The Weekenders – Don’t Plan On

Some musicians will tell you that if they did not have music in their lives, they would have no lives at all. Music to them is like air to any other person. The passion one could have with music is one that could not be accurately put into words to describe how it drives them to live. With The Weekenders it is a way of life, it’s their air. I could easily describe their music by comparing them to every psychedelic band from the seventies with touches of early grunge. But a better description would be to say that they are a band with no limitations. A band that lays it all on the line with no reserves both musically and lyrically which is evident on their latest album Don’t Plan On.

The album is filled with slick guitar riffs, uninhibited vocals, and solid rhythms. All the songs have a free flowing quality to them that makes it easy on the ears. Sometimes it seems to have that early Jimi Hendrix attitude where they would just play and not plan to end, letting the music write itself. Singer/Guitarist Rob Reinfurt sings of many journeys he’s been on openly and with no reserve. His autobiographical lyrics show the struggles he went through becoming the musician that he is today. From songs like “Twenty Armed Men” to “Somatic Spirit” Rob opens up to the world in a very relatable way.

“Penn Station” is a beautiful song full of relaxing sounds, like the weight of the world is being lifted off your shoulders. “Missy” is a song about betrayal bellowing words “Come out Come out, wherever you are…” Every song on this album has a sound that will not only take you back, but will tell you a story. The musicianship alone could sell this album. The guitars have that gritty free flowing feel, the bass seems to walk beside the guitars. The drums give each song the heartbeat that each song deserves.

I got the chance to ask Vocalist/Guitarist Rob Reinfurt a few questions about the album, this is what he had to say…

You’re new album Don’t Plan On is not only great musically, but lyrically, is very autobiographical. What were some of the struggles you went through and when you went to write new music, did you have any reserves about laying it all out there for the world to see?

For over 3 years I battled a federal court case. I was arrested for conspiracy to traffic some pot. Many of the songs draw from that experience. Initially I had reserves in releasing the material, but purely from a legal perspective. The songs where I implicated my role had to be shelved until I was sentenced. After sentencing I had no reserves. I have nothing to hide.

After the album was recorded and you got to listen to it in its entirety, what kind of emotions did you go through?

Relief. The fact that I wasn’t in prison was the biggest high.

Would you say that when you write music, it’s kind of like therapy?

Completely. When you can’t talk to your closest friends and family about the truth you need an outlet. I had to express my feelings and music was my only outlet.

The music itself is pretty incredible on the album. What I like about it is it brings music back to a time when there were no boundaries in music. Who were you’re biggest influences that helped you carve your own unique sound in the music you make?

There are so many influences musically and I could geek out for hours on artists I dig. How they stack up and influence the music is unknown. It’s organic and never preconceived. The only real influence is the emotion at that moment.

Which song sticks out most for you and why?

“Somatic Spirit.” I think I was able to capture the true feeling in that experience. It was one of the few songs I played all the instruments on. I locked myself in the studio and laid down each track one right after the other. The drums were probably the only instrument that weren’t recorded in one take. It poured right out. It’s transporting when we play it live.

What can fans expect in the future from The Weekenders?

We just added another guitarist, Mike Sasich who mixed and mastered the album. He’s incredible so the goal is to write with more collaboration. He brings a lot to the table and our live sound is getting bigger. I would expect a little tour soon. We’re itching to play.

Rating: 4/5 Stars!

Album Name: Don’t Plan On
Date Released: June, 2012
Genres: Rock
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Band Members: Rob Reinfurt – Guitar & Vox, Bob Melanson – Bass, John Murphy – Drums & Vox, Mike Sasich – Guitar
Website: www.theweekendersmusic.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/weekenders
Twitter: https://twitter.com/weekendersmusic

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