The Whiskey Thieves will be performing on the main stage at the Vintage Festival. Photo by Doug Thompson.
Smooth and smoky with a penchant for stealing hearts – such is the modus operandi of Sonoma-born band The Whiskey Thieves. A perennial at local taverns and festivals, the Whiskey Thieves are on the eve of launching the next phase of their collective careers, a notion hinged on the prospects of a new CD, appropriately titled “Almost Time.”
“We spent two and a half years. We broke down each individual song to every note, every drum-fill, every word, every melody, and we all pitched in – each of us saying ‘This is what I like,’” said vocalist Codi Binkley, who fronts a tight garrison of accomplished musicians that features guitarist Gabe Brueske, bassist Zakk Murphy and drummer Thomas Bottari. The new album was produced by music industry veteran Jimmy Goings of Redwood City-based GFI Entertainment and recorded at Prairie Sun in Cotati.
The creative process marked something of a turn for the band, which, according to Binkley, is currently putting its professional ambitions front and center.
“Now we have presentable music – we can physically bring ours to any record company straight up,” explained Binkley, who, with the band, enlisted the aid of Los Angeles-based marketing firm Big Rig Media to create a polished Web site and MySpace page for the act.
The investment is indicative of an act a long way from its days fooling around with, as Binkley tells it, the “random fun, pointless” name “Splash Guard.” The band’s new footing is also evident in “Whiskey and Women,” a soulfully rendered track in which the narrator reflects, “Whiskey and women all the time can’t be good for me.” For a band named for the titular beverage and lauded for its appeal to a certain demographic, the line surely has a personal resonance.
The band kicks off its CD release this weekend with a gig at Steiner’s Tavern, followed by an appearance at the 111th Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival. In the meantime, a national tour is in the works to further promote the band’s music.
“I just think it’s all about hoping somebody likes our song and it gets used in certain areas – I don’t care if it’s a Gap commercial. It’s just making people know – I want my music playing in stadiums. If we all go to a basketball game or a football game, and then all of a sudden you hear the tune,” said Binkley, letting the thought trail. “As long as you can keep your head on your shoulders and it’s directed in the right area and you don’t get screwed out of a situation, I think it could be positive.”
The Whiskey Thieves celebrate the release of “Almost Time” with a performance at 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26 at Steiner’s Tavern, 465 First St. W., Sonoma. The band also plays at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival at the Plaza in downtown Sonoma. Visit www.thewhiskeythieves.com.
