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Going the distance

Sister Hazel brings its uplifting music to CatFest

The members of Sister Hazel, one of the hardest touring bands in the music world, have returned to their musical roots after the major industry success of their first record, Somewhere More Familiar.

Trying to avoid the sophomore slump, the band recently released its second major-label album called Fortress, a deviation from the studio-produced sound found on the first record.

Bass player Jeff Beres said Fortress is a better indication of the band's on-stage presence and in-concert sound.

"We were a different band when we wrote Somewhere More Familiar," he said. "Our experiences were different, our heads were in different places. Now, we have the time and the means to express ourselves more and also capture in on some of our live history that was not captured on Somewhere More Familiar. That is what people are hearing. For people who have seen us live a bunch it is not that drastic of a change."

The band's first album has sold more than a million records, and singles "All For You" and "Happy" were two of the most popular songs in 1997. Since then, the band has averaged more than 300 tour dates a year.

"We're a live touring band. We toured around the Southeast, grassroots touring out West - just a lot of van and tour for years," Beres said. "When you are on the road touring 300 days a year, you evolve as a band. You evolve as songwriters, you evolve as musicians, both individually and together."

The evolution of Sister Hazel has given Beres and his bandmates a chance to improve in some areas while exploring their musical intentions.

"After we put out Somewhere More Familiar, this whirl-wind happened. Three years later, you are a different band," Beres said. "You've got to really love what you are doing. For me personally, the biggest change is that I have the freedom to go out and experiment musically and be creative. It changes things - it makes a difference."

While Beres admits that the band's music has taken on more depth, the most striking change has been financial.

"I can pay my bills - when we were making $100 a week it was pretty tough," he said. "You don't get into it for that. If you do you're in trouble."

Beres added that Sister Hazel's touring schedule and fan-friendly public relations strategies are indicative of the band's dedication.

"There's a lot of heart involved, a lot of persistence," he said. "Very few of the people that get into (the music scene) actually achieve success. The chances are very slim. Instead of playing in front of a couple people, we're playing in front of a thousand or a couple thousand people."

Fortress is actually Sister Hazel's third album. The band's first album was released on an independent label and recorded in what Beres claimed to be a very unique place.

"We recorded it in barn in Gainsville," he said. "We used it to get gigs in our town."

Despite the increased exposure, financial gains, and opportunity, Beres said the band's messages are still the same.

"I think for the most part, we are a band that likes to write songs that are real but tempered with a little bit of optimism," he said. "When we started, it was at the end of grunge, and we kinda set out to surround ourselves with musicians who were like us. At the end of the day, we want to feel good. We want people to walk away from the lyrics and feel good, not feel bad. We want our audience to know that no matter what is going on, no matter how bad things are, there is always some good to be found."

Beres and his bandmates do enjoy the fact that their music is difficult to describe - something that they pride themselves in.

"My goal for people to not be able to describe our music without using four other bands," Beres said. "I'd like people to say 'they're sounds like this, meets this, meet this.' After the success of Somewhere More Familiar, it is easy to pigeonhole us and label what we are."

Sister Hazel will be headlining CatFest on Aug. 25 on the UA Mall.