Omaha's Finest Hundred Proof Men, the Filter Kings,
Have 'Finer Things' in Store for 2010

The area's favorite honky-tonkers take some time away from pickin' strings and chasin' whiskey to talk about how they met, and upcoming plans and expectations for their follow up to their debut cd, "Finer Things" on Speed! Nebraska Records.

By: Audrey Kay

I'll admit it, I was a little thrown off when I pulled up to bass player, Todd Dickey's house, for their features interview.  Painted a blinding shade of yellow and closer to West Omaha than a more predictable, rural-inspired neighborhood, I really thought I had these guys figured until then.  But if there is one thing I learned about this group of talented hillbillies; predictability is not their forte.  Many people, like myself, would find it safe to assume that they all were raised by rednecks and have a banjo-playing grandpa.  While some of those conceptions are not completely far off (lead singer and guitarist Lee's full name IS Gerald Lee Meyerpeter, Jr., after all), there's a lot to these fellas that you would not probably expect.  Over time, I've developed friendships with these gentlemen, as well as a growing interest of their band.  At a show in Lincoln, Lee and I were outside having a smoke and he casually mentioned plans on recording this year, which prompted me to get some details.  While throwing back beers and having a great time distracted us a bit from the actual interview (okay, it distracted us a lot), I managed to dig a bit and find out what life is like as a Filter King.

Q- So you guys all met locally right?

A- Lee-"I started off doing some acoustic songs down at Mick's.  One night while me and Dickey were drinkin' at the 49er and they were doing the Hootenanny, and we all got to talkin' about us doing shows together, and that's kind of how that started.  We started out in various bands, such as Trucker Dust, Dead Father's Club and stuff like that, and then I asked Chris to join along, 'cause me and him had already been doin' some projects together, we were in a Misfits tribute band and a Social D tribute band, I've known him for a long time we worked together, so it started out just us three, and then Josh (Dunwoody) came along for the ride, so that's how that all started out."

Q- So what about when you started out doing punk music?

A-Lee- "That started a long time ago, back when I learned guitar around '89.  I learned how to play 'Happy Trails' first, then I learned how to play Ramones..."

Q- So you taught yourself?

A-Lee-"I did.  And once I got a tuner it got easier (laughs). Then I got an amp, and it got even easier.  Then I got a drummer and played in a band called the Love Junkies and it was simplicity at its' finest.  I started playing in bands about six months after learning to play guitar."

Q-What made you get into this (country) type of music?

 A-Lee-"You know, I always liked country music, I was raised on country music when I was a kid."

Jason- "It was kind of a natural progression, from punk and roots rock.

Lee-"It really was. You know, musically it's the same thing.  It's just the way you play the drums and the rhythm to it.  Totally different way of singing, somewhat.  But yeah, the progression just fit right at the time.  I was going through a lot of personal tragedies at the time, my father just died, and I had all these ideas for different songs, you know I was changing gears and I could see the band I was in just was not wanting to do that type of music."

Q-Is it mostly you, Lee, who writes the songs, or is it a collaboration?

A-Lee-"It's a collaboration.  I come up with stuff, you know, and then a lot of the arrangements I leave open to the guys in the band.  The general riffs, melody and chorus, I'll come up with that stuff, and a lot of the words, but it's all open to interpretation.  They're welcome to jump in anytime and direct where the song needs to go."

Chris-"Lee brings the songs to practice, and we write a part for it.  Lee's just being humble" (laughs).

Q- Who influences your band musically?

A-Lee- "I was a huge Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls) fan.  I was a huge Waylon Jennings fan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash.  I always loved Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) a lot."

Chris-"I like everything. I really do.  I love hard rock, classic rock.  I love punk.  I don't really have a taste for jazz yet, maybe when I grow up a little bit."

Todd-"The bottom line is that everybody is really different.  The world that Lee comes from, a rock and roll and punk rock scene, Chris more from a metal scene, me from more of a traditional rockabilly and roots band, and Jason more from cover bands and blues bands."

Jason-"I was influenced by the roots of the British blues of the early 60's and went from there to everything from Chet Atkins to Yngwie Malmsteen to Miles Davis. 

Todd- "Maybe that's what's kind of unique. None of the four of us all came together for one common design of music. That's what was so nice; we all got to come together on the design that we could make ANY kind of music together.  I've had more change up in this band than any other. A lot more texture."

Q- So it's obvious you guys are pretty famous in the Omaha area....

All- "We are? How is that obvious?"(laughs)

Q- Haha, well, you kind of are.  Do you like being a local staple, or do you have goals to make it big?

A-Todd- "A goal is a dream with a deadline."

