Ingram Hill Interview (ful Music Insider)

Calling all Memphis-lovers! We are so excited to unveil our latest ful Music Insider interview: with Memphis-based indie band Ingram Hill! Justin Moore (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Phil Bogard (lead guitar) joined with Shea Sowell (bass, background vocals) and Matt Chambless (drums) formed the band in the summer of 2000 after attending the University of Memphis and have been recording and touring ever since. ful was fortunate enough to land an interview with lead singer Justin Moore. Here's what he had to say....

ful: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Justin Moore: I think it's the excitement/nervousness of people hearing something that was created in my head, and hopefully getting the stamp approval not only from my band, but from fans, too. Playing a song the first time for someone is one of the most nerve-racking things ever, but if that person likes it, it becomes one of the most amazing feelings ever.

ful: What was the last song you wrote? Can you tell us about it?
JM: It was a song called "As Long As I'm With You." When we were writing for our new record, we set a deadline for ourselves to have a certain amount of songs, and almost daily, Phil would come over to my house and either he'd play me something, or vice versa. I think this song was the last one I wrote, and Phil said, "That's the one I've been waiting for out of you." It made my day.

ful: What is the most exciting part of recording? The most difficult?
JM: The most exciting part of recording is the back half of it, when songs really start to take shape and fill out. It's such a long tedious process, but when all the parts start getting put together, you suddenly want everyone to hear it... immediately. The most difficult thing for me is replicating the natural energy of a live show. Touring has always been our bread and butter, and standing behind a microphone, staring at a studio wall is always tough for me energy-wise as opposed to playing in front of a live audience.

ful: Do you have a favorite city to play in? A favorite venue?
JM: I love Chicago. And I love the House of Blues in Chicago. Probably my favorite place we've played.

ful: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list? What's your favorite song to play?
JM: I think we've played "Will I Ever Make It Home" and "Almost Perfect" 4 million times. For real. It HAS to be that many. And we do play covers. We try to change it up every tour, though. For a few years, we ended our shows with Elvis' "Suspicious Minds," but we've kind of retired that one now. I've always had a good time playing "On My Way" from our first record, though all of our new songs, of course, are really fun… probably because they're all brand new to us.

ful: What bands do you love right now? Who would you love to play with?
JM: I just bought The Script's new record, and I think it's pretty good. I've always been a big Pete Yorn fan, and I like his latest record a lot. There's a guy named Cory Chisel that just put out a record recently, and it's pretty great, too. Oh, and K'naan. That guy is hip.

ful: What advice do you have for people who are trying to break into the music industry?
JM: Run away! Fast!! Just kidding. I think you need to have thick skin, and not get your feelings hurt too easily. There are a lot more no's than yes's, but the yes's sure are rewarding, and it's a fun business to be in.



ful: We see you guys are blogging and updating your Twitter frequently. Has the Internet/social networking helped your band gain exposure and fans? Do you like Twittering? Are you following anyone you consider a guilty pleasure?
JM: I think it's definitely helped us. Everyone's attention span is so short these days, so it's good to keep ours updated, because you never know when someone might just stumble upon us... probably because they had almost just reached the end of the internet. I think I like Twittering. I think. It's fun when you have something to say. But I always feel under pressure to say something witty or interesting, and it's hard to gauge the proper amount to tweet. Sometimes I stop following people because my entire homepage is filled up with their tweets. I don't want to become that guy. But I don't want to disappear for weeks at a time either because I don't have anything funny to say. But it feels weird sometimes to just tell people what I'm doing, just for the sake of telling them. Or maybe I'm just weird for thinking that. Who knows, really?

I suppose my guilty pleasure follow is Justin Timberlake. I guess it shouldn't be, but I'm a grown man, and I don't know him personally, and his fans are far more female based then male, so it seems a little silly sometimes. But only sometimes.

ful: We at ful bags are super excited to be working together. Have you had a chance to use our luggage/bags? What do you think?
JM: We're excited to be working with you guys, too! We have used them, and we definitely love them!

For more info on Ingram Hill, check out their website.

Ingram Hill's Social Scene: Twitter | Facebook | MySpace