Seasoned in 9 years of experience, it is safe to say Eric Reed’s Americana/Folk project, Alabama Deathwalk, has been a prolific and fulfilling personal venture, as much as it has helped a diverse local scene in the southwest. In the words of Reed, “It’s my main creative outlet. I’ve had a lot of really talented friends from the Las Cruces/El Paso music scene help out over the years too, so it is more complicated than just a solo project.” Leaving the varying level of intimacy between “bandmates” aside, other outfits like Neon Indian have proven to be ideally successful and artistically fulfilling to their creators while following a similar model to Alabama Deathwalk’s.
What is Alabama Deathwalk?
During a live performance, the stage is shared by Eric Reed (vocals, guitar), Josh Mendoza (drums), and Rod Mendoza (bass). Originally however, the moniker and base ideology have been Reed’s since the project’s inception; “I came up with the name in high school, I liked the idea of someone walking out in the wilderness with no plan to come back, and the things they might think about without a reason to filter their frustrations or joys or whatever.”
In terms of sound the catalogue is varied, ranging from acoustic folk played in sharp keys and pleasant chord progressions that make for a very enjoyable combination that blends in a smooth manner. Other tracks also feature electric guitars and more complex drum sections, making for an interesting mix that might remind the listener of artists like Bon Iver and Jose Gonzalez. When asked about the influences that mark their core sound, the response was varied, “I am a big fan of Pedro The Lion, and Bright Eyes. I know Josh is a big King Krule fan, and Rod loves Coldplay. We are each really big music fans and could talk about this stuff for days.”
The Local Music Scene
As an ever-growing ecosystem, the El Paso/ Las Cruces music scene is host to a lot of hungry and hardworking artists, however it comes with its oddities from an analytics perspective. “I think El Paso is a strange example of a large population city without the support for musicians that larger cities typically have,” Reed commented. However, the selection of bands and local artists is wide in range and varied in musical offerings, making it an attractive premise from an artistic perspective. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be included in a scene with so many talented musicians putting out interesting work. It’s exciting to see more good bands/projects pop up as the scene evolves and more people become interested in attending shows and being a part of the community.”
The Future
2016 has been a synonym for work for Alabama Deathwalk, as they have been hard at work on a new full-length record. "This record will be my first in about 2 and a half years, and it’s very different than anything I’ve done before. I put a lot of time and thought into this one. I’m very excited to share it soon."
The first single for this production is called "Freaky" and will be out by the end of the month.
If you want to find Alabama Deathwalk on social media and bandcamp:
https://www.instagram.com/alabamadeathwalk/
https://www.facebook.com/alabamadeathwalk/?fref=ts
https://alabamadeathwalk.bandcamp.com