Musical magic from the Vudu Hounds
Band adds something new to the local music scene
Look at that guilty face! What did he do? / Michael Chmielewski
If you are looking for something different in the Regina music scene, you’ll want to check out the Vudu Hounds. I had a chance to sit down with them over pulled pork tacos and fries to find out what makes them different from other local bands.
The Vudu Hounds is comprised of four lead singers from other heavier bands: Andrew Brandt – lead guitar, vocals; Andre Mejia – rhythm guitar, vocals; Angus Livingstone – bass, vocals; and Kolby Kostyniuk – percussion, vocals.
What makes them distinct is their acoustic hard rock sound and use of an African hand drum.
“It’s acoustic rock. It’s all acoustic guitars and Djembe drum…an African hand drum that makes it kind of like a tribal type of rock. We’re all in heavier rock bands, so those influences come through, but it’s a little bit lighter music for us,” Brandt explained.
Because the band is comprised of four lead singers, there is no one lead singer or songwriter in the Vudu Hounds. Every member helps write songs and sings lead.
As Livingstone points out, “Everybody brings something unique to the table.”
Brandt goes on to say, “Whenever we bring something to the table, we sing our own material, so we split lead vocal duties that way.”
Sometimes they will write collaboratively, and others they will write songs on their own and bring them to the table where the other band members may add to them.
Like any band, they have had strange things happen at shows.
“We regularly play in a room where we have a guy who walks up and tries to play Kolby’s Djambe a lot. It happens at least once every two or three months without fail. He’s been told not to, but every time he comes back….There have also been times where we have been told that we’re too loud and we have to leave,” said Livingstone.
Being in a band isn’t without its funny moments, either. Mejia recalls a time when he was filling in for the drummer in Livingstone’s other band and had quite a few problems with the drum set.
“It was a drum set that I’d never used before that belonged to the band that opened for us. So, I set up the drum set and I’m happy with how it feels…I start playing it and slowly throughout the show, things kept falling apart and sticking and it was kind of a nuisance, but one song, everything just went to hell. My high hat stand fell off the drum riser, and my bass drum pedal stuck to the duct tape on the drum and the tongs are moving around, and I’m sitting there trying to remember what song I’m playing, thinking, ‘Hmm, do I need that high hat anymore?’ and it was quite a stressful situation for someone who likes to be a perfectionist when your drum set is literally falling off the stage.”
Vudu Hounds is currently recording their first album and plan for it to be released by the end of this year. So, you are going to have to see them live for now. Decide on a couple requests, since they do covers, and go see them at the King’s Head Tavern on Nov. 22 at 9 p.m. Their show promises to be exciting.
“Literally everything we have ever written will be played, and probably a few things that we haven’t written, and probably a few things that we’ve never played before,” said Livingstone.
“You can hang out with us, get to know us, buy us some fries and a beer, and beat the shit out of us at pool. We’ll be there until at least 1:00 in the morning,” said Meija.
You can find Vudu Hounds on Facebook, Reverb Nation, Band Camp, and YouTube.
