Saturday, February 25, 2012
By John Benson
Proving once again you can’t judge a band by its name, Deadfingers is not a death-metal, screamo or hard-core group, despite the fact the moniker connotes the perfect blend of macabre, mystery and gore common with the genres.
No, Deadfingers is actually the husband-wife duo of Taylor Hollingsworth and Kate Taylor. The former plays with Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes, while the latter has a solo career and is sister of Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor.
“The name comes from like a playground handshake, which half of the people know and the other half don’t,” said Taylor, calling from her Birmingham, Ala., home. “It can be a little bit confusing. People ask us all the time about the name. Sometimes they think we were like a Rolling Stones cover band, a combination of ‘Dead Flowers’ and ‘Sticky Fingers.’ Really, people either love or hate the name. They think it’s real cute, or they think it’s really weird.”
More cute than weird, Deadfingers’ self-titled debut effort is due out next week. The album features a wide array of styles and has drawn similarities to the songwriting of John Prine, as well as the obligatory comparisons to current guy-girl duos such as Civil Wars, Jenny and Johnny and She and Him.
Among the standout tracks on the CD are the single “Another Planet,” which offers a slower jam sound, as well as the introspective “Hold On To” and the rocking “Lost in Mississippi.”
“It’s not acoustic really but it has more of that vibe,” Taylor said. “It’s not a big, wow rock band, it’s fairly stripped down. And it’s really different than anything else I’ve been a part of, especially live. I’m just excited because I typically play with a bigger band. It’s usually two or three guitarists that are real loud and loud drummers kind of rocking out a little more. It’s not that. It’s a little more bluesy and having Taylor’s guitar going just adds a different element.”
While not necessarily mainstream, Deadfingers is best described as being just a different shade of inaccessibility.
You can see for yourself when the act makes its Youngstown debut Sunday at the Lemon Grove. Taylor said the set list includes an older song “Sin City Blues, ” as well as a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On.”
Perhaps the best way to describe Deadfingers and its married band members is to say they’re sort of like the indie-rock version of Johnny Cash and June Carter.
“We’ve gotten that before, even when we started playing shows together for fun before Deadfingers,” Taylor said “Anyone who seems like a couple up there, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, you all are like Johnny and June.’”
So, considering the band’s name and its comparisons, will they be playing any Rolling Stones or Johnny Cash tunes?
“No, not this time around,” Taylor said. “Just the old Chuck Berry, which is a lot of fun to play.”