Second Cup Cafe: Whiskey Falls
When Whiskey Falls sings, it's four-part-harmony bliss in the country/rock genre.
Although the band is fairly new, collaboration and original songwriting have come naturally for them. They performed songs from their self-titled album "Whiskey Falls" on The Saturday Early Show's Second Cup Café.
In the song "Last Train Running," the harmonies are clean, sharp and precise, which is evident whether you are a country fan or not.
"I've been brought to tears a few times on stage by just how special the music is, how amazing the harmonies are," said lead singer Seven Williams.
Williams and band member Wally Brandt go way back to playing music during their youth. With the help of Wally's twin brother, Bill, they eventually co-founded a successful film and television music production company, where they created themes and original songs for big network shows.
With a drive to take their music to the next level, the band headed to Nashville, the Mecca of country music, where they co-wrote songs with country stars Don Schlitz ("The Gambler"), Frank Myers ("I Swear"), and Stephanie Bentley ("Concrete Angel").
Encouraged by friend Cliff Downs, Brandt and Williams decided to finally write their own songs.
They formed Whiskey Falls with Buck Johnson, a native of Shady Grove, Ala., whose talents scored him gigs with Matthew Sweet and Shawn Mullins as well as backing the Doobie Brothers on a live album.
In addition to playing the guitar, keyboard and mandolin, Johnson teamed up with Carlos Santana and co-wrote Santana's recent single "Just Feel Better" on his album "All That I Am," featuring Steven Tyler on vocals. Other co-writers on the song included Jamie Houston and fellow Whiskey Falls band member Damon Johnson.
Damon Johnson (no relation to Buck) completes the band as lead guitarist. He was formerly the lead singer of the southern rock band, Brother Cane.
"I'm lucky to even be singing harmonies with these guys, and I'm not just blowing smoke," Brandt said. "They've all got such natural voices. As far as writing, the ability to vocalize just about anything we dream up makes the process that much easier. The harmonies are just huge."
By Melissa Castellanos