Q & A with guitarist Mike Crownover of No Refund Band: It’s not only our name, it’s also our policy

“Blues is a confession of the soul it is almost like religion, so my hope is that the religion, which is the Blues, never dies.”

Interview by Michael Limnios

Mike Crownover: No Refund Band (source: click here)

If you would like to know what a mixture of Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, and Grand Funk Railroad sound like, listen to The No Refund Band and you will get taste of all of these styles mixed into a genre all its own. The No Refund Band was formed by Mike Crownover in 2007 as the fulfillment of lifelong dream of playing guitar in his own band.

As with any new project, the band had a few early successes, but there were many bumps on the road as well including finding steady musicians, the right lead singer, the right gigs, etc… However, Crownover’s passion for music and for finding the right sound kept the band moving forward. While rolling over one of the bumps in the road, Crownover met Ricky Jackson and Rik Robertson who he hired to fill in for a gig in Ft. Worth, Texas. It didn’t take long for the partnership to gel into something more permanent as the trio found common ground in their musical interests. Jackson would become the front man, with a soulful voice and penetrating guitar licks. Robertson, a studio musician provided the anchor to the band with his innovative bass lines. Both compliment the rock solid rhythms from Crownover. With a horn section featuring Anthony Terry and Jim Brady, the result is a versatile band that can deliver everything from hard driving blues to melodic acoustic tunes that leave you wanting more.

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We love the soul drenched vocals on original tunes such as “Just to Be Blue,” and the hauntingly beautiful melody on “Fall Again.” The Bluesy acoustic guitar on “One More Drink” complements the plaintive vocals perfectly on this anthem to low down desperation. And the classic “Willie the Wimp” sparkles with life and energy, instilling a great vibe into this cover.Great stuff – we want more.

Must be something in the water down in Texas.

source: http://barrelhouseblues.com/impressions_11.html