“Hell, yeah, we’re an actual conduit!” exclaims Conduit guitarist and singer Seth Allison. “From the ether to your earholes. That’s our job, and we take it seriously.”
Allison, bassist Jeff Gagnon, and a few pals started “the Conduit experiment” in 1999. The current incarnation—with guitarist Azwan and drummer Josh “Bobo” Bowling—has been together for the last six years.
“More than anything, our commitment to not breaking up has kept us together,” Allison says. “Playing together as a band with these guys is the most satisfying musical experience I’ve ever had. It’s rare to find a group of people who can work and rock together for so long without burning out. We’re lucky.”
The band has been together long enough to come up with a name for its fanbase, in the proud tradition of Deadheads and The Kiss Army: The Conduachis.
“We’re trying to bring back the sombrero as a political and fashion statement,” says Allison. “The Conduachi moniker is one brick in a long road.”
Conduit says its members listen to a wide array of music, so narrowing down influences can be a tricky business. Allison says that bands and singers who have “made the DIY thing work for them” are the most inspiring—artists like Jay Reatard, Ween, and The Moldy Peaches.
“But none of us are embarrassed about loving bands like Zeppelin or Tom Petty,” he says. “Really, if someone has made some good music, we want to hear it.”
How would the quartet describe its music to an alien just landing on Earth?
“We dissuade space aliens from coming to our shows,” Allison says. “They inevitably get drunk and cause scenes. But to everyone else, we describe ourselves as rock music that gives a shit.”
Conduit have seen a lot of comings and going in the Western New England music sphere over the last decade, and are encouraged by the direction things are heading.
“The local scene has got some excellent music going on,” Allison says. “There’s a real feeling of community that’s developed over the last few years that wasn’t there when we started out. There are so many active bands in the Valley now that the biggest problem is getting people out to see and hear everyone. The caliber of creativity and showmanship has really gone up, and audiences want bands that can deliver. That’s not a terrible problem to have, all things considered.”
The band does a lot of home recording, the results of which they rotate on their website. They are currently readying more material for a full-length due out this fall, and are planning a number of shows for the summer, including a stopover July 3 at the Fitzwilliam Inn in Fitzwilliam, N.H.
“It’s a beautiful venue, one of the oldest inns in New Hampshire,” says Allison. “If you’ve never been, it’s absolutely worth checking out.”
Conduachis, get ready for a road trip.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/conduitwhat.
