Flagstaff rockers Buckit have been quietly pumping the local music scene full of bluesy tunes for nearly four years now, playing the bar circuit and collecting an impressive following. This Friday they’ll be playing one of their most high-profile gigs yet opening for blues-rock legend George Thorogood at the Orpheum Theater.
After several years on the road with Kentucky-based musical-comedy group the Trailer Park Troubadours, Buckit frontman, founder and principle songwriter Chad Cardiff, aNorthernArizonaUniversityalum, moved to Flag to get back to the mountains and settle down with his family. But, that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to pursue music, if on a smaller and more localized scale, with his loyal band mates rhythm guitarist John Dillon, bassist Jim Christensen and drummer Rob Ross. Cardiff took aside a few minutes recently to field some questions about his music and life.
See Buckit open for George Thorogood and the Destroyers Fri, Oct. 19 at the Orpheum Theater, 15. W. Aspen. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $39 at the door, plus fees. For more info, call 556-1580 and for more on Buckit, see www.justbuckit.com.
Ryan Heinsius: You played with the Trailer Park Troubadours based in Kentucky and toured hard for several years. How did getting that firsthand perspective of the more mainstream music industry impact you as far as where you wanted to take your music?
ChadCardiff: You know, our biggest challenge, being the Trailer Park Troubadours, was to get others to see what we were really about. Our show was the trailer park that time had forgotten about, dressing in polyester and plaid singing about something many could relate to. Comedy with a killer band, stories with a beat, little slices of life, as we liked to refer to our show.
Waylon Jennings’ longtime drummer, producer and collaborator Richie Albright produced the Troubadours’ albums. What impact did he have on your music?
Richie, obviously, is a legend in the Nashville music scene. When the Troubs started out inNashville, we were a duo, Antsy McClain on acoustic, and myself on bass. The music was fun, tight and clever but had been missing that extra level. Richie having produced most of Waylon’s albums, took us from that fun little duo who could sit around the campfire or living room with a group of friends, to putting a killer band behind us and opening up for greats like Waylon, Brooks and Dunn, Robert Earl Keen, and T. Graham Brown.
Why did you relocate to Flagstaff specifically and how has life in the mountains inspired you as a musician?
First off, I love this town. Flagstaff has always had a special place inside of me. I went to NAU several years back—not saying how many—and fell in love with the college and town and promised myself I’d come back to stay. The clean air, trees and especially the peaks makes this a great place to be relaxed and inspired when it comes to writing. I had always promised myself that I’d come back, and leaving the Troubs in ’05 was a perfect opportunity to make the move from Nashville. Not only is this a great town, but I think we have a nice little music scene here. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know those in the scene, very inspiring.
As for Buckit, how did you guys come together exactly and what was your vision upon forming the band? Did you set out to do anything different from your previous projects?
Vision? Ha—I had not picked up a guitar for two years after leaving the Trailer Park Troubadours in 2005. I had a room full of guitars, amps and gear. The same strings were on my acoustic after I had dusted it off in 2007 to start writing again. All I wanted to do was start writing again and get my chops back. I had met Rob Ross, our drummer, through a mutual friend who had asked me to come jam with him one time. After about an hour, we looked at each other and said, “Ya’ll wanna do a few shows around town?”
How would you describe Buckit’s sound? I hear a lot of country, classic rock and blues influences in there.
… We like to call our music, “groove rock.” It’s that driving groove in-the-pocket, sound that can just about relate to anyone and their musical tastes. OK, maybe not you banjo players out there, but I may have grabbed a few of their ears too. I was raised on just about every style of music you can think of: rock, country, bluegrass, ’80s rock and funk. There’s not much I don’t like.
You are the front man, primary songwriter, lead vocalist and lead guitar player for Buckit. Does fulfilling all those roles ever feel overwhelming?
Yeah, sometimes, but thankfully I have a great band who is very patient with me. They chuckle at me when the guy that wrote the tune forgets his own lyrics. They just let it pass—ha. They are a great band, with really good ideas. Actually, I love it. It’s so fun to see an idea, thought or project come to fruition. I get plenty of help from the guys in the band.
There’s some tongue-in-cheek humor present in a lot of Buckit’s songs—like singing about Nyquil being your BFF. Are Buckit rehearsals a goofy affair?
I constantly get told that we just look like we are always having a great time. I’d have to say that is an understatement; we have a lot of fun as a band. Once again, I think the guys just tolerate me. I have a terrible habit of being dead serious and derail the whole thing with a messed up remark to one of the guys or about life in general. After that, it’s all downhill. One of my favorite lines after a show is, “Hey guys, thanks for not suckin’.” Thankfully, I work with a group of pros who know how to get the job done! … I love humor in a song, especially if it’s clever, with a good groove and hook. Anyone can go right to the lowest of common denominators to be funny, but it’s twice as hard to be clean, clever and funny.
This week you’re opening for the legendary George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Has he been an influence to you or the band over the years?
Buckit, as a whole, are a product of the ’70s and ’80s music scene. We come from so many musical influences. I have always loved solid blues-rock jam bands, and Thorogood knows how to get it done! He’s definitely been one of those solid influences on us and our music. It’s truly an honor to play for them.
