Missy Gossip and the Secret Keepers

Finding a Snug Fit with a Different Sound

By Matt Frisch; photo by Ryan Purcell (Oh Snap! Kid)

Missy Gossip and the Secret Keepers, a self-described “gothic Americana country” band, have always known in the back of their minds that they would probably fit in more comfortably in a city like Nashville (or even Memphis) than in the hip-hop and indie rock-filled venues of Atlanta. Missy Gossip is not your typical band; yet, instead of complaining about being on the fringe of trendiness, the group actually chooses to revel in its unique persona and not-oft heard sound instead.

“You can see a shoegaze band or one that sounds like Mogwai any weekend in Atlanta, because there’s so many of them,” says lead guitarist Luke Long. “But I think we’ve been very fortunate in being able to do what we do, and have people come out and see us just because there’s not a huge scene for that type of music anymore. I think it’s more of an advantage than it is a drawback, just because we’re something that’s not being done a lot.”

What started off as simply just three friends playing around for fun soon lead to something more serious when a road trip to Nashville inspired Long, his fiancée Carla Kootsillas (mandolin) and Lauren Staley (vocals/guitar) to take a chance and form an actual band. Soon after, with the additions of bassist Mike Schmidt after a chance

meeting at a party and drummer Jimmy Martin on Craigslist (“In the Casual Encounters” personal section, they like to joke), their music became much more fleshed out and took on a life of its own.

Pinpointing the group’s style, or even the genre, is a difficult challenge, probably stemming from the diverse musical tastes of its members, who list everything ranging from U2 to British rock to electronica to pop music as inspirations to help inform their sound.

“We obviously have a country influence” says lead vocalist Staley. “There are elements of that all throughout it. But it’s hard. It’s like, we’re not really a country band, we’re not really an indie band. I don’t know what we are.” Thus far the group has enjoyed modest success, playing their distinctive country-tinged music to approving fans in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast, yet Missy Gossip is soon on its way to being a professional band planning a full-scale tour in November that’s taking them as far west as Austin, Texas. The goal is to afterwards settle in Nashville for a while a record a proper follow-up to their self-titled EP currently available.

The group has also been getting some particular attention lately for its unusual, low-tempo cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” which they often perform live to unsuspecting audiences. This seems almost normal for a band that refuses to play by the rules of the hipster scene.

However, something they do in fact share in common with other local bands is that being an indie band tends to have its inherent disadvantages.

“It’s a matter of getting everything together,” says Long. “Right now we’re not working with a label. We’re basically doing everything ourselves. We recorded our EP ourselves, we’ve booked all our shows ourselves. Whether or not it’s the smartest move, I’m not sure, but I mean right now it’s been working for us.”

One thing is still left to answer: even if Missy Gossip and the Secret Keepers do end up moving to their beloved city of Nashville - where country music is the local religion - will Nashville accept them? An answer in the negative is something the group reluctantly admits is a very real possibility.

“In the main scene, in the music scene — no. Absolutely not,” says Long. “I think we’re a pack of strays, when it comes down to it. I mean, honestly, when we’re writing something, or working on something, we kind of just let it go where it goes. And so long as it doesn’t go way too off the deep end, it’s a Missy Gossip song.”

They might be too country for the hipster scene of Atlanta, and too rock for the country pop of Nashville, but at least one thing is for sure: they are just perfect for anybody like them who doesn’t care about those things.

www.myspace.com/missygossipandthesecretkeepers