The Scatterguns introduce original songs, 'novel experience' to downtown music scene

As the four members of The Scatterguns tried to put on a serious look for a photo shoot, it became increasingly evident they were firing blanks.

Barbs about one another messed with straight faces and were revealing. Informative nuggets flung with zest, like the 50-shades-of-black wardrobe owned by lead guitarist Joe Ettling, who found out his T-shirt was harmonizing too much with the dark background.

Lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player Josh Tomlin was playing a lead role in the clowning, channeling the same high-energy behavior he exhibits on stage to perform a multitude of poses and expressions that cracked up his partners in sound.

"Try to stay focused," bassist Curt Babers said to himself, drawing a deep breath and over-exaggerating his readiness for the next photo after whiffing on the previous attempt at a stoic pose.

During a break, drummer Andy Palmer explained the dynamics of the group.

Members of The Scatterguns from left, bassist Curt Babers, lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player Josh Tomlin, drummer Andy Palmer and guitarist Joe Ettling.Laura Simon

"If we weren't in this band, we could and would absolutely hang out together for no good reason, even if it was to do nothing," Palmer said.

While The Scatterguns debuted in December, Tomlin's and Ettling's friendship dates back to their days in band class at Jackson High School. Tomlin graduated in 2001, a year ahead of Ettling.

Tomlin played trumpet in the jazz band, while Ettling and his twin brother played guitars, often loosening their fingers to Black Sabbath before class started.

"We would jam before we actually had to play Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie," Tomlin said.

Babers and Palmer had more scattered origins.

Palmer left Rolla, Missouri, to study music at Southeast Missouri State University, where he was a percussionist.

"I was a real serious jazz drummer at SEMO for several years. I kind of just up and quit," Palmer said. "At one point, I said, 'I'm going to stop going to music school, and I'm going to go get a job.'"

Babers blew into town on the winds of Hurricane Andrew, which uprooted his family from Louisiana in 1992 and landed him at Jackson High School. He was the last member to join, a mutual find on Facebook between a bassist looking for a band and a band looking for a bassist.

"We were all strangers last year when one of us answered an ad," Babers said.

He previously played with Paragon, a group that played loosely-based cover songs.

"We played Lady Gaga, but it sounded like heavy-metal Lady Gaga," Baders said.

Before Babers joined, Tomlin already had written the lyrics to about four songs, which he worked out musically with Ettling and Palmer.

"That was the first thing that stood out to me about these guys: All their songs -- well, not all, but most -- have a theme, and it's home," Babers said, "Southeast Missouri and the surrounding area. I thought that was pretty cool, you know. I do. I like that a lot."

Passion for original music is a common denominator of the four and further evidence of their compatibility.

Tomlin and Ettling, who formerly played together in The Biggest Car in the County as recently as 2011, can trace their commitment to original music back to their teens.

Ettling said he was 18 or 19 when he teamed with his brother and Tomlin to put on summer shows at the band shelter in Jackson City Park. They called it Shellshocked.

"It was for other bands mostly at the time, original bands, young guys who were going to be too young to play downtown or didn't have an hour's worth of music," Ettling said. "Maybe they could only put together a half-hour show or something."

The group put on the free event for four years, investing themselves financially, emotionally and physically. The rewards were mostly intangible.

"It was a fun thing, and it was good for us," Ettling said. "It got us in touch with a whole bunch of different people in the area that were into music. ... We had a bunch of different young people play music that were like-minded."

They have such a person in Palmer, a believer in original-music bands who face the uphill task of getting people familiar with their music. Venues often prefer groups with mainstream repertoires that cater to diverse tastes, which runs counter to an original group committed to particular songs and style.

According to Tomlin, that style is "Southern rock played through a punk-rock filter." He's not even entirely sure what that means, but it's guaranteed to be original in nature.

"Even if it's not your cup of tea, and I think a lot of people around here would agree, why not go to that to be a little bit more novel experience," Palmer said.

The Scatterguns have about 12 songs, most of which Tomlin takes on with animated aggression. He'll pounce at the lyrics from "South Vegas," a rhythm-y Southern rock song about Tunica, Mississippi, and shout out a punky "Pistol, Knife" with other band members.

"This is a true passion for me," Tomlin said. "I love playing music, and I certainly love playing it with people I trust and are willing to write original music and go out on a limb. Cover shows and tribute gigs are all well and good, but that doesn't really help build an original scene."

It's something The Scatterguns are trying to build in Cape Girardeau.

They shared the stage with local performers Small Stares and Holy Crow last month at Rude Dog Pub, which has been central in the cause for original music.

They'll share the stage Saturday night with The Dirty 30s, a band that started locally and has remained committed to original music.

"The ability to go out in public and sing about things you've experienced and have people -- regardless if they love it or hate it -- but the opportunity to do that is really incredible," Tomlin said. "Like when you see somebody singing an original song, you're experiencing something that they feel, something that they wrote and they created themselves."

Sometimes it can be dark, like an Ettling T-shirt.

But it's original music.

And that's the one thing The Scatterguns take seriously.

jbreer@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3629

Pertinent address:

123 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.