MEET THE BAND

As lead singer Chris Burris sees it, Strange Company may be an offbeat moniker, but it perfectly captures the Nashville and Memphis based band’s divergent tastes and influences, which create a dynamic balance of melodic pop and edgy, blistering rock.  

Chris likes what lead guitarist Aaron “Crash” Robinette calls “heavier rock without screamo, groups like Candlebox.” After Chris laughs that one of Crash’s favorite songs is Carly Rae Jepsen’s pop confection “Call Me Maybe,” Crash clarifies, “If it sounds like bubblegum, I’ll probably dig it. I love pop, but like country music and rock and roll too.” Bassist Andrew Allen, who leans “more funky and poppish,” grew up on alt pop legends like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus and Foo Fighters. Together they create an irresistible energy that Chris has facetiously compared to “Rob Thomas singing lead for Breaking Benjamin.” 

Despite or perhaps because of these great differences, the trio came together with a singular focus and ambitious musical mission as they entered The Rukkus Room to work with producer Jeff Shannon, whose all-star resume includes some of the greatest classic country artists of all time – including Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, Lacy J. Dalton, Donna Fargo and Hank Thompson. After many years of starts, stops, breakups and reboots, Strange Company wanted to record “the best rock record ever made in Nashville.” 

“Lois Lane” and “Satellite Sky,” the first two lead singles from the band’s upcoming debut album Eyes Wide Open, offer powerful examples of the band’s grooving mainstream pop and more aggressive rock/alt pop vibes, as well as Crash’s infectious, musically engaging and lyrically hard- hitting songwriting, brilliantly fleshed out conceptually and musically by he and his bandmates. 

“Lois Lane” is an ultra-melodic mid-tempo pop/rocker offering a tongue in cheek take on the perfect woman strongly desiring a buddy of his – only the friend is clueless as to her interest. “Lois Lane’ is the song that started it all,” Chris says. “When I first met Crash, he was in Nashville writing and making demos. I had put an ad in Nashville Scene magazine looking to put a band together and got flooded with voicemails. I vividly remember Crash’s message: ‘Hey man, this is Crash. I’ve got the perfect song. I just need the right singer.’ He left a bunch of messages, saying, ‘I’m your guy, you can stop looking.’ Once I called him back, I think an hour later we were working on the vocals for ‘Lois Lane’ and the next day we were at a small studio cutting our first demo. Everybody has felt strongly about it since Day One. It’s a fun song to sing, with great energy. I can’t wait for it to get out in the wild!” 

While also offering a super-catchy hook, the fiery, hard-chugging “Satellite Sky,” showcases the higher octane side of Strange Company’s artistry both in studio and in live performances. Essentially, Chris told Crash that the band needed a driving song – and Chris had the perfect stretch of Old Highway 78 in mind for the visuals, “with sunglasses on and cruise control set to about 90.” Crash’s lyrics are about choosing to do your own thing, being true to yourself and your offbeat vision, regardless of what anyone else is doing or saying, Crash also notes cryptically that, “When you see satellites in the night sky, they burn out and stop shining when they’re at their highest.”

Having performed at Memphis hotspots over the years, including The New Daisy and Hard Rock Café on Beale Street, Strange Company is excited for the release of the first two singles, which will be followed by their first official gig as recording artists July 3 at Basement East in Nashville.