Sometimes life just comes together, with little pieces of the past and big dreams of the future. The lads from Sixties Future are looking to keep Buffalo, NY on the map, all the while bringing “Dad Rock” along the way with them. I was able to catch up with Mo and Chris to talk about their history.
Here is our interview with your Dad’s new favorite band.
TheBandShoes What is your name and what’s your job in the band?
Sixties Future Im Mo Halliday and I play bass and I’m Chris Couche and I sing
TheBandShoes Is Sixties Future the first band you have played/toured with and where did the name come from?
Mo I’ve been in many bands through the years. All that time and those hours have helped me realize what I want out of a band and the result of that is Sixties Future.
Chris This is my first band. The name can mean a lot of things. I think I’m going to be annoyingly ambiguous on this one; we like the way it sounds.
TheBandShoes What are your go to shoes for a gig and does a lot of thought go into your fashion choices for a show?
Mo I do put a lot of thought into fashion choices especially when it comes to the band. There is an overall image I’d like to achieve but comfort is also a factor when it comes to footwear for a gig. My go to boots are Red Wing Iron Rangers. I have a pair in black and another in brown. I don’t think I’ve worn anything else on my feet for over a year. They just feel right and fit my look.
Chris I have a beat up pair of Dr Martens. If I could find something more cliche to say I would. You don’t need to wear them that long to make them look 100 years old. One winter here and the salt rips through everything.
TheBandShoes What and who if anything inspires your personal fashion style?
Mo My style is very influenced by classic 40s, 50s, and 60s american designs. There’s a lot of modern brands drawing influence from those eras but modernizing the cut so they fit much better and that’s what I’m into. High quality denim, western shirts, soft tees, boots and the occasional ratty old band tee sum it up pretty well for me.
Chris I thought we all had Eddie Vedder shrines.
TheBandShoes Why and when did you pick up the art of performing?
Mo I just loved music so much growing up and it really helped me through a lot. I got my first bass at the age of 13 after constantly begging my parents for a year and haven’t looked back since. It just always felt so natural/comfortable to me like it’s what I’m supposed to be doing.
Chris I used to draw a lot when I was a kid and when I got into finding my own music as a teenager, picking up an instrument was kind of a natural extension of that for me. I sucked at guitar but drums came pretty easily so I did that. The few times I played on stage I loved it, but it was a while before I actually viewed it as something I could devote myself to as something more than a hobby. I had felt I needed to follow the traditional path and get a “job”. Seeing Bruce Springsteen live changed my life. Totally changed my perception of music. What it is and what it can be. The potential of it. It was euphoric. A borderline religious experience. Definitely my epiphany moment and when I knew I wanted to make music with my life.
TheBandShoes Sixties hasn’t been a band for very long how has it been trying to grow this band and gain some buzz?
Mo From the beginning of this band it has been all about creating music we truly believe in. So for us not a lot of thought goes into creating buzz. It’s always about the song first and if the song is there hopefully people will catch on.
TheBandShoes What’s your go to pre or post gig drink of choice?
Mo A mainstay for us since day one has always been good ol Genny cream ale.
Chris Same.
TheBandShoes What type of music did you grow up listening to and who are some artists you are listening to now that inspire you?
Mo The first thing that ever made an impact on me growing up was a Pearl Jam single my sister would always play it was for the song Alive. From there I went through many phases but eventually ended up finding Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and that was it, my all time favorite. For me it’s all about songwriters writing great songs from Petty to Springsteen to Fleetwood Mac I draw a lot from the greats. The War on Drugs is one of the more modern bands I really love. I think they were able to create a classic album that has obvious nods to the past while still having unique aspects to it pushing things forward. I also love anything Ryan Adams does.
Chris I grew up with music kind of in the peripheral with the majority of my early memories coming from 60’s rock, pop and gunfighter ballads in my dad’s car on the way to baseball. He had Darkness on the edge of town too; I remember that and some of The Who’ records. The artists I “love” I am generally in love with their persona or how they carried themselves through their career. There’s kind of an inherent degree of bullshit that’s going to occur somewhere in the marketing of things regardless of whether or not you’re trying to stay authentic, so the artists that make an effort to keep that to a minimum I love. Bruce being a primary one. Warren Zevon being the one that resonates the most with me. Brutal honesty and a sense of humor that really hits me. Especially when I first really listened. Totally floored me. I never put his book away. It kills me that I’ll never see him live.
TheBandShoes Which era do you think was doing it right and how does the future look in music in your eyes?
Mo Most of my top 10 albums came out in the 70s so I’ll go with that. I think while there was a lot of bloated and bad rock songs coming out there was a counter culture for creating unique and honest rock n roll; to impress no one but themselves. That I just really love. I think the future of music could be very bright. There is a lot of great bands doing it right now. Where the potential problem lies is the listener. Are they willing to open their ears and go out and find new stuff? Or are they content with whatever gets shoved in their ears by pop radio?
Chris Isn’t “music peaked in 78” the cliche? I can’t argue with what Mo said mat all.
TheBandShoes If you weren’t a touring musician what do you think your career would be?
Mo I’d love to run a Barcade or a classic Hi-Fi store. Im also really into flipping gear so if I weren’t playing music I’d love to make a living doing one or all of those things.
Chris Nothing good. Probably being the worst employee at Mo’s barcade.
After watching their fans raise them up and crowd surf them around historic Mohawk Place a few weeks back, trust me when I say Sixties Future is a bright spark in the music world and don’t seem to be just a flash in the pan.
Obviously, music is all subjective so it’s about whoever or whatever truly resonates with you personally so go give them a listen, I’m sure you will dig them and be willing to support the movement. Help keep them from having to have real jobs for a while and let them do what they love and enjoy to do. Oh and don’t forget to invite your Dad when they get to a venue near you.
photo by Zach Acee