SC natives draw from rock 'n' roll roots for distinct, honest sound
Usually, the phrase “frontier sons” conjures up images of a dustier, rough-hewn and simpler time. A time when rugged men with thick mustaches and weather-worn boots spent their days relentlessly riding in the sizzling heat or settling disputes with the sling of a gun.
But now, four South Carolina natives are hoping to make Frontier Sons a household name, slinging out their own style of indie alternative rock tinged with a distinct southern flavor.
The story of how Frontier Sons transformed from a group of friends jamming together at home to a full-fledged rock outfit touring several stops up and down the East Coast seems to match the typical timeline emerging bands often follow.
The majority of the band’s members, hailing from Columbia, met during their high school years. After making a few attempts at the average “schooling” experience, the eventual Frontier Sons members decided to take a brief hiatus from their music careers, and vocalist Andrew Wackerhagen said it was this break that really brought things full circle for their second try.
“We’d all played in a bunch of bands all throughout high school, just kind of jamming around,” Wackerhagen said. “Then we all tried the school thing, but it just wasn’t for us and we were itching to get back into the music scene. When our guitar player Rob [Royson] moved back to town, things just really felt right and the rest is history from there.”
The next move for the up-and-coming act came soon after, with the Frontier Sons — Wackerhagen, Royson, bassist Garrett Eanes and drummer Daniel Maddox — making the 1,000-mile haul to the Fort Worth Sound recording studio in Fort Worth, Texas, where Wackerhagen’s father arranged for the band to cut their first EP.
The members quickly became accustomed to working in a big recording facility in a way that could really put a “story” behind their music. It was also on this trek that the band (which had previously been unnamed) finally gave a title to their new project, drawing upon the idea of the new adventure they were getting ready to embark upon.
“On the way to Texas, we didn’t even have a name for the band, but we were looking at things as an adventure because we didn’t really have a lot to start with,” Wackerhagen said. “We didn’t have any money or anything like that, and we were looking at it like we’ll just reap the fruits of whatever comes out of this.”
And when Frontier Sons finally hit the studio, Wackerhagen said it was the first time they experienced a natural flow, where the music came easy and every member seemed to add their own personal touch to music.
Whereas previous songwriting had seen only one or two members contribute material, each Frontier Son had their hand in the new recordings, whether it was kick-starting a drum pattern or tossing in a few guitar chords. But no matter the path of creation, there were a few key elements the band always stayed true to: their South Carolina roots and great rock ‘n’ roll.
“No matter what, we always try to let our roots show, and we have a lot of southern influences along with some jazz,” Wackerhagen said. “We want to create music that people can hear as being marketable but still distinct. And rock ‘n’ roll is always going to be timeless, with this ‘let your hair down, kick your feet up, grab a beer and go have fun’ style. Frontier Sons’ music is really honest, and people can catch that kind of honesty live.”
Now that Frontier Sons is finishing up the last leg of their tour, Wackerhagen said the band has enjoyed the experience of meeting new fans and playing smaller venues, even though it can often be difficult to put the band’s faith in people of other cities.
And although they enjoy the intimate crowd smaller venues offer, Frontier Sons still hope to one day sell out arenas much like the artists they idolize, including ‘70s rock powerhouses Lynyrd Skynyrd and Thin Lizzy, or more modern alternative classics like The Strokes and Coldplay.
As for the fan base, Wackerhagen said Frontier Sons’ music draws in ages anywhere from the upper teens to more middle-aged fans, and that suits the band just fine, as long as they can keep making a full-time career out of doing what they love most.
“This is our life and this is our job now,” Wackerhagen said. “We don’t want to just stick to the formula and not progress, because that’s when a lot of bands really start to dwindle out. We always want to keep pushing the envelope, and the day we can’t push it any further, that’s the day we shouldn’t be a band anymore.”