“We’re basically just a rock band in the classic-power-trio vein. No frills, no jamming, and no beating around the bush. We try to cram as much melody and excitement as we can into a three-minute rock song,” said Ryan Ervin, the band’s guitar player.
The Carter Administration was formed in 1998, but didn’t settle on its current lineup until 2002. The band consists of drummer Todd Kemp, bassist Andy Willhite and Ervin. The members alternate lead vocals from one song to the next. Their distinctive voices add to the group’s one-of-a-kind feel.
The band’s most recent album, “Air Guitar Force One,” is a compilation of songs with serious subjects, but with a lighthearted twist.
Titles include “Cocaine Summer Splash,” “Oxycontinental” and “Keep Your Wife Off My Hands.”
The song titles aren’t the only sign The Carter Administration doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“One thing that we’re rather proud of is that we can fit all of ourselves and our equipment into Todd’s PT Cruiser,” Ervin said. “That means we don’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of money on renting a van when we go out of town. We consider ourselves to be Nashville’s tiniest rock band. So here’s a tip to people who think they have to go out and buy Marshall half stacks and seven-piece drum kits in order to be a band: you don’t.”
After being “under the radar for seven years,” the band has earned much more attention from the press since joining Theory 8 Records in August 2005. The label also enabled the group to reach a larger audience.
When asked to describe a typical fan of The Carter Administration, Ervin replied: “To be honest, I can’t. There’s such a wide variation. Young kids who are into punk rock like us, mid-thirties folks who are into eighties indie rock like us, and middle-aged adults who dig classic rock like us.”
The band is in the process of recording their tenth record and said this album, like all those prior to it, will have its own sound. They hope to have it released by spring of 2007.
The Carter Administration will bring their unique sound to MTSU’s Earth Day Festival on April 20. The band looks forward to playing outside of its hometown. “It’s exciting to get a great response from people that have never heard you before,” Ervin said. “Sometimes when you play in Nashville, people will say, ?Great show,’ and you’re not sure if that’s the truth or not. Usually if someone tells you that in another city, they’re probably shooting straight with you.”
At the Earth Day Festival, The Carter Administration will be joined by other acts including, Glossary, The Velcro Stars and Apollo Up.
The outdoor event will begin at 11 a.m., with music from 2 – 6 p.m.
For more information about the event, e-mail Anna Fitzgerald at shesmellow@hotmail.com.
To find out more about The Carter Administration, visit cartereight.com or
theory8records.com.
