Little Raine Band, Winston Ramble, & Taylor Hunnicut Joining Forces May 9, 2018 09:52

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Photo by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography
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Friday night looks to be another major night for the Birmingham music scene, as local favorites Little Raine Band, Winston Ramble, & Taylor Hunnicutt team up at Avondale Brewery. All three groups have built substantial, loyal followings in recent years, while also being known for some unforgettable collaborations. Taylor Hunnicutt, one of the area's most promising young talents, is set to kick things off at 6:30 PM, with sets from Winston Ramble and Little Raine Band to follow. With an absolutely perfect weather forecast in the mix, this is sure to be an electric occasion full of jams from several of the best Alabama has to offer. 
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In preparation for this special night, we recently caught up with Jud Mize, Ben Benefield, and Justin Oliver from Winston Ramble for a quick interview. This past year has been a big one for this band, as they have ventured out across the country while continuing to expand their fan base across the southeast. See below for the full interview, and make sure to RSVP to this show's official Facebook event page for all of the latest updates.
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Share this post directly from the Live & Listen Facebook page and tag a friend in the comments section for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Little Raine Band, Winston Ramble, & Taylor Hunnicutt at Avondale Brewery on Friday, May 11th.
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How has this past year of touring treated the band?

Jud: Overall, it’s been productive. We have learned a lot about ourselves and are figuring out all the little things that help to bring the big picture together.

Ben: It’s definitely made us a lot closer as a group. Musically and otherwise. I think more than anything it’s shown us what we’re capable of and the potential that we really do have as a band

What has life on the road taught you as a musician?

Justin: It’s been great playing so much and getting the sound tight. I can really tell a difference, musically, if we’ve been playing on the road for a couple weeks. It makes it really fun for us to be firing on all cylinders and frees us up to be a little more experimental live. When someone hears us for the first time and we’ve been on the road, I know they’re going to hear the best version of us.

Where do you find inspiration when writing new material?

Ben: From everyday situations really. That’s a tricky question, because I could give you a different answer for almost every song. I wish I could say only happy things, but honestly when the inspiration hits, you just have to be ready to ‘receive’ it. I’ve had lyrics come to me at work in the middle of a big project and even woken up from a dead sleep in the middle of the night with an idea. Same with the music. A lot of times riding down the road with the radio off, a rhythm will come to my mind and it just builds from there.

Does the band have plans to hit the studio in 2018?

Jud: Yes...we have already recorded three songs at The Nuthouse in Sheffield (AL) and plan to record more tracks before fall.

Justin: Absolutely. We’ve been waiting on all the pieces to fall into place to release two new singles we already recorded in the Shoals. Russ Randolph (formerly of Boom Box) produced those tracks for us at The Nutthouse in Sheffield, and we had some of the guys from Little Raine Band and Tragic City help us throw some magic on em. They’re definitely a progression from the last album, we wanted to showcase more of our electric side with these. We’re also looking to hit the studio again with more before the year is over. You’ll be able to get a sneak peek at live versions for some of those at Avondale.

What's on the horizon for Winston Ramble this summer and fall?

Ben: The sky’s the limit as far as we’re concerned. We just signed with Nimbleslick Entertainment Agency, and we absolutely love what we do and the team we have in place right now. We have so much fun meeting new people and playing for them, especially for their ‘first Ramble.’ All of the guys in the band have a unique style and, since knowing each other for so long, we’re all pretty comfortable and confident with each other and with what we can do with each other musically. 

Hopefully, we can hit at least a couple festivals this summer and have a new album or EP released sometime this fall. People always ask us about our name, and we like to think of it as a Winston-County Ramble coming to town. Hopefully we can bring it to you soon.

Watch Winston Ramble perform "Miss You" with members of Little Raine Band here:
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