Formed in 2007, The Boxmasters have recorded an impressive and diverse catalogue of music that touches on their love of a wide array of influences, but most importantly, the rock and roll of the 1960’s.
With roots deeply seeded in their love of music that featured strong “story” songs, The Boxmasters (J.D. Andrew and Billy Bob 'Bud' Thornton) have established themselves as one of the most prolific Americana/Roots-rock bands of the day and have built a die-hard fan base performing to sold-out audiences in intimate venues as well as large festivals.
Drawing on growing up in rural Arkansas and Kansas with dreams of a mythical place called California that wafted through the radio waves, Bud and J.D. worked their way to the promised land that was Los Angeles to make their fame and fortune. Bud played in well-known regional bands that were playing in front of tens of thousands of festival goers by his mid-teens before working as a roadie for a sound company in Arkansas that provided sound services for the likes of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Johnny Paycheck. Andrew started his music business career in Nashville making cassettes of song demos before moving to Los Angeles and working on albums by The Rolling Stones and The Pussycat Dolls among others. But the idea of being in a band themselves always dominated their dreams and The Boxmasters gave them both a place to make music that they loved first and foremost.
The two met when Andrew was brought in to help Thornton record his fourth solo album A Beautiful Door and the two quickly struck up a friendship based on shared experiences and loves. Thornton shared a song by the English duo Chad & Jeremy with Andrew and “Yesterday’s Gone” became the first song recorded for the band that would become The Boxmasters.
The band’s latest album Speck (Listen Here Speck) released through KeenTone/Thirty Tigers, found the band collaborating with legendary Engineer/Producer Geoff Emerick for an album that Geoff has called, “One of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on since The Beatles" which features the radio hit: I Wanna Go Where You Go
Sadly, before Speck was formally released, Geoff passed away. Known for taking over the engineer’s chair on The Beatles’ albums Revolver, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and more, Geoff added a familiar sonic touch to the sound of The Boxmasters, who have been unapologetic Beatles and British Invasion fans. Sonically Speck touches on all of The Boxmasters influences, including The Beatles, The Byrds and Big Star but there are new sonic touches as well. Ukulele, cardboard boxes and the Beatles’ famous “tea towels on the drums trick” pop up on songs throughout the album. “Geoff really did an amazing job on the mixing of this album and did it in a way that you recognize sounds you’ve known all of your life, but at that same time are in a new way. says J.D., who typically mixes all of The Boxmasters’ material. “Lyrically it deals with everything from personal relationships to politics, and social issues. The theme being that we are all specks in this universe trying to navigate it , during trying times in the world we still have our own loves, desires , problems and dreams as individuals,” says Bud. “We're just little humans. No matter what our standing is in society”.