Will McCranie’s favorite musical genre is fluid, totally dependent on the band he’s playing with or the surroundings he’s in.
When he’s jamming with Bodega Cat, a band with its improvisational vibe, he can spend 20 minutes lost in one song and play all night. With his newest band Sweet Burrito, the sets and the “dad rock” songs are much shorter. His own music is a blend of rock and alternative that stays true to his Southern roots.
MORE: McCranie’s Pickles are a Big Dill
“Bodega Cat is a weird jam band. In Sweet Burrito, I’m the youngest guy in the band,” he said. “We play dad rock, and we’re having a good time. We’ll make it a party. It’s the opposite end of the spectrum from Bodega Cat.”
As for listening preferences, he finds himself just as comfortable in a New York jazz club as he does at a huge outdoor rock concert.
McCranie’s love of music started as a child, and he remembers being inspired by Lenny Kravitz’s song “Are You Gonna Go My Way” when he was about 7 or 8. Kravitz’s look as well as his sound impacted him.
[adrotate banner=”19″]
“I’d never seen a guy with dreads,” he said. “And the song was the coolest. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
McCranie said he was inspired by the story of Keith Jenkins, the Augusta native who joined James Brown’s band when he was only 20. He said his dream was to be like that except for the hip-hop duo Outkast.
He started his musical journey as a member of Tutt Middle School, where he played percussion. He played on the drumline at Westside High School until he transferred to John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, where he focused on jazz music under Michael Katterjohn.
After graduating from Davidson, he traveled north, spending several years in New York and working on his sound. He plays guitar, sings and writes his own music. He’s recorded multiple albums over the years. During his New York years, he met Kravitz and told him how the singer had inspired him.
[adrotate banner=”54″]
“He probably thought I was an idiot, but he was at least cordial about it,” he said.
McCranie said he’s never considered himself as the greatest singer, and he worried about that in some of his earlier recordings. He’d polished them so much that they sounded “so sterile.”
He’s learned over the years though that the people who like his music like the wrinkles and the imperfections. That’s what gives his music its unique sound, he said.
MORE: Live Music Events Plentiful
McCranie’s got a few upcoming concert dates scattered around his July 17 wedding. Bodega Cat will be at Garden City Social July 8, and Sweet Burrito will play Southbound Smokehouse in North Augusta on July 30.
He’s playing solo gigs at Amp the Alley July 1 and at the Aiken Brewing Co. July 2.
To find out more about his music or upcoming dates, visit his website willmccranie.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
[adrotate banner=”37″]
