I’d say Overzealous is just keen enough. Amid personal tragedy, global geo-political machines crush rock and roll dreams, but somehow they come out of it all with more energy than I’ve heard committed to tape in a while. It would be worth checking out some of their personal story.
Overzealous has nearly 10-year MTSU history
Over the whir of blenders in the MTSU Walker Library coffee shop, Crittenden and Sellers sit and talk about Overzealous and why they have both stuck with the music for so long.
"I dont really recall," says Brad Crittenden vaguely, thinking about how the name came to be for the band he has been a consistent part of for almost 10 years with band mate Dustin Sellers.
Both guys are quiet and vaguely bookish, seeming almost too polite for the sound that they have spent the last decade sculpting. Since forming in 2000, they have burned through drummers who could not quite commit, gone from a two-piece band to a three-piece to four-piece and back to two.
They have interchanged instruments, Sellers used to play drums on recordings with Crittenden on lead guitar.
Amidst constant morphing in the bands assemblage, Overzealous has stumbled upon a lot of random opportunity along the way. After winning a Battle of the Bands in Murfreesboro, the guys received a bit of free studio time, which was used to record a collection of songs simply titled EP.
They released an assortment of small compilations, most with little formality but all packing a lot of punch. But now Overzealous has been whittled back down to just Crittenden, who took up bass, and Sellers, on guitar. Both play piano, and both are vocalists.
Writing and narrowing down the vision has been easier, Sellers says of being a two-piece band again.
Still, the search for a permanent drummer has occupied much of the bands time when Crittenden and Sellers are not promoting their brand new release.
Yellow Jr. is a five-track EP with a quirky name landed upon by a lot of underlying shit and a yellow sort of mood, Sellers says.
He and Crittenden have been playing shows in Knoxville and Murfreesboro in the past two weeks to break out the upbeat but still lyrically complex Yellow Jr., which is possibly the bands most pronounced and relevant release to date.
They came across sufficiently and honestly, says Crittenden of the five songs. Not too much pizzazz, but enough force to present themselves.
Force describes it well. Yellow Jr. is confident and the guitars are blazing in a Foo Fighters-type way that is laid-back but does not lack finesse.
And Overzealous seems happy with the relevancy the album has compared to previous EPs, which were pieced together on others timeframes so that the material was somewhat outdated by the time it surfaced.
It seems to be a reflection of the moment, Crittenden says.
Most of what Overzealous does seems to be of the moment, seizing projects spontaneously and approaching them head-on. In 2005, the band starred in Novem, an independent film about a college band that meets a sudden death after a week of recording in the summer of 1973.
The type of role that the guys were to have in the film, however, came as a shock to the band.
\We thought we were signing up to write songs, but we were trying out for parts, Crittenden says.
Overzealous took the roles anyway, and continues to dive headlong into whatever opportunities present themselves.
At 22, we were like, Yeah, well play music. Where do we go? Crittenden says.
Though he and Sellers are both 27 now, they have hardly curbed the enthusiasm for the band, their music often sticking out like a sore thumb, but in a positive sense, as Sellers puts it.
The name Overzealous probably has more meaning now than it did at the time, Sellers says. Here we are 10 years later, just me and Brad still, pushing the same thing. I feel like when our work does come out, its overzealous.
In addition to pushing Yellow Jr. wherever it can, the bands next endeavor may possibly be another release of songs recorded live in New York. If the New York recordings, should they see the light of day, have any of the energy of Yellow Jr., it will be worth a listen.
Weve taken a lot of opportunities that were hit or miss, Sellers says. If you dont try and test the waters, youll just be sitting around waiting for something to come.
Overzealous is a group that hearkens back what is now uncommon in rock music: they produce songs, not a lamentation on negative feelings that seems to prevail in today’s world. Their music is hard but feels good. Their sound can in some ways be seen as an homage to the pedigree of Knoxville, their hometown: one of their major influences is Superdrag, another fine band from the South. They even draw their music from groups like the Beatles and especially John Lennon’s music in particular. However, ultimately Overzealous has its own, unique sound; one that is dedicated to a catchy, melodiously infused music.
