Mama Sweet

Mother's milk: Mama Sweet

The Norman Transcript
pop editor

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In April 2002, singer/songwriter Aron Holt's pet project, Mama Sweet, opened for Mike Hosty at The Deli.

"We've performed together ever since," Holt said about his mates, "except for the year 2004, which I spent in Brooklyn."

When Holt returned, he found his cohorts involved in other projects. Guitarist extraordinaire Alan Orebaugh handles licks for McSalty and Camille Harp, one-man rhythm section Boyd Littell had The iLLs and formed Tincture, and Giovanni "Nooch" Carnuccio was bangin' tubs with McSalty and Eclectic Groove at times.

Lucky for Holt, each has enough musical talent to go around, and Mama Sweet picked up where they left off, playing funky ditties like "Don't Matter" and acoustic ballads like "Truckstop." The band was recently featured on Fox 25's local performer series and, here, talks about goals and the taste of Mama Sweet.



pop: With the exception of Holt, each of Mama Sweet's members play in other bands. With so much time dedicated to music, what do you personally seek to gain from playing? A record deal? A world tour? Women?

Aron Holt: I want to able to support myself writing and singing songs. We still have a lot of great material inside of us waiting to get out. Record deals and world tours are pretty standard dreams. I just want to be able to pay my rent.

Alan Orebaugh: I just want to make a good living playing guitar, a really good living!

Boyd Littell: I'd be content with a small fortune, not necessarily fame but rather notiriety. Artistic satisfaction is good and girls don't suck either.

Nooch: Playing constantly allows me to practice and improve my craft, which is both personally and spiritually fufilling. ...The salt added to me and my musicianship as a result goes right back into the 'Sweet to help make us better. Record deals, world tours and women are just kind of a natural by-product of striving to be friggin' badass and screaming it from the top of a mountain.

pop: This one's just for Holt: Do you ever feel like your vision for Mama Sweet is threatened by the other members' involvement in other projects?

AH: Maybe sometimes. I can get pretty jealous and self-centered. Of course, I want all of us to be completely devoted to the success of this band. But I feel we have some rebuilding to do. There have been commitment issues in the past on my part, the guys are learning to trust me again. Plus also, there are a lot of creative needs the guys need to fulfill, outside of what I'm doing. I have to allow them that liberty.

pop: If you could pour the sound of Mama Sweet into a glass and drink it, what would it taste like and what would be the effects of such a potion?

Nooch: It would taste like warm breast milk with a shot of rum, or maybe a pizza-flavored, chicken-burger burrito. Either way, it would undoubtedly cause you to insatiably indulge yourself in all kinds of rebellious, dangerous behaviors that would try to break you and land you in jail. The proud survivors of this experience are the people that always make it to our shows and want more.

AH: It would be a shot, and it would be cold, ice cold. So cold your tongue would get stuck to the glass. So cold you wouldn't feel it going down. Then, once it hit you, you'd go outside and try to finally land that back flip off the hood of your car.

BL: It tastes just like regular sweet tea but affects the system like a highly concentrated Keystone Light, leaving the listener feeling euphoric, radiant, classy and confident, when actually you're wrapped around a telephone pole or upside down in a ditch.

AO: Tastes sweet, kills your pain.

Look for a new Mama Sweet album late summer or fall. In the meantime, catch the band June 3 at The Deli. For more information, visit myspace.com/mamasweetrocks.

Published: May 26, 2006 www.normantranscript.com