Lee- "The goal is to just get the music out regionally.  You know, play out of town much more than we play in town, and not go broke doing it.  But as long as we can get the music out regionally and spread the word, then hopefully, we can branch out further from there.  Start small and keep workin' just like we're doin', and hopefully get recording this year."

Chris- "We have three shows in March and not one of them is in this town.  We're also going to try to do a little tour in July.  We need to focus regionally more so than locally, for sure right now."

Q- Start from last year and talk a little about the things you did leading up to your OEA win and what you think won the award.

A-Lee- "I think what won us that award was that show we did at the Sydney.  Honestly, it went from not a lot of people being there to packing the place.  I think that was Josh's last show with us, and it was in the air that it would probably be our last show.  The year before we put out an album and we weren't even nominated, so being nominated again, I really didn't think that was goin' to happen."

Q- Were you guys worried when Josh left the group that there wouldn't be the same dynamic?

A-Lee- "I thought the band was goin' to be done. When he (Josh) quit, nobody really stepped up to play."

Chris- "Yeah, we were worried.  We thought nobody wanted the job.  We did have every intention on continuing as a three piece until we found somebody. Josh, believe it or not, was the one who set it up with Jason."  

Q- Do you guys have any plans to have the females ("Filter Kats") collaborate with you again, or any other plans to work with other musicians?

A-Lee- "I think you'll hear collaboration with other musicians, coming in and playing different instruments. And you know what?  They'll probably another woman singing on there again."

Chris- "We might have people come in and do solos or something, or who knows? Maybe come in and play peddle-steel guitar. Or the organ or keyboard. Maybe a harmonica player, maybe a fiddle. Who knows?"

Q- Have you guys ever had a really bad night playing, making mistakes, etc. that made you pissed off at yourself?

A-Chris- "This band has been playing together long enough now, that it has happened.  We ALL had a bad night.  We've had a couple of really shitty shows, not many though.  I'd say less than five in the fuckin'  five years that the three (Chris, Todd, and Lee) have been playing together.  Usually we're all pretty into it, because we're all happy to be there.  But, every once in a while when the moon is full, shit can get weird (laughs)."

Lee- Every once in a while, it'll be like 'Dude, did you really mean to drink two 40 ounces, or was that a mistake?"

Q- You can hear some of the inspirations from other types of music, like the punk sounds.  Do you have plans to incorporate more of that into your songs, or do you like to stay on the grittier, country side?

A-Lee- "Each song has its' own character.  I think once the general idea of the song is presented, I think the rest of the band members just kind of help arrange it to the point of what it's going to end up sounding like. I can see in the future more of a Southern rock feel, maybe more of a psychedelic feel to some of it.  More of just a sheer rock aspect to it.  And then I can see us going right back to rockabilly and honky-tonk again. That way, you keep 'em guessing."

Chris- "One of my favorite things about this band is the way it sounds now is natural.  I don't think we ever sat down and said 'alright we want to sound THIS way'.  It's just worked out that way."

Q-Do you guys listen to your own record?

A- Chris- "You know, I didn't for a long time after we recorded.  But, I did about 3 months ago listen to it, and it kind of inspired me.  I forgot how much I actually like that album.  You take it for granted when you play it all the time.  I think when you step away from it and then listen to it again, it's really fuckin' cool.  It was fun recording it.  A lot of laughing."

Lee- "It was a good moment in time."

Q-What types of things did you want to do differently for this next album, and what do you want to keep the same so you don't lose yourselves in the process?

A- Chris- "One thing that's going to make a difference is a new member, so that right there is going to make it different.  I don't know, I think a lot of the new stuff we've been working on is the same content as the first record, it's just the band's growing.  We're doing new things, songs are going different directions, so, it'll be different but it'll be a natural progression.  We don't want all the songs to sound the same, we want to show some progress."

Q-What are your 2010 goals, as a band and individually?  What do you hope to achieve?

A-Chris-"For sure record."

Lee- "Start gettin' out, and network some of these towns, so we can start to branch out further than that."

While you sit tight for the release of their second album, you can NOW download their debut album, Finer Things, on ITUNES!

Catch them THIS SATURDAY, March 13th, in Lincoln at the Bourbon Theater as Speed! Nebraska presents Mercy Rule, The Wagon Blasters, Ideal Cleaners, Filter Kings and The Mezcal Brothers. Music starts at 8 p.m. $6 for 21+, $8 for 19-20

They will also be playing at The Garage in Kearney on Wednesday, March 17th, St. Patty's Day if you can make it down there!

Add them on MySpace and Facebook and stay posted on future shows and new things going on with the band!
http://www.myspace.com/filterkingsne
http://www.facebook.com/people/Filter-Kings/1303840174

3.12.10