“Apples and Girls” is a tune that is extremely memorable. The guitar riff sets up a wonderful entrance while the drums and bass set up a properly party-like atmosphere for the lead singer.
“This Old Man” channels Led Zeppelin in its hard-hitting yet tuneful sensation. It seems to be a expression of grief over old age but is presented in such a cheerful, jovial way that it almost becomes an affirmation that old age is just as enjoyable as young life.
“Big City Postcards” most reminds one of John Lennon’s later music with a little Nirvana thrown in. Listening to the song is just like receiving a postcard from any big city; the guitar solo at the end somehow radiates how relaxing and yet angst-ridden it may be to come home to an apartment in downtown anywhere and attempt to unwind while the world outside bustles with life.
They've starred in an award-winning docu-drama, played the big stage at the Foothills Fall Festival, won a Middle Tennessee battle of the bands contest and, on Saturday, they'll play "The Shed" at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson. Not bad for Dustin Sellers and Brad Crittenden, a couple of William Blount graduates whose partnership dates back to daycare. Technically, the two didn't start making music together until high school, and after graduating from WBHS in 2000, they took their band, Overzealous, to clubs and bars around East Tennessee. "We came to Murfreesboro and won a battle of the bands contest, and part of the prize was studio time at Wolf Studios in Nashville," Sellers told The Daily Times this week. "We went there, started cutting some songs, and they liked us so much, we got to cut all 10 songs, the whole Overzealous record, for free." The duo's good fortune continued, as the studio owner hooked them up with a group of independent filmmakers who were shooting a mock documentary about a band from Bowling Green, Ky., who recorded a collection of rock songs before tragically dying in a wreck on the way back to Harrison State campus. The fictional story intercuts between the band -- Novem, which is also the title of the film -- and those who discover the "lost" music in the present day. Sellers, Crittenden and their old Overzealous bandmates not only provided five or six songs for the soundtrack, they also starred in it. "The long and short of the movie is that it's set in the '70s, part of it, and it's documentary-style, with us hanging out and playing music," Sellers said. "The other part is in the present time, where we're finding the footage of those 'sessions' and the music. It's done really well and has won a half-dozen film festivals. (For more on the film, check out the Web site -- www.novemsongs.com.) "We are songwriters, and we both play guitar, bass, drums and piano," Sellers said. "It really helps with the musicianship and writing." Shortly after the first of the year, the members of overzealous recorded a couple of songs with Travis Wyrick, a local production wizard who's worked with such bands as shadowWax, Jag Star and 10 Years. More recording is planned for a full-length debut album; in the meantime, some promotional copies of songs that developed will be available at Saturday's show. The end result is a frothy pop stew that draws inspiration from The Beatles, The Pixies and Foo Fighters -- melodic rock with a pop slant that isn't too syrupy or too heavy. It's an energetic, feel-good sound that'll go well at "The Shed." "Our biggest selling point is that our catalogue of material is very, very deep," Sellers said. "We've written close to 150 songs together. Obviously, we don't have all of them in our set, but that's one of the things we're excited about. We like to play the straightforward rock stuff, and people who hear us like that, but there's so much more that we want to showcase. "We don't get home as much as we want to, but I'm a big fan of Maryville, and I love it and miss it a lot. This'll be our first show in Maryville, which is kind of appropriate, since the last big show by Overzealous was at the Foothills Fall Festival in 2003 or 2004. This is our first big pumped-up show in Maryville, and we've got a lot of family and friends there, so we're looking forward to trying 'The Shed' out."
Excessive Enthusiasm uncovered in Murfreesboro, TN
Four relatively young (I daresay) gentlemen- Dustin Sellers (singer/guitar/piano), Josh Gifford (bass), Brad Crittenden (guitar), Eric Hill (drums)- put on suits and ties and form a creative force which highly resembles emo-favourites Weezer...just without as much happy pop. Don't get me wrong, the pop is still there. Overzealous just barely misses the mark of falling entirely under the head-bopping, green-shirt-wearing emo label. "Dark Weezer" is the first thing in my head when I popped these guys in.
