Atlas Road Crew uses Kickstarter to fund October album 
Good rock and roll music is like a beautiful woman. Sultry, hip-swaying rhythms, lean, lithe legs. Lush harmonies and achingly long chord progressions trace the lines of a slender body, perfectly curved in all the right places with inflections of tone and deep melody.
Rock has many faces, but what really matters is the body’s inner workings — all the little pieces that glide together smoother than B.B. King and his beloved Lucille. In the words of Jimi Hendrix: “Rock is so much fun. That’s what it’s all about — filling up the chest cavities and empty kneecaps and elbows.”
So, what’s that new soul pumping through the veins of classic rock? Why, it’s none other than Atlas Road Crew.
It’s been a long year for the Crew, but that’s not to say it hasn’t been a good one. In fact, if you’d asked any of the guys 12 months ago where they thought the band would be today, their answers probably would have been far different from reality.
“We’ve really taken some giant leaps in just a matter of months,” said lead guitarist Dave Beddingfield. “We used to think it would take us a lot longer to get where we are now. It seemed much farther down the road. The band’s just gone from the bottom to the top a whole lot faster.”
Although they still practice in the ol’ reliable storage unit — albeit the times have been a little rougher for their jam space since a broken door now forces them to use the “drop and roll” to even enter — it was with the help of a famous Columbia face that the Crew’s feverish, colorful music finally got the dose of guidance it had long needed.
Earlier this year, the band hooked up with Hootie alummus and local music staple Mark Bryan. Dropping everything to keep the Atlas sound alive and thriving, the band headed to Bryan’s home in Bulls Bay, Charleston to get a taste of their first professional studio recording experience.
Trading the Five Points cacophony for the silence of the Intercoastal Waterway, Atlas Road Crew delved deep into their musical roots, and soon found themselves on the cusp of something brilliant, growing in their own way as they grew closer to their music.
Several late nights of grinding practice, song mapping, mandolin playing and plenty of cold beers later, the boys of Atlas Road Crew came out no worse for the wear; they had a new EP in hand and a fresh outlook on the direction of their soulful sound.
“It was difficult to start out with,” said lead vocalist Taylor Nicholson. “But it was great experience for future recording.”
“We really learned so much about the music industry,” continued drummer Patrick Drohan. “We learned what actually goes into making music.”
Structure seemed to be the word of the day for the band’s studio sessions, as each member reiterated how Bryan pushed the band into the wee hours of the morning, asking for multiple takes and the ultimate perfection when it came to tweaking the Crew’s signature sound. But for a band known for its improvisational live shows and impromptu jam freestyling, it wasn’t always easy to throw on the headphones and play several cuts solo.
“It really was the least stressful environment for one of the most stressful things,” said bassist Max Becker, laughing. “We’re a live band and we like to extend and jam a lot, so each of us trying to take turns was hard. But it really changed our outlook on recording and writing songs.”
“We even got the sound guy to change his mind about us,” added keyboardist Bryce James with a grin. “He thought we were just a jam band who could play forever, but then he ended up telling us he was pleasantly surprised.”
These days, the product of the band’s hard work in the studio is still up in the air. Although they’ve turned up their fans’ anticipation needle full blast (even Darius Rucker and music management kingpin Doc McGhee are excited), it’s going to take a little bit of love from fans’ wallets to get the Crew up and going.
“Until Sept. 13, we’re running a kick-starter campaign to help cover the studio costs,” Beddingfield said. “We’ve had some amazing support, so we’re already at almost $3,000 of our $4,000 goal. Even if everyone just gave a dollar, it would help out tremendously and we could get the EP out there.”
The EP is currently slated to drop on Oct. 25 with a release party at — where else? The band’s old stomping grounds at the Five Points Pub. And if you’re worried the boys have sewn up their earthy, laid-back style, fear not — they’re still determined to rock you, maybe just a little bit harder. There’s something to be said for a band that truly enjoys their craft; some groups play with each other while Atlas Road Crew plays off each other, sustained with invisible vibes radiating off their instruments and their audience. And no matter how many venues or long road trips they take together, that positive energy remains the same. Just don’t expect the fame to go to their heads.
“I’m not really out to make it on the cover of Rolling Stone or anything like that,” Nicholson said. “I just want to create good music with these guys that people enjoy.”
Becker added that things seem to really be linking up for the band, although the whole process is really a mixture of “fear and excitement.”
“To pursue a rock band in this day and age is almost like, ‘What are you thinking?’ But every time we play together, there’s always this amazing feeling like something is really happening here,” Becker said.
This fall, fans can expect to see the Crew on the road quite a bit, stopping over in Columbia only to rest at their Swiss Family Robinson-style tree house home in Hopkins or to play a few special shows in Five Points, rocking with all the revelry of the classic rock figureheads before them. But for now, they’re just satisfied with the harmonious music they’re making.
“I can’t even imagine what’s going to happen in the next twelve months,” Beddingfield said. “I think all the pieces are really in place and the music is going to speak for itself.”
Atlas Road Crew is playing a back-to-school bash at the Five Points Pub tonight. To donate to their fundraiser, visit their Kick-starter.