Today we’d like to introduce you to JP McKenzie.
Thanks for sharing your story with us JP. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Family And Friends came together in 2013 in Athens, Georgia. When we first started in our small warehouse in the Chase Street Warehouses, it was everything you want a band to be: fun, cathartic, exciting, creatively challenging, and inspiring. Since then, we have had some incredible opportunities, some insurmountable moments, and tours that make me feel more like I’m a part of the Fellowship of the Ring traversing to Mordor and less like a part of a band. Our first show was a potluck party on 4/20 in the warehouse we were renting in 2013, and we have released 3 EPs and one full-length record since.
We play what we refer to as indie-folk-rock, and we have gotten to see the majority of the country as a part of this band. We got to lb/travel to LA to record our full l9Z7th album, we renovated an old church bus, we ran the church bus into the ground after one trip to Nashville, and we have made a lot of loving friends along the way. From scorching hot festivals on summer tours to driving through snow on winter tours, we are always excited to get to play together.
We are currently working on a new album, and like all of the others, it is a new challenge every time. As we grow, learn, and write, we find out new things about ourselves. I’m thankful that Family And Friends is a band that pushes each other in new ways each time, even if sometimes that means a writing session goes differently than we could have ever imagined. A band is always greater than the sum of the parts, but I, as one piece of the puzzle, am excited for the opportunity to brag on the team behind our band.
Has it been a smooth road?
The music industry as a whole is filled with a fair share of ups-and-downs, and we have been really fortunate in our career together. One thing I love about our crew is that we seem to make the best of the worst; however, we have definitely had some hard times. One time our bassist, Tuna, even ran over one of our drummer’s phones at the beginning of a long drive from New Orleans to Austin, TX so it’s hard to think of a more trying time than an eight-hour drive without a phone.
But in reality, while you’re on tour, there are some stark dichotomies you’ll experience: a sold-out show in a major market one night followed by an undersold show in a city you’ve never been to (and probably will never go to again). It can be a very feast-or-famine industry. The reality of it all, and the excitement I find in our band, is that no matter what happens, we have fun together. Whether it’s a sold-out show or the nights where we – a band of six people – outnumber the people in the audience, we make sure we have a good time.
Looking over our time together as a band, we have been blessed with incredible opportunities and have been surrounded by really wonderful people. Keeping your eyes on the good times and savoring those sweet moments really makes it all seem worth it. Truly the most challenging time, in my opinion, as a band has been during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We are lucky to have a supportive fanbase.
We’d love to hear more about your band.
I think that something that we strive to put emphasis on is the excitement that we share together in our live shows. We were fortunate enough to start in Athens, GA, which has a really inspiring live music community. From the beginning, we wanted to have an electrifying live show experience. Our two drummers, Ryan Houchens and Alejandro Rios, really escalate that live show experience. I think that we get the most comments on their stage presence dynamic: the way they play off of each other and drive us is something that I’ve always felt to be pretty remarkable. From climbing on the kits to tossing their sticks across the stage to each other, they always find some way to one-up the other. Their antics, combined with our bassist, Tuna Fortuna, and his dance moves, there’s always something to catch your attention. I’d also be remiss to not mention the powerhouse of Mike MacDonald pushing us.
I try not to think of the music industry as competitive as much as an industry that works in connectivity. Music is meant to bring people together, and I believe that as the tide rises, all the ships can float. We have been fortunate to share the stage with a lot of bands that we look up to and admire: bands that we can learn from and take pointers from. We all live for the live music experience, and it is something that we really love sharing together. It isn’t something we hide onstage. We get into it and leave it all out there. I’m proud of the way we celebrate the opportunity we have been given to make music and share it with so many people who have become our friends through the process.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think that our city is a really phenomenal place to start a band. I am thankful for the opportunities that the people in our city are creating to help foster bands. Whether it is Scott Orvold and Alan Sher and the crew over at Zero Mile, Brandon Mize and his crew at Rival, or Velena Vego and her team, – the list goes on – there are opportunities and open ears to help. There are so many great venues with personality, and so many people who have helped us and other artists succeed and thrive. Plus, there are a plethora of great studios and a culture of creativity that make the opportunities to be heard expand every day.
I’m excited for our world to be back to a place where we can share the excitement of live music again: even if it means having to use the bathroom at The Earl or Drunken Unicorn again. There is so much to be said for the crews at the venues that lift this city up, so much to be said for the crowds in Atlanta, so much to be said for the studios; however, I think that what our city can do to improve most would be wearing masks so that we can commune again freely.
Pricing:
- Felix Culpa Vinyl: $25
- Ouroboros Shirt: $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.familyandfriendsband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familyandfriendstagram/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/familyandfriends
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/famandpals
- Other: @jipple https://open.spotify.com/artist/2AmW5LU0vqfHoN2qvghRFe?si=9ehxYyM_To2j2-eBKozQYw, https://www.youtube.com/user/FamAndPals
Image Credit:
Swirl Photo: Chelsea Kornse
Personal Photo: Ulises Gonzales
Band Photos in Monochrome: Sommer McKenzie
Photo of me; Sommer McKenzie
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