A clear Wednesday night led me to the home of Jay Stoyanov, guitar player of the band I spent the next two hours hanging out with. Over a series of beers, gin mixed drinks, and a good number of cigarettes, I was able to cover some interesting ground with Murfreesboro’s We Were The States.

The boys have come a long way since their beginning. After releasing their first EP, the guys were picked up by the Texas-based label, Chicken Ranch. Since then the band has released one album under the name Believe the Thieves. They are currently in the writing process of their third release that will hopefully be available before the end of 2009.

March was an eventful month for The States as it took the band all the way to Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest music festival. This festival is an industry-based event where bands have a chance to not only play shows but to also meet and network with people in the music business. This was the third consecutive year The States were invited to come and be a part of SXSW.

The guys had a lot to say about their crazy week in Texas including their favorite shows, people they met, and bass player, Ben Moore, refusing to let anyone else drive. I even got a story about half the band getting left behind and then saved by Nashville musician, Caitlin Rose.

More importantly though was how the actual festival went. I asked how this year compared to the last couple of years at the festival.

“Just to generate accessibility to your band or to generate popularity as a band obviously takes time, a lot of work, and a lot of years and effort, so gauging it in three years is hard to do,” Tyler Coppage, drummer, explained.

Right alongside playing shows and goofing off, The States are set on the idea that when you go to SXSW you should always be trying to achieve something. The consensus is that 2009 marked the band’s best performance and most enjoyable trip.

After SXSW, I started discussing what States fans should expect to hear from the band’s third release. This is where the guys started getting really passionate. Frontman, Justin Webb, explained that when the band got together there was an entirely different attitude and mindset about the music they were writing.

“We would play these shows and people would come and dance,” Webb said. “This was great. We made a lot of friends that way. I even met my wife that way. But that was just a phase. We were writing music based on what people wanted to hear.”

Jay chimed in with hopes that this new record will “bring more courses to the meal.” The States, as a musical entity, has grown up. Broadening its scope, adding new themes and focusing more on the layered intricacy of the songs is the direction this new album will be based around. While admittedly not even listening to this type of music in their everyday lives, the guys describe the new stuff as similar to some ’70s deep-cuts. The States have an incredible relationship with their label and know that this next album is highly supported both monetarily and creatively. Set to be recorded in the Roar Studios in Nashville, this next release is not yet entirely written.

Over the last year two members of We Were The States have undergone major life changes. In 2008, Justin Webb was married and Tyler Coppage became the father to his first son, Jonah. I asked the guys how this has affected their input and involvement with the group.

Justin was very quick to explain how supportive his wife was saying, “It hasn’t affected me at all. Maybe even more so motivated me to get things done.”

Coppage explained how amazing it was to have a son, while also bringing a whole new level of responsibility to life.

“A money aspect comes into it. Getting drunk for free without getting paid doesn’t equate anymore. This is my time and with a son it becomes more valuable and necessary.”

He went on to elaborate on the fact that he would go crazy without music in his life and how

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thankful he was to still be able to play with not only The States but on a couple of other projects he is involved with.

As we finished our drinks and started wrapping things up, I decided to ask each member just what We Were The States meant to them. Here is what the guys had to say:

Jay: I have learned more from being in The States than I have from being in school. Most of my creative energy goes into this. When I think of something I think of how it can relate to the band. It is a creative outlet for me.

Ben: The States to me is a band that I am in with my best friends. It is half of my spare time. If I am not working then I am doing this and it is fun. It has let me have a lot of great experiences just like going to SXSW.

Justin: The States to me are everything I have always loved to do and everything I love to do now.

Tyler: It’s a different sonic output that I can have the availability to do and write and create songs or ideas with people that I have grown to love and enjoy making music with. I really love playing music with these guys and that is a beautiful thing.

I, along with the States fanbase, can’t wait to hear what the guys will come up with next.

Check out We Were The States with Marcy Playground at 527 Main St. in Murfreesboro on May 23.