What is the best part about being a member of a teenage rock band? In an e-mail interview, Central York High School junior Jake Hammill said that it's "having an excuse to be out past curfew, the girls, and all the cool people that make up the York music scene."
Jake; his brother, Dylan Hammill; and friends Charlie Alcorn and Eric Long - all students at Central - play together to form The Swinging Fingers, a "garage rock" band (that's classic rock with a modern touch). Jake strums the guitar, Dylan rocks the bass, Charlie beats the drums, and Eric provides the vocals as well as an additional guitar in their songs, including "Wait Girl," "17" and "It's Alright."
Although this teenage quartet has only been playing together since August, they are well on their way to musical success. In February, The Swinging Fingers won the local "Battle of the Bands" competition at the York Jewish Community Center, and they already have a few stories about groupies and crazy fans.
"They probably shouldn't go in the paper . . . use your imagination. There was this one time we autographed a cell phone, and some 40-year-old's T-shirt. Her name was The Terrorizer!" Jake said.
Here's how the rest of the interview with Jake played out:
How did the band get started and when?
The band formed in August of '06. Eric and I played some acoustic songs together but felt the need to just start rocking out. Dyl and Charlie just fell into place.
What is the reason behind the band name?
We got a free organ off of craigslist.org, and right on the organ was The Swinging Fingers.
How often do you guys practice and where?
We all practice in my basement, hopefully twice a week, but usually just one night after school.
Who are the band's musical influences and idols?
The Rolling Stones, The Guess Who, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty and newer bands like Kings of Leon and The Strokes.
What sets your band apart from other bands?
Our influences. I don't think a lot of other bands rock out to The Guess Who, Foghat, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Nazareth, The Stones and Zeppelin as much as we do. Sometimes band practice is just listening to older bands.
Do you have a record label or a manager yet?
We've been doing some talking with Bill Grabowski out of Lancaster, Pa., and there's been some talk with Python Richards Productions out of Cleveland. Hopefully we'll get picked up by a nice Indie label like ATO or Rough Trade.
What events and concerts have you played at?
We've played at some high school gigs, Club 19, and the York JCC where we won the local "Battle of the Bands" in February.
What are your upcoming events and concerts?
April 7 - 6 p.m., Rock Hard: A Four Diamonds Benefit at the Dover Community Center
April 13 - 7 p.m., Club 19 in York
April 14 - 7 p.m., Cancer Benefit at the Woman's Club of York
April 27 - 5 p.m., TLC Benefit Concert at Providence Presbyterian Church in York
May 26 - 6:30 p.m., York JCC
What are the future plans for the band?
We still haven't found "our sound," so developing that is a top priority as well as more shows in bigger cities and hopefully being signed by someone.
For more details about The Swinging Fingers, including song clips and an extended list of upcoming shows, check-out their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/swingingfingers. Rock on!
Dude...I like that guy's shirt.
Best band ever!
THEY LOOK LIKE BUTT PIRATES!!LOL!! BUT RLY THEY DO!!!