Amarillo Junction

A couple of weeks ago I was able to sit down and interview one of our River Lounge regular bands, Amarillo Junction. Now I know what you are all wondering, “Where did the name Amarillo Junction come from?” Well, the “Amarillo Junction” is the corridor of I-35 where I-40 and I-44 intersect. The band thought this was a fitting name since the members all came together there from all different walks of life.

To get you more familiar with Amarillo Junction, let me introduce you to the band:
Kyle Rainer – Vocals, Guitars
Ronnie Deane – Vocals, Guitars
Chris Walls – Guitars
Paul Courtney – Bass, Guitars
Jake Lynn – Drums, Percussion, Piano

I know you all are biting at the bit to get to know the band even more, so here’s an interview I hosted with them:

C: How did Amarillo Junction get started?
AJ: The original idea of the band started with a male and a female duo until Ronnie joined the band in October 2012. It quickly evolved into a three vocalist-fronted band, with an edgier feel coined as “Oklahoma Outlaw Country.” Our sound has evolved and developed into more of a country mixed with a southern rock feel. Make no mistake, we may be market ourselves as a country band, but seeing us live you will experience a rock show similar to Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and others.

C: Where does your musical inspiration come from?
AJ: Our influences come from anywhere – a movie, a feeling, another song, something that happened at work, home, etc. We interpret those signs and translate them into music, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

C: Where do you see the Amarillo Junction in 5 years? What about in 10 years?
AJ: Hopefully, we’re still at it, just on a larger scale! We would love to be headlining our own regional tours and playing festivals or events with other national artists around the country. Eventually, we would like to open our own studio and create our own independent label/management company to help other bands get their careers started.

C: What’s one word to describe the Amarillo Junction?
AJ: If we had to choose one word, it would be entertaining. The presentation of the show is our main priority. People remember bands that are fun to watch, and those artists continually attract fans in to see what they’re going to do next.

C: Is there something you’ve learned along the way that you wish you knew when you first started performing?
AJ: The short answer is: make friends with your soundman. He can make the worst artists sound like Beethoven or make the best artists sound loud and staticky.
The long answer is: perception is 9/10 of everything. “Act like you belong and people think you do” is an adage we live by. If you’re in public and people know you’re in a popular band, you still have to act accordingly and present yourself in a positive manner.

C: What does a typical day in the life of your band look like?
AJ: Right now, we all still have day jobs or are in school full-time. When we have a late rehearsal or weekday shows, we’re still getting up the next day and going to work. We all live and breathe Amarillo Junction and we work toward making it better every day.

I’ll see you all in the River Lounge on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26, to hear Amarillo Junction’s infamous Oklahoma Outlaw Country sound!

Caroline