John Garza of the Tejas Brothers Talks About Their New Single, New CD + More in Visit to KEAN 105

John Garza, bass player for the Tejas Brothers has been one of my favorite musicians in the Texas scene for a few years now. He's a terrific bass player in one of the coolest bands in the Lone Star State, but he's also a helluva nice guy who puts up with my ribbing extremely well. Whenever I'm lucky enough to have John stop by for a visit, it always turns out to be memorable. On his way through town, Garza paid me a quick visit to talk about all the big things going on with the Tejas Brothers, including a new single, new CD, new band mate and a lot more.

Part one of my conversation with John Garza included the man I affectionately know as 'Bass Player' telling us about one of the Tejas Brothers' biggest fans, the legendary Larry Joe Taylor. Taylor has come to love the band's unique blend of Tejano and Texas country music, and has helped John and the boys out a lot along the way. "For some reason we keep converging with that guy...what better person to have in your corner than a guy like Larry Joe Taylor. He's a good friend of the Tejas Brothers, and can't thank him enough for all the stuff he does for us.". He talks about playing upright bass, and how it's sometimes difficult to switch to electric bass during a show. He also talks about his new CD, the album art and the first single, 'Don't Be So Mean'. Check it out here.

Here's the new single, featuring the Tejas Brothers' newest member, lead guitarist Derek Groves on vocals:

The second half of my interview with John Garza included talk about the band's new lead guitarist. He's singing lead on the new single, and adds a dimension to the band's sound. Garza tells us "We thought he'd be perfect for singing lead vocal on that. He kinda has a little bit of that, reminiscent of that Doug Sahm timbre to his voice...Derek's been out there doing it for quite a while, he worked with Pauline Reese for a couple years, and worked with Gary P. Nunn for a couple years. ".  We also sent out a plea to have the Tejas Brothers return to Abilene to play again sometime soon. Take a listen:

Thanks to John for the visit. I can't help but think the world of him, and wish him and the band all the best going forward. They are definitely carrying a torch for a brand of music that needs to be shared and appreciated for generations to come. Look for a review of the Tejas Brothers' new CD, 'Live a Little More' coming soon.