BandChi! constantly scours the Independent music scene for the hottest in up and coming artists. We often find good music, and on occasion we stumble across something fantastic. Whiskey Six is a bunch of guys who have blended the sweet sound of southern blues with modern rock to deliver a product that is both powerful and professional on multiple levels.

We got an exclusive inside look from Chris Strickler, guitarist behind the unique Whiskey Six sound. The interview turned out so insightful in Chris's own words that, departing from our traditional format, we decided to share the interview in conversational style.

BANDCHI!: Tell me about the band Chris; members, how you got started.

CHRIS: Mongo plays lead guitar, Raf on Bass, Matt Indes on drums, I play rhythm and slide guitar and lead vocals! Mongo and I have been playing together for the better part of ten years. Raf came into the picture about five years ago, he was fifteen at the time. Matt Indes just joined us back in November, so we've only been together for about four months on this project.

BANDCHI!: You have a nice original sound, bluesy but very heavy.

CHRIS: We went into the studio about a year ago with a completely different mindset. Reviewing the material we just recorded, I picked up an acoustic guitar and started meddling over the songs. Producer John Herrera, (Turning Point, Jag Panzer, Marty Friedman and others) stopped the track and said, we 'HAD' to incorporate the acoustic style into the sound to give it a new flavor. I've always been a fan of old blues songs from around the 1930's and 40's. So we took about six months to rewrite everything, basically started over, incorporating that sound of old blues musicians and updating it for a new, younger generation.

BANDCHI!: You've introduced a unique instrument with the steel acoustic sound.

CHRIS: I've had to modify mine quite a bit for us to maintain our sound live. The guitar definitely wasn't built for what I'm putting it through, but it's such a great sound to hear it scream out over the speakers. Very few companies even make them anymore. It's technically an acoustic guitar with a resonating plate. We had to find one with an electric pick-up in order to get the drive necessary; and the feedback issues are a whole different animal. It begins picking up all sorts of crazy things. The midsection of 'Heavy Metal Doom Machine' is actually me talking into the guitar itself.

BANDCHI!: Most new artists seem to be producing CDs with twelve to fourteen tracks or more. Whiskey Six has opted to do just five.

CHRIS: Yeah, we have the idea that instead of waiting a year or two before you hear anything from the artist, we want to remain fresh and keep it interesting for our audience; involving them as much as possible as we evolve our original concept. Besides, music typically goes in cycles. We're seeing an expansion of traditional rock and blues sounds now while the industry is regressing towards singles mentality. People are picking and choosing what songs they want to hear, trying to avoid as much filler as possible. The days of a whole album being sold and making each album it's own work of art has given way to digital downloads. It's worth the artists' time to focus on quality now rather than quantity.

BANDCHI!: You guys have done a great job with your website and marketing efforts.

CHRIS: The amount of response from the basic marketing plan we've had is awesome! We just got on Reverbnation and CD baby, so at least it will be available digitally very soon. Professionally, we've done a great job of packaging ourselves with the limited budget we have. Bands are experiencing a time of increased exposure, but like any job, sport, etc, it's getting harder and harder to show the real talent as opposed to those who just have more marketing money. Right now we're leveraging our resources by taking orders for CDs and merchandise from our web site.

BANDCHI!: Any plans to submit to labels?

CHRIS: We're gonna sit back a while and let the big dogs fight over themselves. We'd love to work with them, but without the supposed "ass raping" at the later end of our careers. We'll be ready for record company money when they can agree to our terms. We may not get the exposure, but I have a feeling we'll be getting around the same amount of income we already are. HAHAHA

BANDCHI!: What plans do you have to tour soon?

CHRIS: We've only been playing out for about three months, still haven't been outside of Arizona yet, but every time we've gigged we've landed the headlining slot. If we're touring we want it to be something completely different, even more so than just our sound alone. Touring all comes down to financing. We did land the opening slot for Powerman 5000 at UB's Bar in Mesa, Arizona, this June. 'Your Disease' has been played locally on 98 KUPD and we intend to capitalize on that momentum. We're doing everything we can to get more exposure.

BANDCHI!: Any aspiring last words you'd like to share with our readers?

CHRIS: Well, music is no longer the garage band. You have to think of it like a business now days or you'll never go anywhere.

We couldn't have said any of it any better than Chris did. It was a genuine pleasure and inspiring to talk with him. You can find Whiskey Six on MySpace at www.myspace.com/whiskeysixmusic and on Reverbnation at www.reverbnation.com/whiskeysix. Or go directly to their web site and while you're there, check out their video ad, top shelf, at www.whiskeysixmusic.com