The Seratones are a mixture of vintage soul and garage rock from Shreveport, LA, a city that sits roughly equidistant from Memphis soul, Mississippi Delta Blues, and New Orleans jazz, with Texas swing located just over the nearby state border.
Originally only 3 members, The Seratones were formed in Shreveport, Louisiana by vocalist and guitarist A.J. Haynes, guitarist Connor Davis, and drummer Jesse Gabriel, and soon after, they added bassist Adam Davis from Oregon. All four had played together with one or another in various local bands, bonding through all-ages basement shows, gigs at skate parks and BBQ joints, and late nights listening to music. Together they carved their own path, with a do-it-yourself attitude. The group was quickly recognized after forming, winning the Louisiana Music Prize in 2013.
At first, they decided to go with the name “The Ceratones”, a play on the root word “cera,” the Spanish word for “wax”, which is also American slang for vinyl records. Shortly after they changed their name to the Seratones, playing on the word “serotonin” instead, a chemical produced by the body that helps people feel happy. The Seratones became favorites on the Louisiana club scene.
Things really started to pick up speed when they played a show in Hot Springs, Arkansas, alongside an act called NERVES, whose lead singer worked in the warehouse at Fat Possum Records. He suggested them to the head of the label, and upon hearing their music, the Seratones were signed to Fat Possum.
The band’s debut album, Get Gone, was released in May 2016, and all of the tracks are live takes! “Chandelier” really showcases Haynes’ vocal talent, going from croon to crescendo, check out the video below!
The song “Necromancer” is true to the comments on the video – And as you can see, she’s more than just a pretty girl with a guitar, Haynes was referred to as a female Jimi Hendrix, and the band as the love child of The Black Keys and Alabama Shakes… I’m not sure which is a bigger compliment!
Another of my favorite tracks, here’s a video of “Don’t Need it”. Fun Fact: Haynes’s singing skills were developed early at Brownsville Baptist Church in Columbia, Louisiana at age 6.
The vocals on this one are playful and vaguely reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper, or some other 80s pop star, as she hits the notes with an upward chirp at the end. Watch the video for “Sun” below!
