Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photo by England in 1819
Video by Stephen Kinigopoulos
This week, Baton Rouge, Louisiana band England in 1819 will be playing a series of shows in New York City. Andrew Callaway, one member of this family-oriented group, took some time to share thoughts on the origin of their name, touring and the band's first time playing in the Big Apple.
"An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying king,--/Princes, the dregs of their dull race, who flow/ Through public scorn,--mud from a muddy spring,--" begins 18th Century poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in his politically charged poem England in 1819. Drawing not from the political sentiment of the piece, rather the sense of distance in it's title, a contemporary band of the same name is pushing their way through the size and depth of their musical creations, connecting with a distant time and location in the process.
England in 1819 consists of Andrew Callaway, Liam Callaway, Dan Callaway and Sean Barna. Yes, all of the Callaways listed are relatives. According to Facebook, the band was born in 2007, when brothers Andrew and Dan found themselves "...living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the entire family together for the
first time since their childhood spent in the English countryside." They began writing songs with their father Liam,
creating "...an unusual combination of Southern edge and
English introspection, with haunting lyrics and massive chamber rock
unfurling in a sweeping, evocative surge of sound." The band expanded and intensified with the addition of Barna on drums, and recently released their latest album "Alma," which can be purchased on iTunes.
England in 1819 is currently engaged in a tour to support "Alma." This week, they'll be making a two day stop in New York City - first at Fontana's on the 18th, and then on the 19th at Arlene's Grocery. They also recently released a beautiful video for their track 'Waterfall.' Directed by Stephen Kinigopoulos, the work as a whole feels like a snapshot trip through time, helping to further affirm the band's roots, and define their overall philosophy.
Andrew Callaway was gracious enough to take a few minutes out of his tour schedule to answer a few questions I'd sent him. I've posted the conversation below.
1) Is your band named after the Percy Shelley poem? If so, why?
It is a Shelley reference! We were looking through some poetry books at the house and came across the title. England in 1819 is a heavily political poem, written about the corruption and misguided values of the current political situation. We are not a political band. We connected more with the title than the message. We really loved the sense of distance. Distance in location and distance in time. The name by itself implies size and depth and that's central to our music as well.
2) What's it like playing with family?
It's very interesting to tour as a family. We've had a rotating cast of musicians play with us through the years, but the core has been the three of us. We've got a line-up right now that we are thrilled about. The band also includes Sean Barna on drums and we will soon add the very talented Flanna Sheridan on piano and backing vocals which will really
expand the sound!
As far as touring with your dad, it's a great experience. Liam is very laid back and we're more comfortable with each other and have an easier time communicating because we've known each other for our whole lives.
3) How arduous has your tour been?
Arduous?
That's one way to say it, haha! It's stressful for sure. We had only toured for a few days at a time before we headed out for this 10 week stretch, so we pretty much just dove in. It's really important to like the people you're with because you just spend so much time together. It's also been an absolute blast. We try to balance performing, business (booking, press) and fun/sight-seeing - and that has definitely makes it more enjoyable.
4)
Have you played NYC before?
We have not played NYC before. I've driven through a few times, and went with my high school girlfriend and her family to see The Rockettes. We walked around and saw some street performers too - very touristy stuff. I think we're all really excited to see the city. Our little sister goes to school at Parsons and she's given us a whole list of places to go, so we're going to try to get to as many as possible!
