James Neary & The Bevy Blues

-Dan Breen

“Say You Will” from the Red EP

& How they become a band

Listening to James Neary and The Bevy Blue is like having a heartache transfusion. “Say You Will,” the first Song of the Red EP, transports you to a night when you met the one person you hoped would say, yes. A moment when the possibility of aching, love real or imagined, was so tangible you could feel the weight of it. Neary’s soulful voice and exquisite inflections accompanied by the steady rhythm of Dakota Morgan and Jeff Topp deliver a song. If Neary’s voice doesn’t get you, then Sam Tuhill’s expressive lonely blues guitar will move you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luGuIhkZhhk

Recently I met with James Neary, Jeff Topp and Dakota Morgan at Journeyman’s Distillery over a bottle of Last Feather Rye. Neary explains “Say You Will,” is the first song they assembled as a band. “Say You Will” is the song that captured the excitement and new possibility when great musicians begin to create, says Neary. 

The band is James Neary on Guitar and vocals, Sam Lane Tuhill on lead guitar, Dakota Morgan Drums, Jeff Topp bass and Sam Que saxophone.

James Neary and The Bevy Blue have been playing together for a little over two years. The band came together as a need for each other. As each individual musician joined the band they created a means to fuse their individual musical talents into a greater sound.

James and Dakota have been friends since high school. Dakota, a drummer in the high school band, describes James showing up at band camp though James was not in band. James and Dakota did everything together. The two dreamed about one day having a successful band.

James had been active creating a lot of great solo work prior to Neary and the Bevy Blues. He was winning awards, a contest to play with Muse, and making a name for himself. When he felt it was time to start a band, he first turned to Dakota.

Sam Tuhill worked at the Acorn Theatre in Three Oaks, Michigan and would sometimes play guitar solos to bridge the gap between bands performances. Neary describes Sam playing intricate and emotional flamenco songs. The two would often talk about playing together. One day James asked Sam to join up, and Sam said yes.

James saw Jeff play out with different bands. One day James and Jeff ended up at a jam session together. James liked his style. He asked him to meet up with Dakota for a practice. Jeff wasn’t sure he had time to take on another project. Jeff says when he started playing with Dakota, it was electric. Jeff says there were actual bolts of lightning coming from Dakota’s fingers. Jeff joined and now he and Dakota form a stable backbone to the band. Their steady rhythm moves Neary’s vocals along, and adds to dynamic layers to the songs.

Sam Que was invited to join the band on one track, then another track. Pretty soon the band realized the needed Sam’s talent permanently. 

The band has three EPs they describe as a Trilogy which can be found on all streaming platforms.

The Red EP is born of passion.

The Blue EP resonating sorrow.

The Yellow EP reflects temperance

“There is not a weak link in the band chain. We all get along well and build on each other’s talents,” says James. 

“Blister” from the Blue EP

& How the band creates

I saw James Neary and the Bevy Blue perform at the South Bend Civic in May. The Warner Studio is a small intimate stage in the basement of the civic where Jim Ward hosts SoundStage. Ward introduced the band by saying, “Neary is a poet beyond his years. Neary shows a deeper understanding of life than his young age should allow.” James seems to have a scope of understanding about love, heartache and the fragility of the human ability. The depth and feeling of his lyrical agility is captured in “Blister.” https://open.spotify.com/artist/20blNlFFQwCb92OjEHeplB

I wanted to know how the band created their sound and writes their music. 

The band does not like to be pinned down to traditional descriptions of music. Their sound is an evolving entity. “We can throw out rock and soul, because people know that,” says Neary. “We have a soulful side. But we resonate more electric pushing the sonic.” 

The band likes big impactful music with searing guitar leads. The band possesses a great deal of musical competency. Any one of the members could hold out one their own. Jeff describes them, “We have so many tools available to us. The bands influence has so much variety. Any one of us can come up with a lick, and the rest of us can latch on to it. Our songs are born from the group imagination.”

Dakota adds, “It’s a very natural process. We know when the music sounds good, and we build upon each other’s ideas.”

“I want to tell stories with my songs,” says Neary. He strives to write songs that come from a good honest space. 

James Neary describes his lyric writing as a process of gathering ideas and piecing them together. He carries a notebook or adds ideas into his phone. He keeps as many remnants as possible. Later when he has time to meditate and explore fragments become concepts, verse, and song. “Other times,” says James, “my pen cannot keep up with an idea. I do not have a concrete writing process.” 

Jeff adds the band is very dynamic in their rehearsals. Their faceted talents and sharing of song writing is apparent in their live performances as musical focus easily slides from James, to Sam Tuhill to Sam Que always held together by the steady rhythm section of Jeff and Dakota. 

“Sometimes I can’t get the recording equipment set up fast enough at practice before they are playing and creating great music,” Says Jeff. “It’s like opening a gate on a bronco. And it just goes.” 

“Down In a Hole” from the Yellow EP

& Setting a Direction for the Future 

“Down in A Hole”  is a dream like psychedelica jazz infused song. Neary’s voice changes gears from the blues to a rock vocal. James harmonizes with Brooke Caudill creating drama and building tension releasing an instrumental resolution to end. The band exhibits their sonic sound, and is highlighted by Sam Que’s demonstrative sax. “Down in a Hole” is about change. It is about the clambering and crawling you have to do sometimes to fight your way out of a bad situation.

The band plans to produce a full length album in 2020. The band is taking their time creating their next album. James says he has a story board of ideas, music and sounds he would like on the album. It is a work in progress. During our conversation each of the band members stressed quality of craft and integrity in the music they were making versus speed and quantity. The band is experimenting with sound. They are using new techniques and instruments. They are striving to grow their sound to create a different listening experience.

“The band is focusing on quality of performance and honesty in our music,” said Jeff. “We want to make sure our content is consistent. We want to fully develop creativity. We are always reaching upward, trying to improve. 

“The Bite” from the Red EP

Out of Last Feather Rye wrapping up the interview

“The Bite” began as a song Sam wrote about his dog that bit him all the time. As the song developed it became a protest song. “The Bite” is a driving rock song combining influences from county. When played live at the South Bend Civic Sam Que’s sax added a layer of Russian folk over the themes. Sam Tuhill’s guitar gives a tongue in cheek solo parenthesized by explosive percussions and cacophony of sound that breaks like a wave. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuhRPPlMKoY

“I want to explore,” says James, “I want to fill as much space as I can with sound. I want to tell compelling narratives that hook the audience.” James explained there is always a moment when the song is telling the story it was meant to tell. The music and the lyrics fall together. He does not want to create the same music repetitively. James believes there is always something more, something to improve. James believes you cannot let yourself get in the way of creativity. 

The band wants to get to a point where the instruments are joyous and loud. They want to subvert musical expectations. The band is inspired to throw everything at the wall. They believe great story telling will inform the future of their music. 

Each of the band members expressed humility about their musical talents. It is striking the difference between James Neary’s belting voice, and the quiet humility he uses when speaking about his craft. The humility is reflected in his creative spirit and resonates in the band. 

Neary says, “I will be a better musician a week from now. It is about striving to improve, to define a better story. Not being complacent will help propel us into our next phase as a band. We are all reaching for more.”

www.jamesnearyandthebevyblue.com