Headin' South With The Werks: Catching Up With Chris Houser March 13, 2018 14:40

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Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
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Ohio-based jam band The Werks are back on the road yet again, and this time, they're headed south for a highly anticipated return to Lexington (KY), Nashville (TN), Atlanta (GA), and Asheville (NC). Known for their inventive creatvity and constant musical exploration, this band promises to deliver a genuinely unique experience for their loyal fans each night. This year is already off to a hot start, as The Werks recently held the second annual Winter Werk Out in Columbus (OH) and have just announced the initial lineup for this year's installation of The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival. This year's festival, which is held annually at Legend Valley in Thornville (OH), will feature four sets from The Werks, as well as Umphrey's McGeeLettucePapadosio, TwiddlePigeons Playing Ping Pong, TurkuazZach Deputy, and many more.
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In preparation for this week's run through the southeast, we caught up with lead guitarist Chris Houser to discuss everything from southern hospitality to songwriting strategy. We're also giving away a pair of tickets to Friday night's show at Terminal West in Atlanta. Share this post directly from our Facebook page and tag a friend in the comments for a chance to win. We will announce the winner at 12:00 PM on Friday, March 16th.  See below for the full interview, as well as further details on The Werks upcoming shows.
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Atlanta is obviously one of the Southeast's musical hotbeds, and Terminal West is undoubtedly one of its premier venues. What do you guys love most about playing down here?
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Chris: Southern hospitality is REAL! Terminal West is on top of the game as far as the hospitality standards go as well. The weather is usually nice and that inspires us a lot especially when traveling from the north most of the time.  The southern states seem to have a different appreciation for our type of music as they really seem to pay attention to the tension and release strategy of our playing and the response is always felt a little stronger down here.
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The band is off to a hot start this year. The 2nd Annual Winter Werkout seemed to be a huge success, and you've now revealed a pretty serious initial lineup for The Werk Out in August. How vital have these homegrown events been to the continued growth of this band?  What are you most excited about for this year's Werk Out?
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Chris: Homegrown is the keyword here. We planted our roots in Ohio in the beginning, and they have grown into an unimaginable network of family and friends that are incomparable to other states, as far as nurturing our imaginations, making us able to follow the dreams we’ve had, whether big, or small. For me, Home is truly where the heart is and the Werk Out and Winter Werk Out have become points of passion for us over the years. We’re proud to show our hometown friends and family what we’ve been up to each and every year. I personally am most excited to bring back Umphrey's McGee for their second year at The Werk Out, being a guitar player myself, they are second to none.
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As a big fan of this band, I've always connected with the consistently uplifting, positive message in so many of your songs. Where do you look for inspiration when writing new material, and how do you feel that message can impact the listener?
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Chris: We often look inside ourselves for inspiration. Sometimes the most uplifting songs come from a feeling of personal despair, and the words are us actually telling ourselves “things will be ok.”  “Compares To You” for example, tells the story of a man completely smitten by a girl whom he knows he will never have, but he tries and tries anyway because, “No one compares to you.”  The listener will ultimately hear what they want to hear from a song and relate it to personal experiences from their own lives, but telling a story that comes from our lives -and hearts- makes the connection real in whatever way the listener chooses to perceive it.
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You guys have a truly special relationship with your fans. Each of you make a point to be accessible both before and after each show. That approach has built a very special culture amongst "The Werkers Union." Why is that such an important factor for you?
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Chris: The personal connection is something that, in this day and age, has fallen off a bit. We are more likely to text someone nowadays instead of calling. We are more likely to be shy instead of starting the conversation. To me, when someone takes the time to talk face to face, it is infinitely more important and impactful than just saying hi or sending an emoji via text or Facebook. When I go see a band, it means so much more to me that I feel I know the person playing, and their notes seem to take on new life and reflect their personality more than if I was just watching or listening blindly with no background whatsoever.
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For the casual music fan who might be (hypothetically speaking of course) coming out to see their first Werks show this weekend, what can they expect from that initial experience?
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Chris: We hope to convey a feeling of joy, spontaneity, and willingness to adapt.  A lot of our songs enter a realm where one person starts a groove, and the rest of us take a moment to study it and adapt our minds to compliment said groove. A first timer might have a similar experience with a new group of people that he or she has met at our show. Our fans are always very joyous, spontaneous, and adaptive. We like to think that we inspire that in some way and the world needs more people like our fans in it IMHO. Werkers are our favorite people in the world and we wouldn’t trade them for anything. 
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Watch the official recap from Winter Werk Out 2018 here:
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The Werks: Upcoming Tour Dates
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3/14 Cosmic Charlie's - Lexington, KY
3/15 Exit In - Nashville, TN
3/16 Terminal West - Atlanta, GA
3/17 Pisgah Brewing - Asheville, NC
3/23 Ophelia's - Denver, CO
3/24 Hodi's Half Note - Fort Collins, CO
4/13 Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
4/20-4/22 Earlybird Festival - Garretsville, OH
4/20-4/22 Backwoods Music Festival - Ozark, AR
4/28 - Boonies - Toledo, OH
6/21-6/24 - Electric Forest - Rothbury, MI
6/28-7/1 - Electric Forest - Rothbury, MI
8/2-8/4 - Werk Out Festival - Thornville, OH
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