Pine Hill Haints
Preface and Interview: Leon Catfish
A Haint reoccurs, and manifests itself continually. It haunts and spooks around the corners of an abandoned fish fry. It wails an eerie sound that stays inside your head from that moment on. And this, my friends, is exactly what Haints from Pine Hill do. Huntsville, Alabama, to be more specific. You won't catch a glimpse of these musical specters in huge clubs, and it seems that's the way they like it. They prefer the sweaty dives and warehouses, where they bang on instruments some people still use to do their laundry. Mixing traditional Americana with their own restlessness only means this, a feeling of driving on a lonely highway somewhere in Alabama in an 83' Ford F150 not really that drunk, but just enough to make you feel like you've missed something your whole life and you have just found it.
After years of a number of albums, countless tours all across the continent and over seas, they see no end to their haunt in sight. Their instrumentation includes a house-hold washtub, turned washtub Bass, washboard, guitar, snare, harmonica, accordion, mandolin and what seems to be a home-made theramin, or could it even be a Saw??! This interviewer did forget to ask.
Singer Jaime Barrier takes the time from playing catfish houses and barn parties to answer some quick questions from a catfish himself.
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to answer some of these questions for us.
1. First off, tell us a little about the type of music you guys play. Is it pretty close to what you hear in your heads or is it just the way it comes out?
The sound is closer to what we hear in our heads, now, than it was in the past. We used to think it sounded like the Carter family or Hank, but now it sounds more like King Tubby than anything else to me!
2. How's the touring life treating you guys individually, and your music?
It's made us much sharper, made us not settle down so much, and made us great campfire cooks. I can make a good smoked out meal, with a strong pot of coffee over an open fire, thanks to the touring schedule.
Getting out and playing is cool, because of the kids you see out there, drifting along, with great music, and its nice to see em and meet em. The road sharpens your band in so many ways.
3. I believe some of my favorite shows in years have been in the run down bars and loft spaces in which I always catch you guys at. But do you guys play in bigger "clubs" elsewhere? Why do I have a feeling that if I saw you guys play in a big 300 capacity club I wouldn't have as much fun?
There's only so far we can go in this world with a washtub bass and a washboard, you know? Imagine opening for U2 with a bucket.
4. What happens to you guys when you are not on tour? Do you hide in the studio or would you say you're a part of some kind of night life? Is there a night life in Alabama, for that matter?
Matt and Ben refuse to work, and Matt sleeps on couches and floors, literally, for the last 5 years, and he carries a notebook around and writes plays. There is a "night breed" unit of misfits in Huntsville, Alabama, who took over an abandoned warehouse, and set up homemade lighting with coffee cans and chicken wire, and Matt writes plays/films for them...its blown up over the years, and that is all he does fulltime, and Ben usually works with him...I saw Ben get stabbed in the neck last Halloween! The kids loved it.
Me and Katie play music mainly, and in Florence/Muscle Shoals there is a punk thing happening as well, its very cool, very tight nit, lots of dance parties and record swapping, and outside of that we play a lot of old time fiddle music with different groups of people. I play hoe downs, barn parties, and catfish houses almost every weekend that I'm not on the road.
5. Would you guys ever consider relocating? Or are you pretty happy with the Alabama hospitality? I'm guessing touring helps ease the rambling mind?
Photo by Leon Catfish at Harold's Place in San Pedro, CA
I'd love to live 6 months out of the year in Ireland, maybe, or Mobile, but no, I'll never leave.
6. Why not a full bass or full drums/percussion? Is it for the acoustics, the mobility, or dare I ask, image? haha! Or is from pure influences?
Originally we wanted a stand up, but there is no way we'd do that now. Sometimes I hear Jr. Kimbrough or RL Burnside, and you gotta have a bass drum to do some off that stuff, thats the only times I get the urge to add extra drums.
7. Speaking of influences, name someone or a band you think should have a little more credit, or more ears listening. What got the fire going for the Haints?
Jayson Grumpie, from Starkville Mississippi, is a living, breathing legend to me. Hands down. The Grumpies, and now Ming Donkey or the Cash County Survivors, he goes by many names, but he won't leave the state, and he always blows my mind.
8. I'm sure you've all played in previous "bands" and played together in the circle of friends you may have. Describe what your actual musical talents are rooted in.
I guess it stemmed from the Jimi Hendrix/MC5 thing...country music and that, with a punk slant. I hope I'm answering that right! Where we started, in Auburn, everything was heart on your sleeve, break your gear, and rock the house party, but back home in North Alabama, its the opposite, where you must disguise and hide and not ever really blow your cool, that's where we all reside now, and these two tings have affected our performance pretty heavy.
Photo by Leon Catfish at Harold's Place in San Pedro, CA
9. I never got to hear about Ireland and the U.K. tour you guys did. How did that go?? How was it with Mr. Bradley (Almighty do me a favor) tagging along?
By the end of it, it was so cool. It began with Bradley drinking the free drinks, and it ended with a sharp, hustling 5 piece...he played harmonica, bucket, and acoustic guitar on every song, and it was sharp and good. He sang about 1/3 of the songs, so it kept it fresh and weird. I love playing with that kid! Good stories in the back of the van with him, man.
10. And finally, what does the future hold for Haints all around? More records, I hope!
More records, more music! We have two albums of material recorded that have never been released right now even!
Thanks, Jaime
The Pine Hill Haints are:
Jamie Barrier- vocals, guitar
Katie Barrier- washboard, mandolin
Matt Bakula- washtub bass
Ben- snare
Posey- accordion
The Pine Hill Haints Myspace
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