Cheyenne shares soft, classic rock ‘n’ roll sound

Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Photo courtesy of Cheyenne

Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Photo courtesy of Cheyenne

By Missy Smith

With the recent revival of a more classic sound in modern music, New York twang rockers Cheyenne are no exception to the rule. Lead vocalist Beau Jennings is excited about their current tour promoting the release of their sophomore album “The Whale.” The tour stops at the Canopy Club on Friday.

“The Whale” has been met with acclaim, but Jennings still takes it one day at a time, not letting the success go to his head.

“I am flattered by it,” Jennings said. “It’s pretty great, and we definitely have a long ways to go, but it is very encouraging. It makes you feel as if you are starting in the right direction.”

Still, Jennings realizes that there are people who may not have liked their album.

“I’m not going to change our sound because someone didn’t like it,” Jennings said. “I don’t let the reception dictate how we create music.”

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Cheyenne’s music defies categorization, but the classic sound is not something that emerges as an accident. Jennings said his musical upbringing has influenced his sound. There is nothing highly synthesized about this band’s slow paced natural sound.

“We aren’t going to sound any other way musically than what we were raised on,” Jennings said. “Our music is just us trying to be honest and play how we know how to play.”

The way the band plays was influenced by their Oklahoma upbringing, and recently, their move to New York has transformed the sound into something more focused, Jennings said.

“It has definitely made our music get to the point faster,” Jennings said. “We aren’t as slow, lazy and atmospheric anymore. Our music has become a little more immediate because every night when you play in New York, you are competing with hundreds of bands for the attention of the public.”

Jennings still describes their sound as something softer and closer to the classic rock ‘n’ roll style. The style has become more permanent in the past year after the band closed the revolving door of members and gained a set lineup. The permanent lineup shaped Cheyenne’s sound and made it stronger, Jennings said.

“Now that we have a fixed lineup, our songs are a lot more confident, upbeat and just more solid,” he said.

Still, within the usual sound of the band, there were still songs that may not have fit with the band’s musical direction. Because of that, Jennings recently recorded a solo project that is to be released in June.

“As Cheyenne became more of a solid lineup, I had songs that I had written that wouldn’t have made sense to bring to the band,” Jennings said. “I understood that, but I still had these songs that didn’t fit with them, so it made sense to release them under a solo name.”

But just because the songs were released under a solo effort, it does not mean they will not be incorporated into the live shows. Jennings said he hopes to play both in their shows.

“We pick the best songs for the shows and they fit under the same umbrella,” Jennings said. “On a record, we make the distinction and give credit to which member wrote the songs, but as a live act, it doesn’t matter.”

The live act is still new to Jennings. He said he is still learning the ups and downs of the road, but loves it.

His favorite song to play live right now is the title track of the album, “The Whale.” He also said the freshness of the tour has yet to rub off.

“We still get a kick out of playing now,” Jennings said. “Right now, we are just taking each show one at a time. Each night is its own kind of goal.”

For more information on Cheyenne or Beau Jennings, check out their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/cheyenne or live at 8 p.m. Friday at the Canopy Club.