
hit them. Bryan said he doesn't mind
when people approach him and want
to talk.
"If someone comes up to me and
wants to talk about music, it doesn't
bother me," he said. "I don't mind
talking to people about what I love to
do."
fcven with the tremendous success
they have attained, the band
members are not really hounded anywhere
they go. Bryan said there has
never been any incidents when fans
went crazy around them. He said only
Rucker attracts crowds. As the front
man and with such an unique voice
Rucker is the most recognizable.
However, the band members remain
down to earth and enjoy being in
Columbia.
Regardless of how the new
album Hnes it won't rhanpp the
, O- ?w
band's personality. They enjoy being
around each other and Columbia.
Hootie will play two shows in
Columbia before hitting the road, one
on the Horseshoe that will be taped
for MTV Unplugged and another at
Finlay Park.
'The Horseshoe is beautiful.
There were several sights that were
thrown around, but when MTV came
down and scouted, they picked the
Horseshoe," he said.
Come s<
we he
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