Magpies return to Cedars with new name and sound

By John Benson

The Magpies may be somewhat new to the Northeast Ohio music scene; however, its members – Roger Hoover (vocals, guitars), Justin Gorski (piano, accordion, vocals), Dave McKean (drums, vocals) and Doug McKean (bass, vocals) – are no strangers to Youngstown.

Known for years as The Whiskeyhounds, the American outfit lost a member in 2007, changed its name to The Magpies and seamlessly incorporated more rock into its sound.

“It’s just higher energy,” Gorski said. “We’ve been playing a lot more, so it’s tighter and we know the songs a lot better than we have in the past. We’ve run them so many times that we’re able to emote much more than worry about what chord is coming up next. So now we can worry about what we’re trying to say with the song on an emotional level.”

While a new album is in the mix, the Cleveland-based outfit is still supporting its debut, “Eastern Standard Time,” which Gorski said features a few crowd pleasers that further explain the act’s sound.

“One of my favorite songs is ‘Picture Me in a Love Song,’ which is more anthem rock, more a Springsteen sound we’ve gone for,” Gorski said. “We’ve been moving in that direction as a band, and we like that sound and it suits us well. There’s also ‘Girl on the Hill.’ That has more of a sound of a roots rock band. It’s sparse and a less-is-more kind of a song. It’s kind of the opposite of ‘Picture Me in a Love Song,’ but we all love that [Americana] sound and don’t want to leave that area either.”

Despite the band’s short existence, in many ways The Magpies have already exceeded the success of The Whiskeyhounds by touring more frequently in the Midwest and beyond. In fact, the quartet has garnered plenty of positive press wherever it has played, including a memorable gig last year in Nashville.

“Yeah, we’re all into this and we want to be musicians to make a living off our music,” Gorski said. “I think with The Whiskeyhounds it was there but the feeling wasn’t as strong, and we weren’t all quite sure with the commitments with everyone together as a group. And now we know we sit down, have meetings and talk and make sure everyone is on line with what we’re trying to do with a tour or event. So it feels like we’re all working together and the morale is much higher.”

That said, right now Gorski and company are hoping to convince any fans of The Whiskeyhounds to take in The Magpies’ return to Youngstown Saturday at Cedars.

“It’s completely different, but if you don’t like Americana, I can’t make you like us,” Gorski said. “But it’s definitely a different sound.”

So if The Whiskeyhounds’ sound could be described as a draft beer, what would The Magpies’ vibe be similar to?

“[Miller] High Life, for sure,” Gorski laughed. “A working man’s beer.”