Jimmy Binks and the Shakehorns Q&A

Your name:

Sam, singer and guitarist.

Where are you from?

We're from the UK, the US, Canada, and Japan, but we all live in Tokyo, Japan!

Name of band:

Jimmy Binks and the Shakehorns.

Who else is in your band?

We are 

Sam – vocals, guitar (Sheffield, UK)

Ju Ju – vocals, guitar (Cambridge, UK)

Yuuki – bass (Kanagawa, Japan)

Erin – trumpet, vocals (Newfoundland, Canada)

Dan – drums (Virginia, USA)

Jonny Barefoot – banjo, mandolin, vocals (ON, Canada)

How would you describe yourselves?

We always struggle with this! We've been variously described as alt-country, Americana, folk, roots, bluegrass, and acoustic rock. Recently little bits of ska and 1920s have been creeping in, too...

Who are your main influences musically?

Classics like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. More recently fun stuff like Pokey Lafarge, Lumineers, Milk Carton Kids, Avett Brothers, Tallest Man on Earth. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Above all, we like to play live, and among the live show, the festival live show is king. Based in Japan, our number one target would be playing at the Fuji Rock Festival, which is huge. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We played at the Asagiri Jam festival a few years ago, which is a bit like Fuji Rock's younger cousin. We also played at Happy Farm Music festival up in the mountains of Nagano in Japan. It was a beautiful weekend. We've also been lucky enough to have had our tracks played regularly on BBC radio, and placed in NBC and CNN TV shows, and even in a couple of movies! 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Perhaps not a rock n roll answer, but nothing really! Will let you know if something happens in the future! 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I'm going to go with Cabin Fever. Although we have changed a lot over the last few years, at heart we're an alt-country band, and this song sort of shows what we're trying to make: a kind of danceable alt-country. 

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/jimmybinks/jimmy-binks-and-the-shakehorns-cabin-fever

Where can we find out more about your music?

Twitter - @Jimmy_Binks

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jimmybinksandtheshakehorns

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/jimmybinks

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Nope, but we love meeting new people. If you or any of your readers are ever in Tokyo, get in touch on Facebook or Twitter and we'll show you some great live spots! Cheers for the chat!