I was extremely impressed by the full-out, although obvious DIY, press kit they sent me. It included article print outs, a photo, their self-titled EP, and a remarkable .mpg EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the PC. The .mpg was well-made, very informative, gave a clear feel of the types of guys these cats are, and reiterated time and again their "overzealous" feelings towards music, and the need to be making it no matter what, when, or where...
The guys share influences, which include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Silverchair, Phantom Planet, Rooney, David Bowie, etc. These influences are highly audible, and help to neatly tie together their songs, despite the fact that they are each written by different members. Each band member is very active in the writing process, which gives each tune it's own character, yet the sound flows in the same vein.
They are very catchy, poppy, and have really good harmonies. I would even say that, despite how I don't listen to the radio anymore, they are radio material-though they would like for all to know that this does not mean they are cheesy. In fact, that's the furthest thing from my mind. Sometimes lyrics will come out and you will roll your eyes and be thankful that the song itself has just saved the band from that sour lyrical blunder. Luckily, Overzealous doesn't need the backup of the song to help them out. They are a well-rounded, good band. Period. And based on their EPK, I would be interested to meet the guys just to hang out for a drink or two, cos they seem like good guys. That's always a winning combo-great band + great guys = o.k. in my book!
Trivia: Overzealous starred in a 2004 indie documentary-type film called "Novem", which will hopefully make a debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The band also wrote and recorded most of the songs for the movie's soundtrack. The band plays a 70s band who gets killed in an accident, but their music gets discovered after they are gone, and it goes from there. You can check out the "Novem" songs at www.novemsongs.com
"In the recent pop-rock realm, many of the same sounds and images have become all too familiar, but through the fog of black mascara and lip rings, overzealous has emerged. Rather than slitting their wrists and blacking their eyes, this bright indie rock band is crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s, delivering the South’s most clever pop-rock creations.Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, overzealous was started by front man Dustin Sellers and guitarist/keyboardist Brad Crittenden. The two began writing and recorded all the instruments for there first recording, with assistance on bass from Tim Adler. The trio moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 2002 where they picked up drummer Eric Hill.Overzealous’ first release was recorded as a prize they won through the Sports Planet Battle of the Bands. Through this prize, they worked at legendary Wolf Studios in Nashville to produce a six song EP. Overzealous fine-tuned their pop-rock sound and the four have played in front of thousands of people all across the mid-south in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Mississippi. They most recently played the Fall Festival in Maryville, Tennessee, for over four thousand people.While developing a their heart grabbing sound and a regional fan base with their first release, overzealous built Lounge Act Studios in their Tennessee home and just recently finished recording the full-length album, Turn to Clear Vision. The title for this release was inspired by a photograph taken by Crittenden that shows the eyepiece to a coin-operated looking glass. Sellers touches on the album, “(We’re) making music with a simple meaning behind it” and “I hope people take the songs for what they are.” Do not be mistaken, overzealous provides enough solid rock in tracks such as “F7”. The new line-up spent over a year recording these 12 songs and is prepared to hit the road running with this release. After years of writing, the overzealous sound is more refined than ever and has indeed turned to clear vision.The band is working with Middle Tennessee State University’s Scared Rabbit Records for the marketing of the release in winter 2006-2007.In 2004, the men played a key part in the independent film, Novem. A product of Bradley David Productions, Novem was filmed on the picturesque property of Dark Horse Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. It featured the members of overzealous as key characters playing the roles of teenage musicians. The film won multiple awards at independent film festivals and has national distribution. Bradley David Productions is currently working with a company in Japan for international distribution. The band had 5 songs featured on the soundtrack and four of those songs were original pieces for the film.From the beginning, overzealous has been bringing the melody, harmony, and straightforward, good feeling back to rock and roll. Now, let’s take another ride and leave our worries behind to “Turn to Clear Vision”."
