Confessions of a Barely Famous Girl Band in Texas

You don’t know us.  But our name sounds familiar.  Your mom’s name is Bonnie-maybe that’s it.  You liked the last song we do.  And you’ve probably already stopped reading this by now.  But for those of you interested to read more, welcome to the Bonnie Bishop Band…the best barely famous girl band in Texas.

We’re not your typical band.  Hell, none of us even smoke.  All but the Queen B have day jobs (but we call them day gigs…it’s a band thing.)  One among us sells printers for a multinational corporation (BestBuy).  One designs communication systems yet his cell phone can’t quite figure out how to take a message.  One designs irrigation systems in Lubbock…hmm, doesn’t seem to be working.  Me, I tear-up houses so I build them back the way they are…and complain.  I complain a lot.  Bonnie, well, she does this music thing full time.  Sleeping…day spas…sleeping…  We really don’t know what she does.  I mean except for the booking, managing, radio, and all that other easy stuff.

Some of us are married, some of us close, some of us, well, are girls.  Yes, ladies, the boys of this band are happily committed.  But the girls, well, it may change by the time this thing makes it to print.  Let’s just say it never hurts to ask.  But I must say that all of us, no matter our committed state, still love the attention.   

Being a barely famous girl band in Texas, it’s the little things that get us excited…getting two hotel rooms instead of one…hearing our song at 3am in Huntsville…playing for more than a bar tab and a ride home…  Sure we’d like the big bus, the radio play, the fans, the fun…but we’re content-ish.  Let’s just say that we’re all willing to give it until the end of the year & then we’ll reevaluate. 

Really what we’re all excited about and why we’re willing to write self-medicating puff pieces on ourselves is the release of our first band record, “Soft to the Touch.”  Most solo artists have this band that sweats & toils on the road day in and day out just so that come record time the solo artist can have other people play their songs.  Most solo artists are evil.  We all wanted this record to sound more like we do in a live show…so naturally it would help if the people playing the live show recorded the album.    Fortunately for the band, Walt Wilkins and Tim Lorsch practically begged us to produce the record…we thought we’d throw them a bone.  Whereas Walt could probably even make someone set aflame feel comfortable, Tim is, well, what I’m really trying to say is…look, they’re a great match in the studio.  And whether it was the greatness of the players or the awesome power of the dynamic duo, most of the songs were recorded in one or two takes.  If there was any complaint (and there are always complaints with this band…mostly by me), it was that it went by too fast.  But that’s what you get when you work with slick hit-makers like Walt & Tim.  

So we ask while you’re here with us tonight, give us a listen.  If you dig the songs then you’ll dig the record.  Perhaps when we see you again we’ll have that ‘barely’ removed from our title.  But we’ll still be a girl band.  At least until I have my day.

Forever your faithful band wrangler,
Rob