There may be ghosts in Justin Kinkel-Schuster's guitar. He can't otherwise figure out what gives the 1958 or so Harmony-brand hollow body its haunting, airy, throwback tone.
"It's like magic. ... It's absolutely unique," says Kinkel-Schuster by phone between tour dates.
FAQ
Water Liars
WHEN — 9 p.m. today
WHERE — Lightbulb Club in Fayetteville
COST — $5
INFO — Also performing will be The Good Fear and Ghost Hollers
Unique like his band Water Liars, one might say.
Originally meant as a one-weekend recording project between Kinkel-Schuster and his drummer friend Andrew Bryant, the pair's lo-fi sound and unassumingly deep lyrics earned them quick praise. The first recording, the weekend project that evolved into the album "Phantom Limb," came out in March 2012. A followup album, the critically acclaimed "Wyoming," was released in March 2013, and their third album, which is self-titled, came out earlier this year. On tour in support of that recording, the band will perform tonight at The Lightbulb Club in Fayetteville. Water Liars will be joined by locals The Good Fear and Ghost Hollers.
Water Liars gets its name from a story in the Barry Hannah collection "Airships." Kinkel-Schuster applies inspiration from literature to many of Water Liars' songs, despite his claim of otherworldly origins. The song "Linens" from the previous album contains a direct reference to English poet John Milton, and although the newest album doesn't include anything quite that specific, the marks of literature and film are all over the work.
"We're fans of writing and literature. It's really deeply ensconced in our music, and what we do," says Kinkel-Schuster, who was raised in Greenwood but now calls Mississippi home.
All of the songs start with facts, whether they talk of lost love, hard work or regret.
"We at least build the song with some kernel of truth," Kinkel-Schuster says. "I think that lends a story and connection."
All of the songs are also currently built around a propulsive but well-worn formula. The songs verbally carry the weight of folk poetry, and sonically, the punch of other guitar-and-drum duos such as The Black Keys. To help round out the sound, Kinkel-Schuster and Bryant added a third member, GR Robinson, on bass. He fills in a sonic gap the other band members always heard but couldn't quite fill with their own instruments. The tenor of the band changed very little following Robinson's entrance, the band's primary songwriter says.
"We've sort of crystallized the sound we've been going for -- a rock 'n' roll band that plays quiet folk songs," Kinkel-Schuster says.
But that may not be enough for Kinkel-Schuster. He wonders if he's exhausted the power of the soft-loud-soft dynamic of the band's current sound. The formula may change, but the attention to detail and Southern Gothic leanings are likely to remain.
"The only pressure we have is to make something that's worth a damn," says Kinkel-Schuster.
He also says progress is measured in inches, not miles. However, the band is "planning as far ahead as we dare," he says. The immediate future will include many more tour dates, including an upcoming summer run as a supporting act for southern rock outfit Drive-By Truckers.
And more songs from a band which has already released three albums in just less than two years.
"We care deeply about this band, and these songs," Kinkel-Schuster says.
No matter what spirit inspires them.
NAN What's Up on 03/14/2014