Band Q&A: Eightyproof

By Chris Colberg

This band will blow out your eardrums and make you want to mosh your guts out.

Q: I assume Eightyproof is a reference to liquor?

A: Kyle Williams, vocals — No, it’s just a name for our band. We had a gig like five years ago, and we didn’t have a name, so we just kind of put names in a hat and said, “All right, we’ll make more music behind this name, moniker, label or whatever you would like to call it.”

Q: How did you get started?

A: We grew up knowing of each other — same school, friends, girls, you know. Then one evening, I showed up over at my drummer’s house. I was already fronting this other band called New Blood. When I showed up, I heard them tearing through some cover song. It’s been ever since 2002.

Q: Would you say loud angry music is the hardest music to have success due to little radio play?

A: Maybe a decade ago, but not now. Every form of heavy music is being heard these days because of the Internet, MySpace and just a lot more exposure from so-called music companies, production companies, so on and so forth.

Q: Any specific message you are trying to get across?

A: Be yourself, keep your heads up. If you like good honest music, then your best bet is to come give us a listen.

Q: How is your band changing along with the times?

A: We are a working middle-lower class band from the east side of Tulsa. So in terms of us just keeping it up, we haven’t changed one bit. I just scream through a little mike, little speaker. We spend money on our studio time. That’s where it counts. So, we kind of shop around, looking for studios, producers that are keeping up. Other than that, we practice in a little room with just the drums, bass, guitar, vox.