Q&A: PictureMeFree

Formed in 2007, PictureMeFree quickly became a fixture in Clemson’s live music scene, playing 130 shows during their first year. (Credit: Photo provided)

The DVD player in PictureMeFree’s van blares concert footage ranging from The Who to Derek Trucks. The Clemson-based quintet has had more time to watch those clips lately. In 2008, PictureMeFree expanded its itinerary to include shows at Nashville’s Exit/In, Athens, Ga.’s Georgia Theater and Atlanta’s Smith’s Olde Bar. The expansion is just what PMF singer Josh Risley had in mind.

“There’s something to be said for adventures to new places,” Risley says. “We’ve had some great times together in the van and raising hell at gas stations.”

Formed in 2007, PMF quickly became a fixture in Clemson’s live music scene, playing 130 shows during their first year. The band’s Allmans meets Chili Peppers dynamics caught the ear of Pigpen Records. PMF cut their debut EP, “Wake Up Alive,” for the Athens-based imprint in December 2007. The disc features the title cut, a showcase for the Gibson flash of guitarists Daniel Collins and Mikey Jerolman.

Producer Daniel Maldonado helped the band cut the fat from the EP. Jammy seven-minute tunes were sliced to radio-friendly durations. Currently, PMF is recording their second EP, which like their first record is being tracked at Pigpen Studios.

The 2009 release will include the hookah-ready hooks and fuzzed-out riffs of “Spread Love.” “Never Let Go” is fueled by Risley’s carpe diem storyline and frequent gear shifting from drummer Justin Sims and bassist Fred Gessell. Both tunes are cleverly arranged— further straddling rock and jam sounds, a la My Morning Jacket.

In advance of the group’s Jan. 8 return to The Handlebar, we talked to Risley about EPs versus LPs and gracing the same stage as Tom Petty.

Why did the band to release another EP instead of a full-length record? We keep recording five songs at a time. It’s a little easier to put them out and keep things fresh that way.

Last year you guys set a goal of hitting the road more. What’s been the best part of that? There’s a big board at Exit/In in Nashville with all the people that have played there on it…Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Dizzy Gillespie…And you’re playing on the same stage as them. It kind of made us all step back and analyze things. We want to be like those bands and we know we’re very far from that. But like 311 says, you have to “come original.”

What’s the next step for you guys? We’d love to find a great band to go on tour with, to be gone for three months at a time. Me and Justin and Fred are going to see My Morning Jacket at Madison Square Garden for New Year’s Eve. Mike and Daniel are going to see Derek Trucks in Atlanta for New Year’s, so we’re all getting to go see our heroes do what they do on a big scale. It’s kind of that motivation: somebody has to play Madison Square Garden on New Years Eve. Ten years ago, My Morning Jacket was just getting started. Five years after that they played Bonnaroo for the first time. A lot can happen in five years.

What are some of the music DVDs you all watch in the van? We can watch a Pink Floyd video and nobody will say a word the whole time. Justin may be into something none of the rest of us would have thought of, or vice-versa. But no one has brought any music into the van that everyone else disliked. I mean, I had never even heard of Stanley Jordan—Mike brought that in—and (Jordan) and his bassist are two of the most phenomenal musicians I’ve ever seen.

Catch PictureMeFree at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at The Handlebar.