Upon first listening to Audrey, you would never guess they have only been a band for less than a year. This Michigan quintet provides a mix of indie and pop-rock sensibilities with a do-it-yourself ethic that helps them stand out amongst their peers. Having released their first EP, When We Were Young, this past September (part one of a two part concept album), and opening for acts such as Mae and Deas Vail, they are definitely a band you want to get to know.

Corey from the band answered the following questions for us.

Who does the band consist of and what part do they have in the band?

Everett Parks on the microphone, Corey M. Bickford on guitar and piano, Jonathan Tibbitts on guitar, Shawn McMann on bass, and we’re currently in between drummers (Michael Greenbank is going to remain with us through February). 

How was the band formed and how long have you been a band?

Ev, John, and Corey were all in a band together for 2 1/2 years. After being broken up for a year or so, Corey contacted Everett and John to start up a completely new project. We had our friend Michael join as his band at the time was falling apart a bit, and we knew Shawn from his old band in which he played drums and tried him out on bass and he fit like a glove. The line up was completed as of February of 2009, so we’ve been a band for just under a year.

How did you come up with the name for the band?

Two traits we wanted this band to have at its forefront were beauty and a sense of elegance. That lead us to thinking about what we viewed as beautiful and elegant, which was Audrey Hepburn and Audrey Tautou, so we went with Audrey. 

How would you describe your music?

Always a hard question… a recent review said “Morrissey-meets-Jimmy Eat World,” and that was insanely flattering, so we’ll go with that, though it may set the bar a little high in my humble opinion.

What bands/artists have influenced you?

Mae and Deas Vail were the big ones when we were first starting up. We actually recently had a chance to open for both of those bands on Halloween, which was amazing. Since we started playing together, we’ve sort of broadened our influences to be a bit more individually specific. Between the five of us we draw influences from our very varying pasts… largely the late 90’s emo sound (i.e. Saves the Day, The Anniversary, and The Get Up Kids… that’s a big one) but also bands from all over the musical spectrum (Steely Dan to Incubus to The Beatles to Bayside and Bad Religion to Anberlin to… you get the idea). 

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

We’ve all been in the music scene for going on a decade. It’s wavering, really. Muskegon has one of the strongest, longest running punk scenes in the world (look into The Ice Pick… it’s a punk venue which has been running longer than CBGB’s). As of late, it’s on the up and up again. We’re a part of a label/collective known as 3358 Records which has been working for years now to truly rejuvenate and keep afloat the local music scene. A few of us are also personally involved with the operation of this label (Corey is one of the founders, in fact). 

What is the best experience you’ve had on tour?

If by tour, you mean the many out of town shows… it’s hard to say. We’ve met many, many amazing people.  A few stand out moments would include playing in Macomb, Illinois and meeting these people who were involved with giving ghost tours and hearing their stories. Cornerstone 2009 had some pretty fun moments, too. Also, playing up in Marquette, Michigan was a great time… there are some really loving people up there who just treated us very well. I’m not sure I feel right considering any lower penninsula shows “tour” but the east side of Michigan (Howell/Lansing) is home to many amazing friends of ours. 

What do you think is the biggest challenge of being a unsigned band/artist?

Money & time. All of our members are either full time college students or work full time jobs. Finding jobs in this economy (especially in Muskegon, which has among the highest unemployment rates in the country) that are willing to give you the necessary amount of time to play shows, record, tour, etc. is nearly impossible. As a result of this, paying to put out quality products, fund the band, and still be able to live… it’s difficult. Almost impossible, in fact. 

How do you view the state of the music industry today?

A big ol’ mess. I’m glad, though. I’m hoping it will kill of the rock-star dream and bring back the appreciation for the DIY/EIY ethic that we grew up on. There is nothing more I respect than a band/musician who is willing to sacrifice everything they have to play a basement show to 20 sweaty smelly kids who feel every word and note. 

What does your band hope to accomplish within the next year?

We’re going to be touring come this summer, and next fall we’re going to be putting out the second installment of our concept EP set. Also, hopefully we’ll have a van and a trailer… we’ve had the worst luck with that whole situation. We currently drive several cars (including my 1995 Ford Aspire which is the size of a shoe box) to our shows. I cannot express how many times we’ve had to pay to repair our cars from carrying all of our equipment between them. 

Is your music available for purchase/download anywhere?

audrey.bigcartel.comand of course at all of our shows. It will be on iTunes, Amazon, and some other stuff pretty soon, but it’s not right now.

Anything else you would like to add or acknowledge.

Check out our MySpace. MySpace is dying, but we’re still on there quite a bit. Check out every single thing in our Top Friends… everyone/everything on there is something worthwhile. Our friends and the bands we support are really a family to us, and we love to add members to our family… get to know us. 

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