Bones in the Museum adds muscle to band

Joe Bones of Bones in the Museum

KNOXVILLE — Local act Bones in the Museum has always performed in two formats. Guitarist/vocalist Joe Bones plays the same catalog in solo, acoustic sets and with a full band.

Originally a duo with drummer Josh Ivester in its full-band form, the group has expanded to a trio with the addition of Austin Hendrick on bass and keyboards. With a thicker sound in its live presentation, Bones in the Museum looks to perform at a higher frequency now that Joe Bones has finished school.

Bones in the Museum may not be done growing at three members. Bones says that he wouldn't be opposed to seeing the band have as many as five members, including a second guitarist and perhaps even orchestral strings and brass.

"Austin has been in the band for just under a year," says Bones. "We have played anywhere from seven to ten shows with him as a member. He has really helped Bones in the Museum open up to new directions. With Austin, we have been able to play some of the more aggressive material that just didn't work on acoustic instruments. He has also made it possible for us to play some more somber stuff when he gets on keyboards. With Austin and Josh keeping the rhythm as tight as they do, sometimes I can drop out and just focus on singing or interacting with audience."

Presenting itself in two formats was once out of necessity, according to Bones, who says the availability of Ivester determined whether each show would be played solo or as a two-piece. Now with his band gradually filling out, the acoustic sets are less needs-based, as Bones hopes to prove the amped songs can still hold their own when stripped down. He also admits that the two formats each have separate followings, which tend to subscribe only to one version or the other. Bones hopes the band's next recordings will bridge the gap.

"We have actually been bouncing around between various practice spaces recently, so I have been focusing on acoustic songs for the last two months," Bones explains. "Mostly the shows will be full band, but I will throw a solo, acoustic thing into the mix once in a while. There are actually some of our fans that like only the acoustic or only the electric version of Bones. They usually don't come to the shows if it's not the form of the band that they like. So we are trying to find a balance while staying true the different varieties of music that Bones as to offer.

With an extensive song inventory, the freshly graduated Joe Bones has turned to the written page to contain his overflow of ideas. Already having finished the writing for poetry book "Human Zoo," Bones is halfway done with his first full-length novel. "Human Zoo" is expected to be released in digital form on Amazon.com and other online venues as well as in physical copies once the artwork is completed.

"I always wrote on the side while I was in school," recalls Bones. "I started both Human Zoo and my novel in my junior year. Recording has always been something I jumped on whenever I got some time in the Rock Soup Records studio with Nate Austin. The song I've submitted for this article was actually recorded just last Saturday with Nate producing. For about five years I have been writing songs faster than I can record them, and that is how we got back-logged about 50 songs. We plan to set up large chucks of time with Rock Soup and record until we catch up."

Having once hosted weekly shows at The Sugar Shack, Bones has seen the effects venue closings have had in limiting local music performances. With Patrick Sullivan's recent closing, Bones has worked with Stay True Music to accommodate the displaced bands still booked to play there. He says he hopes to continue his collaboration with the group in the future.

© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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