Sceneazine Jan.15 - Feb.14, 2015 | Page 11

Sceneazine.com The American Gonzos occur in a band. by Jenny Johnston Who in the band came up with your name? What, if any, reason did you guys choose it? Does it have a meaning behind it or does it stand for something? All three of us came up with the name. We are all fans of the writing style of Hunter S Thompson who created Gonzos journalism. We were originally going to call the band The Gonzos but found out there was another group going by that name in the UK. So we changed it to American Gonzos. Suck it England! T he American Gonzos are a rock power trio known for their raucous performances, musicianship and catchy tunes. These North Carolina rockers pull inspiration from all genres including rock, funk, punk and alternative to make a delicious stew of original sound. The band was formed in the fall of 2010 where they began writing music and performing all over the southeast. In 2011, The American Gonzos recorded and released their self titled debut album followed by a sophomore release, No Way To Live, released in October of 2013. Let’s start off by introducing the band. Who are members and what instruments do they play? Andrew Thelston - Guitar/Lead Vocals Michael Dean - Bass/Vocals Justin Tobias Burleson - Drums/Vocals So how long have you guys been playing in this band? And is this everyone’s first band they’ve played with? American Gonzos is 4 years old. Almost ready for Kindergarten! We each have been in many bands prior to joining up. It helps cut through the bullshit that can So when did you guys start as a band. Has anyone played in other bands together? This isn’t our first rodeo! All three of us have been in many bands in the past. Our drummer Toby (Justin) sang with Dawn of Dude. Andrew and Mitch (Michael) had a funk band in college called Summertime Whisky Band. Andrew has also played with the Asheville based Afromotive and Zansa. Is there one person who writes all the songs or do you guys write as a band? We are writing and