Art On The Rocks Exclusive: Seratones

/ Art On The Rocks

Straight out of Shreveport, Louisiana, the big sounds of Seratones serve up a killer combination of Southern musicality, garage rock ferocity, and general badassery. Band members point to punk, gospel, and garage as early influences, but they’ve created a sound all their own. Leading up to their Art On The Rocks performance, we talked musical food pairings, art, and the early days with lead singer and guitarist AJ Haynes. 

Birmingham Museum of Art: Everybody wants to know the band’s story. How did you all meet, and how did you combine musical tastes to develop your sound?

AJ Haynes: We all met going to local DIY punk shows when we were teenagers. Lots of late nights spent thrashing and then hanging out listening to everything from Arthur Big Boy Crudup, to Ornette Coleman, to Frank Zappa. We compose our arrangements intuitively and give each other feedback, so the amalgamation of all our influences shifts and manifests in different ways.

BMA: Art On The Rocks is about blending the best of Birmingham culture (music, performances, food, and more) with the beautiful Museum environment. In the spirit of fusing music and art, which visual artists might best represent Seratones?

AJH: Brad Eberhard, Lorraine O’Grady, Romare Bearden, Marcel Duchamp, & Lee Krasner. And our ever-inspiring personal friend and inventive visual artist, Nathan Treme. He does all of our artwork.

BMA: Birmingham has an incredible food culture. If your music were perfectly paired with a delicious meal and cocktail, what would be on the menu?

AJH: I’ve actually been thinking a lot about how to translate sound to food lately. It really depends on the song. For example, “Get Gone” would be a Old English 40oz and a chopped beef sandwich. “Tide” would be a savory avocado mouse as an appetizer, followed by pan-seared scallops with grilled grapefruit, sautéed rabe broccoli, and plantains for the main course, and a bright lemon sorbet with candied ginger for dessert. Each song is it’s own palette.

BMA: What are you most looking forward to about playing in Birmingham this summer?

AJH: Birmingham feels like a second home for us. We just love hanging out and spending time with our friends.

BMA: What can the audience expect from your show at Art On The Rocks?
AJH: I always think that it’s best to approach art with no expectations. I think the beautiful thing about a live show is that it will never exist again in any space and time. Come with a willingness and trust to let us take you on a sonic exploration. Let’s just have some fun together.
Tickets for Art On The Rocks on Friday, July 27, are available online and at the door.