Akina Adderley and the Vintage Playboys Interview: SXSW 2010

We basically got started at the High Sierra Music Festival a little over three years ago. The core members of the band were just kind of vibin' on each other and playing music on the random instruments we had brought, and it was just a good vibe, so we went from there. Three and change years later, here we are.

We're a soul band with some old school R&B flavor and some rock 'n' roll. We have a lot of different influences and backgrounds, but we are definitely a soul band. You will definitely hear some rock 'n' roll influences, some funk influences, some old school R&B. It's a hodgepodge.

There are so many. Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin. Those are some big ones, and Marvin Gaye. There's also Jeff Buckley, Leon Russell and some Bill Withers and Led Zeppelin.

Actually our former drummer, Ryan Egbert, who is still a dear friend of ours but lives in Houston, came up with it. I kind of think that another friend of ours in Houston at some point came up with the phrase "the vintage playboys," and Ryan borrowed it.

I wouldn't say that there was pressure to do so, but it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion. I realize that in some families there are a lot of doctors or lawyers and you end up following in the footsteps of people that came before you. In my family it just happened to be that music was the field of choice. What's interesting is that when I was in high school and college I was doing classical music, singing opera and arias. My dad reminded me the other day that he had always envisioned me being an expatriate and living in Paris, singing French art songs. So yes, I was intending to follow in the footsteps of some family members, and yes I wanted to go into music but I chose a different path than people assumed I was on.

How is it playing in Austin, which is mostly an indie/rock/country scene?

There has been a strong resurgence of the soul music scene in Austin over the last few years. People have been really receptive, we've gotten great reviews and have had wonderful audiences. It just so happens that in the last few years since we moved to Austin, there have been several soul bands that have started playing, and we've been really into it.

Do you have anything in your festival survival kit?

You've gotta have CDs around to sell or give away, depending on the circumstance. You've gotta have stickers, T-shirts, business cards. Also as a festival-goer I gotta have the sneakers. Even if I have my cute little boots in my bag, I gotta have the sneakers to walk around because I can't be walkin' around in heels. I like to have my little notebook with staff paper in it because when you're surrounded with music in that capacity, inspiration comes all the time. I always like to have my small black notebook with staff paper in it in case I get inspired with some chords or lyrics.

What would you say is your musical guilty pleasure?

I am a big fan of Alicia Keys, particularly the album she put out, I think it was two years ago. I don't even remember what it was called, but there are some great songs on that record (Ed. note: 'As I Am') and I get into that pop R&B. I don't know if this qualifies as guilty or not, but my dad was the musical director for Luther Vandross for over 20 years and some of that old '80's-'90's R&B is really great and I really get into it. I just answered this for another interviewer recently: Michael McDonald. I'll say it out loud. I don't care who judges me. Michael McDonald.

Beatles or Stones?

More Beatles, based on the amount of Beatles records I have, and if I'm going to choose one to pop in the CD player at any time, it's probably going to be a Beatles album. However having said that, the Stones are awesome. I want to be clear, the Stones are super duper awesome.

What is the craziest thing you've experienced or seen while on tour?

One time we showed up at a venue -- I won't say which one -- and I thought I had done my research on the venue and we were all squared away and set to go. We show up and they didn't have any sound equipment at all. We worked it out in the end, but that was kind of intense. We also went to Memphis this past summer and we ate at Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue, which I just saw on TV as one of the top five barbecue joints in all of America. I am here to tell you, if you pass through Memphis you need to go to Jim Neely's. It's something kind of crazy, but I'm a big food person, so I feel crazy about it.