Page 8 - ION Indie Magazine MarchApril 2021
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Jere Perry: It’s great having an opportunity JP: The second record you dropped was at
to sit down and talk with you guys. I put the beginning of the grunge era, and while
this off because I wanted to ride over to it was a good set of music, it didn’t do well
Memphis and do this in person, but commercially. EMN kind of disappeared
well...you know. You have a nice long from the radar for a while, at least my
career and discography to discuss. You radar. Tell me what you did during that
broke on the scene back in the 1980s, period of time. Did you keep EMN alive or
signed by Clive Davis in 1987. rekindle the fire at a more appropriate
time?
Rick Ruhl: Yeah, late ‘87, early ’88. It’s all kind
of a blur. RR: It’s been going the whole time. Out of this
JP: You released your first album in 1990 whole thing, I might have taken a year off.
as I recall. Am I right about that? Music took a dive there for a long time, so we
were just in a practice room writing songs and
RR: The first one came out in ’89, ’90. It was doing what we do. We just kept on writing and
right on the borderline there. playing, trying to stay ahead of the curve or
different than the curve. There were times we
JP: How in the years ensuing, Rick, have
you grown as a songwriter and performer? thought we were so far ahead…we were
behind (laughing).
RR: When I first started doing this all I knew
that I wanted was a record deal. I knew you JP: Allan you have been with EMN for
had to have at least an album’s worth of several years now. How did you come into
material together and it had to have certain the EMN fold?
kinds of things. I wrote twelve or thirteen songs Allan Bone: Really, just kinda dumb luck, I
and played exactly thirteen shows and I had guess. I was born and raised here (Memphis)
my record deal. Basically, I started out ass- and moved away and was on the road for a
backwards. I jumped into my first record, few years with a cover band. In all that time, I
which was really my first time recording never met these guys. We never crossed
anything. paths. I obviously knew about them...never
had the chance to meet them or jam with
JP: You played thirteen shows and got a
record deal? them. One of Rick’s best friend’s went to high
school with me and we were at a local
RR: I think the thirteenth show we played was watering hole one night and Rick walked in
at Proud Mary’s, which was right next to The and he asked how the band was going and
Daisy on Beale Street. We were sitting down Rick said we need a drummer…and he said,
with ASCAP and talking with Jason the next ‘He’s your guy, right there!’
morning. I went from living in a 10x20 store-all
unit and using a bathroom in a cup and RR: And he was!
suddenly we had a record deal and more AB: A couple of weeks later, I got a call and
trouble than we ever knew. he (Rick) said, ‘Hey, we got these shows in a
week. I need you to learn these songs.’
JP: The second record you dropped was at
the beginning of the grunge era, and while JP: Allan, there is a wide range of songs to
it was a good set of music, it didn’t do well pull from to perform. Do you have an
commercially. EMN kind of disappeared album that you like the groove and beats
from the radar for a while, at least my radar. to than any other in the EMN collection?
Tell me what you did during that period of
time. Did you keep EMN alive or rekindle RR: ‘Resurrect The Faithful,’ right? (laughing)
the fire at a more appropriate time?
