Take 5 with Shambles

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Although Shambles officially formed earlier this year, the dynamic and skillful duo that consists of Houma natives Brennan St. John (guitarist) and Kyle Eroche (percussionist) have been playing music together since they were in high school. The progressive instrumental rock band recently released their first single titled “Law”, which is gaining massive traction on the internet. Here’s what these dedicated two artists, who each have been crafting their musicianship since they were 13 years old, said for “Take 5” before their debut show next Friday:

How did the band form?

Kyle: “Brennan and I have played music together since we were in high school. After our previous band Pursuance disbanded at the end of 2014, we knew we would eventually form a new project whenever the time was right. We became roommates about two years ago and since then, we have been working on finding our sound and getting things together to launch this project.”

Brennan: “I was writing music after our last band disbanded in 2014. Planning around it was hard because of Kyle being in college and I was working full time. So it just kind of floated around as an idea until I moved in with Kyle and started to really push the agenda of the band.”

This is a new band, but tell me about each of your backgrounds in the music scene in the Bayou Region.

Kyle: “I spent my teenage years playing in various bands around the Bayou Region wherever we could find venues to host shows for original music. The need to find a way to record all the material I was working on naturally led me to seek a career in audio engineering. After years of interning at studios in New Orleans, I founded KeeSound Studios [www.keesound.com], which I currently operate out of my home here in Thibodaux. It’s been a joy to work with so many talented local artists throughout the years.”

Brennan: “I was playing shows at Mainstream in Houma when I was 15 years old. Threw a few friends together and just went out and tried to do something we all enjoyed. It was extremely fun but short lived until I started playing with Kyle briefly in 2009, when I was graduating high school. Two years later, we formed our metal band Pursuance and played shows all over Houma, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette—even some out of state shows. I still have some people talk to me about Pursuance to this day, but Kyle and I have definitely grown out of the metal scene as musicians and more of a chill vibe, while still maintaining high energy in our writing.”

Are y’all nervous for your first official show?

Kyle: “More excited than nervous. It’s taken over a year for us to write these songs and get them to a point where we believe it represents what we’ve set out to do. Brennan and I haven’t shared the stage together in 4 years, so we couldn’t be more ready to finally launch things off. To do so in our hometown, surrounded by our friends, will be something very special for us. The show is taking place on November 16th at the Boxer and The Barrel in downtown Houma with Louisiana bands Cat Bamboo from Baton Rouge and Vega from New Orleans.”

Describe the music scene in our area.

Kyle: “After having a few years of things being somewhat quiet it seems like lately there’s a general upswing in activity locally. There’s a wealth of talented artists that call the Bayou Region home, who are creating music for fans of everything from, rock, metal, hip hop, to indie and more. I want to shout out Tony Bergeron at the Intracoastal Club, who has been regularly booking touring bands and giving original artists a place to play here in Houma since the bar opened last year. It’s rare to find a venue owner who is so passionate about music. His band Crush Diamond is amazing as well.”

What are some goals—long-term and short-term—that the band hopes to accomplish?

Brennan: “Short term, our goals are to create as much content as possible. Whether it be with the band, our studio or even own personal brands. Long term is to get into the music industry in some way and still be able to play our original music or, at the very least, be involved in music as a career option. We’re always seeking new opportunities.”

Bonus Question: What musician—alive or dead—would you love to jam with and why?

Brennan: “I think I’d love to jam with Aaron Marshall of Intervals. His melodies and phrasings are so unique that I think I’d learn a lot from jamming with him.”

Kyle: “At the moment I’d have to say Thundercat. I’m a huge fan of his last record and all the work he’s done in the hip-hop industry. He’s an amazing bassist and musician.”