'Powering our of Texas, Sons of the Desert come fully armed, arriving on the scene with songs, musicianship and singing of a remarkably high caliber--theirs is a singularly assured debut. From heartfelt ballads like "Colorado" and "Promises" to such uptempo gems and the title-cut "Whatever Comes First" and "Hand of Fate," this is country music of universal appeal. Says lead singer Drew Womack of their maiden release:"We're loving the album at this point. We've just accomplished a goal we have strived for all our lives and we're ready for the next stage." Adds bassist Doug Virden:"Our luck has jsut been so great. We got signed in just the way wanted. We got to play on the album-which is often unheard of. We were given so much freedom to play exactly the way we wanted."
Proof of the faith managment and record company placed in the quintet, Whatever Comes First is one of the most exciting new country albums in years, its 11 songs testifying to the power of the group's collective spirit. Like classic outfits from the Buckaroos to the Beatles, these musicians are above all a band-a sum even stronger than their admittedly impressice parts. Penning much of the material, irresistble in melody and generous in emotional scope, Drew Womack on acoustic guitar and vocals invites the listener in. His is the kind of voice that's instantly memorable-like all great singers regardless if genre, he embodies sheer soul. On Stratocaster, Telecaster and Tom Anderson guitars, Drew's older brother Tim adds muscle, fire and grace; Virden's bass provides the steadiest of foundations ("I like to keep things simple as possible-,tasteful," he says); keyboardist, Scot Saunders may be the bands secret weapon-his piano and organ embellishments elevate the songs to majesty,a nd Brian Westrum not only keeps the backbeat steady, but leads percussive finesse-cymbal grace notes on the ballads, subtle propulsion on the rocking tunes, and he also adds seamless backing harmonies.
Withe the Womack brothers hailing from Brownwood, population 15,000 ("Remember those Old West movies?" Drew says, "It was like that-a good town to come from") and Doug, another scion of the Lone Star state and sole survivor of the band's first line-up, Sons of the Desert began in Waco, Texas. And they've come a long way since then. "The band has evolved so much," says Virden. "When we started, we were more bluegrass oriented" (Bluegrass meets thrash," Drew chuckles). Drew joined in 1990; three years later Dallas became home for Sons of the Desert, at last boasting the older Womack (veteran of blues-based baiids), Westrum and Scott Saunders. Scott recalls his original impression ("I first say them in a battle of the bands. I was in another band competing against them. They came on before us-and I knew we were dead. They're by far the best band I have ever been in.")
With the five friends' diverse tastes ranging from Trisha Yearwood and the Eagles to Jackson Browne and Diamond Rio, Sons of the Desert honed their skills in dance halls and night clubs, playing great music that spanned the musical spectrum ("We gravitated toward anything progressive," Drew says,). It makes sense, then, that when it came to penning originals and selecting songs for their album, they'd craft a style taht incorporated the best of all styles. Whatever Comes First, recorded in Nashville and helmed by ace producers Doug Johnson (Ty Herndon, Rick Trevino) and Johnny Slate (Joe Diffie), offers potential classics from tried and true songsmiths (among them, Radney Foster, Phil Vassar, and Charlie Black). And it signals the arrival of ta true songwriting talent: Drew Womack. Whether working solo of in company with expert partners (including Tom Douglas, Pan MacDonald, Steve Pippin, and others), Drew has already mastered the essentials of the art-music that grips the listener and won't let go; lyrics that touch the soul
"The autumn leaves, they rush outside my window/like they've got something so important to do/Sarah will be home any minute/She likes her third grade teacher and looks so much like you.' So begins "Leaving October Behind," just one of the breathtaking ballads on the album-and it typifies the care fpr the real-world detail, the sense of genuine experience depth the ways of the heart ('You promised me honesty and you word was good/And you came through on everything you said you would/You gave you heart, and you gave your all and nothing less/And all you kept were your promises,' "Promises"). There's wry observation here ('Johnny Walker's on the table, he tends to soothe since you're unable day after day after day/Johnny's walking all over me, slowly gaining control of my destiny,' "Burned In My Mind"), and confessions, too, of hard-won truths ('Looking for the quick fix, the short term loan/Gotta rent because you might not be here long enough to own/The way I see it, the trouble with the world these days/It's getting way too easy just to drive away,' "Drive Away"). And yet that's just one side of Sons of the Desert. They also deliver full-out, guitar driven road music-perfect for teh power surge of "whatever Comes First". When they rock, the mean it.
Emphatically, what always comes first for Sons of the Desert is the music. They've paid their dues in honk tonks and the endless club circuit (they traveled for a two-year period in a $3500 1972 Dodge Apollo RV. Right ofter leaving the showroom floor it caught fir, and wasn't driven until the band bought it twenty years later. It served them well despite lights failing on the highway, sparks occasionally flying and the band's suspicion, Virden says, that there might've been "demons on board!") And they're fird up now for further touring adventures. Drew will continue the discipline of writing stellar songs ("I'll get my best melodies just driving the car with no noise and no one around"). And the band will persevere in making music to delight and inspire the widest concievable audience. "To me,"Drew says, "Country's a state of mind. We came from small towns, we grew up in dance halls with good two-step music." Sons of the Desert then, remain true to their orgins - and yet their songs, as big hearted as Texas adn beyond, reach out everyone.
The Facts
Sons of the Desert-tightly crafted five-man group from the heart of Texas-is set to make their mark on the country music scene. Virtuoso musicianship, brotherly harmonies and a set of songs that span a range of emotions, have already begun to forma fresh musical integrity. Frominted by lead vocalist Drew Womack in 1990, The Sons of the Desert first formed a year earlier with a bunch of guys at McClennon Community College in Waco, TX. "I ahd seen them play in Waco and really loved what they were doing," recounts Drew. When the lead singer left the band, Drew jumped at the chance to fill the spot. In 1993 original member Doug Virden, and the band moced to Dallas to continure their "honky-tonk education." As the band grew musically and developed a solid local following, the added Brian Westrum on drums and later Scott Saunders on keyboards. Ironically, the last man to join the group was Drew's brother Tim. "It has always been a dream of mine to be in a band with Tim," says Drew. "When he came on board we felt we had everything we needed to make it happen."
Under the direction of noted producer Doug Johnson (Ty Herndon, James Bonamy, Rich Trevino), their first single shipped February 3, 1997, and a debut album follow early Summer. The five men that make up Sons so the Desert are definitely set to make it happen.
