The National Reserve Band

Interview – The National Reserve

May 16, 2018, 1:20 pm 1.2k Views 87 Votes 1 Comment

The National Reserve Interview

Brooklyn’s The National Reserve is pleased to announce their second studio album Motel La Grange (Ramseur Records) out everywhere NOW. Check the interview below!

For nearly half a decade, The National Reserve has spent its Friday nights lighting it up at a Brooklyn bar, winning over barflies with epic sets and a remarkable breadth of songcraft and showmanship. Now, with their stunning new Ramseur Records debut album, Motel La Grange, the band has crafted a rich and raucous collection that instantly places them among Americana’s finest – its force, directness, and performance not unlike some lost recording unearthed from the golden age of 70s rock ‘n’ roll.

Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Sean Walsh, The National Reserve mine an archetypal musical seam, marrying gutbucket R&B, Laurel Canyon lyricism, New Orleans funk workouts, late night soul, and boozy rock ‘n’ roll to create their own timeless brand of American music. Songs like “Found Me A Woman” and the indelible title track reveal a gifted new tunesmith while masterfully reminding one and all of the simple beauty of a great American bar band – two guitars, organ, bass and drums rocking out in the corner, singing their songs to soundtrack the night. The National Reserve is now planning to bring all the fun and fire of their fervent Friday night sets to the rest of the world, eager to pack as many folks into their late night scene as possible.

Check out our lightning round interview with The National Reserve below:

Where did The National Reserve play their first gig?

Sidewalk Cafe in the East Village in Summer of 2005

What is The National Reserve‘s happy place?

The corner of Skinny Dennis every Friday night

Who would be the perfect guests for Motel La Grange?

Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Cheech Marin, Bob Saget, Mike Bacon, and Levon Helm

If any artists dead or alive wanted to cover one of your songs: who would that be?

Elvis Presley and Kinky Friedman

Best bar(s?) to play in Brooklyn?

Skinny Dennis, Union Pool, Sunny’s Bar

The best 70’s rock n’ roll band ever is…

Kiss

The most underrated 70’s rock n’ roll band is…

Leon Russell

Every artist starting today should know this:

Play as much as possible and learn everyone else’s songs. Also, your van will always break down.

What should new listeners know about The National Reserve?

We have been playing together almost eight years. We’ve played a four hour gig every week for five of them. Our combined height is 29 ft, 8 inches tall.

What should people attending a Skinny Dennis Friday expect?

Zero jazz and rock n roll.

You are the headliner of your perfect festival: who is opening for you?

Ice Cream Helmüt, Rayland Baxter, Hayley Thompson-King, Margo Valiante

What’s your poison?

Bud Light Lime

What’s your craziest gig story?

The craziest story was when we drove over night through a blizzard to Ohio from New York just so we could get a flight out to Texas for SXSW.

Edited for clarity.