When his band Mortar and Pestle went bust, Josh Kimbrough decided that instead of taking some deserved time off, he’d channel his feelings into a batch of new songs. So Kimbrough harnessed his chops and gathered his friends and launched Butterflies, a band whose music aims for some balance of college rock accessibility and acoustica living room sincerity.
Butterflies’ sole full length (to date), Nothing’s Personal, is an promising collection of tunes that showcase the band’s range. The plaintive quality of Kimbrough’s songwriting and the tight-knit instrumentation brought by his full-time (Ross Connolly/TJ Maiani) and sometime (Katie Zickefoose/Bobby Britt/Joe Norkus) band-mates makes it clear that the title is but only wishful lying. Nothing may be personal, but these songs definitely are.
As are the five toughest questions Kimbrough may have ever faced:
1. If your band were a book, what would it be?
I hate to do this, but my answer is a movie, not a book: A Few Good Men. Right now Butterflies is operating as a three piece, and I’ve got to tell you, TJ Maiani and Ross Connolly are unusually good men. After I’ve had a press pot of coffee, I’m not so bad myself. If you’ve missed Katie Zickefoose (keyboard) or Bobby Britt (fiddle) since we’ve scaled down to a triangle of testosterone, I can assure you that those two will be gracing our new record. We are working on it as you read this!
2. When was the moment you knew Butterflies was really going to work out?
Every time we find an excuse to pick up our instruments and make noise together, Butterflies is a success. Other than that, I try not to think about whether it’s working out. There’s no time for that. Hopefully I’ll be able to look back once it’s over and have that moment. That’s not to say I plan for it to ever end, but I also remember swearing to myself that I would never stop skateboarding, collecting basketball cards, and going to Toys “R†Us.
3. Describe the first time you ever wrote a song.
I was a little guy with a mini Casio keyboard and a supportive Dad. Having written songs for his jazz-fusion band in the 70s, my dad was a choice source for advice when I was inspired to write my first song. To get me started, he told me that a chorus is usually a general mantra or saying. I used the exact example he gave me and based the verses off of that. The keyboard was set to banjo mode, which sounded nothing like a banjo. My Dad has taught me lots of songwriting tricks over the years.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
Most members of Butterflies have a healthy appreciation of 80s punk rock. Minutemen, Black Flag, and Fugazi would be in this category. We are definitely inspired by the DIY culture that took root in that time period. Our sound, however, is probably more influenced by the first couple waves of bands that tried to sound like those bands.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How’d that turn out?)
I wanted to be an architect when I was a kid. I thought it would be a unique and practical way to exercise my creative instincts. I did not follow that dream. That’s so sad. Now I feel like I’ve let my childhood self down. We can’t end this on a bad note, though. Here’s a daily affirmation Stuart Smalley style: You know what? I think this is the best interview I’ve ever done. And you know what? I deserve it! [turns to mirror] Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonit, Butterflies is playing Local 506 on February 13th!
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Even if he did skirt the first question, you heard the man, go check out Butterflies live at the 506 on Feb. 13th! And give Josh a high five when you see him!