Novaflow: A New Kind of Rock

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a local band through the expanses of Myspace. Although when you think about it, I don't really think you could call them local. They are from Huntington, W.V.--a little south of where I'm from in central W.V.--but since becoming Novaflow, they have performed all over the country from L.A. to NYC and every place in between. A group of guys who wanted to be a band before they even knew how to play instruments is rocking the indie scene with a new kind of rock that is sure to be around for a while. I could summarize what I learned about Novaflow in this article, but I would rather you hear it directly from them.

First here are the basics:
Jeff Stevens is 25 years old, sings vocals and plays rhythm guitar.
Ben Keenan is 25 and plays bass guitar
Matt Walker is 26, and plays the drums.
Jeff Ellis is 25, plays lead guitar and the organ, and sings backup vocals.

How long have you been together?
Summer 2003...we started the band before we could even play instruments...once we had the band...we thought...now we just have to learn to play. haha

How did you come up with your name?
We were kicking around ideas - Ben mentioned "Novaflow" - and it stuck.

How did you meet?
Jeff Stevens, Ben Keenan, Matt Walker have been friends for years...we all met Jeff Ellis recently...after hearing about his reputation as a great musician w/o a band.

Who influenced you musically?
The Doors, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, lots of classic rock, some later Brit-Pop (Oasis, The Verve), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC).

Who are your biggest fans?
We have a lot of great fans...but can definitely pick out Will Fowler, a Charleston, WV native...now living in Texas, as our biggest, and most loyal fan. He deserves credit for that...he's done so much for us. Also...we have a lot of great fans in New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. We have spent a lot of time in each of those places.

What band/s would you like to go on tour with?
We would love to tour with BRMC, Stereophonics, basically any band who loves playing music night in and night out...and makes music that they love...not just what sells.

What makes your band unique?
Jeff Stevens and Matt Walker will graduate from law school in 4 weeks. Our sound is unique - we are 4 country boys from West Virginia playing classic rock tunes.

Do you have any music videos? If so, what are they like?
We have one music video - it was shot in Los Angeles at the Viper Room and at the Belage Hotel on Sunset Blvd. Directed by Steve Race and produced by Galley "Bootz" Molina. The video focuses on a live performance at the Viper Room...with home video clips from Novaflow on the road throughout the U.S.

Have you been on tour/performed outside W.V.?
We've been everywhere...haha...we spend a lot of time in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, you name it - we've probably been there.

What type of bars/clubs do you perform in?
We'll perform anywhere...we've performed anywhere from a basement...to a Mexican burrito joint, to the Whisky A-Go-Go and Viper Room in LA, to the Mercury Lounge and CBGB in NYC.

How often do you guys practice? Where?
We practice as often as possible...in Huntington, West Virginia - we have a practice building / home recording studio.

What's your band's mode of transportation?
Tour bus, church van, Jeep, Dodge Durango, UHaul, on foot if need be...haha...we've had them all.

What's your band's motto?
"Stay mad fer it."

What's your band's lucky charm?
Hmmm...Will Fowler?! haha

What's the best song your band has performed/written?
Bloodshot and Bitter, a 12-minute song we close our set with sometimes...it's the last song from our upcoming album, "I Got Away with Murder."

What inspires your lyrics?
Life, love, friendship, you name it...growing up in West Virginia, being out on tour, kicking back and having a beer with your best friends.

What are your songs about?
We've written so many...it's hard to sum it up in one word or sentence...but if we had to..we'd say...being on the ROAD.

What does the band like to do in its free time?
There's no such thing as free time with us...haha...Matt is a big WVU sports fan...Jeff Stevens and Ben love UK basketball...Jeff Ellis is a songwriting, performing MACHINE...he always has a guitar in his hands.

What's been the band's biggest struggle/difficulty?
The band's biggest struggle has been reaching out to other markets...being from WV...it's not always easy for a band to gain respect and a voice. However, we're confident that we can overcome any difficulty together...just keep on singing.

What's one thing the band would tell potential fans about to listen to your music?
We would tell potential fans that we're passionate guys with a lot to say...we love music and all the positive things it stands for...our debut EP "The Fix" will be coming out soon...check us out on myspace...or email us at info@novaflow.net...we love to hear from people!

Hope you have as much fun checking this band out as I had interviewing them. They'll make you a fan for life with their mean cover of "House of the Rising Sun." You can check out their music and their music video at www.myspace.com/novaflow.