Rockabilly band NAPTOWN HEPCATS are hard at work upon what will be the debut album coming this year! They do have some demo tracks out and about, have played of course, with a lot more plans for shows coming up soon! They want to one day get on a national tour, once the album drops, with them going on release much more music, and have so much else in-store! The band discusses all of this below.
1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?
The name "Naptown Hepcats" came from the area we live and a slang term from the 50's. We play Rockabilly music so I was trying to come up with a name that had a cool throw back sound to the greaser era of the 50's. We are all from the Indianapolis area, the name "Naptown" was a nickname that the jazz musicians of the 40's and 50's started using to shorten the name Indianapolis. They just took the middle silible in Indianapolis (nap) and started referring to the area as Naptown. Hepcats was a 50's slang term for someone who was into the culture of the time. They were into the cool music and fashion (kind of like the modern term "hipster"). The two words really fit our style and had a cool ring to it.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
We are all big rockabilly fans. Our bass player, Mike Strauss, played with a very popular local rockabilly band in the 80's called "The Rockaholics" and still plays with Rockabilly Hall of Fame artist Art Adams. I've been a huge Stray Cats and Brian Setzer fan since I was a kid so it was only natural that when we started writing music that was the genre we gravitated towards. We play a much more modern version of Rockabilly, but it's still grounded in the roots of the original 50's style.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
We did not know each other before the band was formed. I stared the band in 2018 with a couple of friends who for various reasons eventually had to leave the group. I went through several bass players and drummers before I was introduces to Mike Strauss (bass player). He then introduced me to Terry Fox (drummer). We started playing together and became pretty tight. We really became a cohesive unit once the two of them came on board.
4. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Indianapolis has plenty of great places to play and check out live music. We definitely look forward to becoming a national touring group, however.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
We definitely take inspiration from several places. We tend to combine some of the themes and melodies of vintage rockabilly with modern guitar riffs and rhythm. You can also tell that I have drawn a lot of inspiration from Brian Setzers guitar playing and song writing.
6. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Our songs vary in themes, but often tend to revolve around hot rods, girls, and being top dog. You know...Rockabilly!
7. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
We do write our own music. In fact, we are in the studio as we speak to work on our debut album "Little Goth Girl". The song writing process varies from song to song. Sometimes it starts with a cool guitar riff that we develop a theme around. Sometimes I get a line or subject in mind and then write music around that. We have a song called " Dancing Doll Too" that I wrote in homage to Art Adams' song "Dancing Doll". You just never know how or when creativity is going to strike. I have about fifty videos recorded on my phone of various guitar parts or lyrics that I have developed that have potential to become songs, so it's great to be able to record them before I forget them. Terry has also written several of the songs on the album.
8. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
We have released a couple of demo's to all of the major streaming services. "Hotter than Texas" is a fun song we all wrote together. "Beaumont Brag" is a blue grass instrumental that we turned into a rock song with screaming guitars and a tempo that increase with each pass until we are playing at a head spinning speed and "Ready to Rock" is a great song about life on stage. They are all available to listen to right now and the entire album will be available later this year.
9. Do you have any new music in the works?
We are in the studio right now working on our debut album "Little Goth Girl" which will be released later this year.
10. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Playing live is where we really shine! We are very energetic and absolutely love being on stage! We have several shows lined up for 2025 and add shows frequently through the summer. If you live in or near Indiana you can catch us at the first annual CornStock music festival along with several other festivals throughout the state. You can check out our website: naptownhepcats.com for our tour schedule as well as our Instagram page: @naptown.hepcats as well as Facebook @naptown hepcats.
11. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Our goal as a band is to get on a national tour as an opening act for someone once our album is done. We are also looking forward to playing shows on our own both locally as well as nation wide. We are shooting for playing Viva Las Vegas rockabilly weekend (the largest rockabilly festival in the United States) in Las Vegas next year as well.
12. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Our T-shirts and stickers are available for purchase right now. We have stickers with the band logo (in various sizes and styles) and and shirts with both the band logo and the album cover art work in sizes adult small through 4xl. Just send me a message on our website or Instagram and I can get them shipped! The album will be available for purchase in Vinyl and CD format as well as digital once it is completed! We love knowing that there are people all over the world sporting our merchandise and supporting our music. Thank you to all of you who have purchased from us and to all of you who will in the future!
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