Mike Mullis, a Tyrone resident, has been playing guitar since the age of five. Two of his bandmates in Sons-N-Britches, Daron Meek and Rocky Barnes, have been playing in bands since the age of seven. Their long musical career has seen them tour the southeast as members of the bands Southern Smoke and Kennesaw, opening for such acts as Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride and Travis Tritt. This Saturday, Sons-N-Britches, the band that reformed a few years back after Kennesaw called it quits, opens for country music legend, Roy Clark.
“It will be surreal,” Mullis said of performing before and hopefully getting to meet Clark. Sons-N-Britches plays a more traditional country music than can typically be heard on the radio these days and should be a good fit for the show.
“Three years ago I started to write songs again, so I called the guys and said let’s go play again and maybe pitch some of these songs,” Mullis explained. The current situation has no pressure and the guys are just having fun. What makes things more fun is that audiences are discovering just how tight the band is and how their long history together is evident in their performance. “We just have a big repertoire to draw from and we know where everyone is going and how to complement that,” Mullis said.
The country music scene has changed a lot since Kennesaw folded, gravitating towards more of a pop feel. As Mullis was writing the songs that would be part of the band’s debut CD he realized that the style of music he was writing wasn’t what was playing on the radio. It doesn’t seem to matter as fans are discovering the music and showing their appreciation for the old school style.
Sons-N-Britches typically plays three times a month in venues around the region. Last week, they played at Callaway Gardens and there are several shows booked for venues in Carrollton later this summer. Kennesaw reunited for a few performances a few years back, one of which was opening for Crystal Gayle at The Villages, and Mullis let Main Street director Brian Wismer know that Sons-N-Britches was available to open a show if an opportunity arose. When the Roy Clark show was booked, it seemed like a good fit for the band.
In addition to their original songs, the band performs covers of Hank Williams Jr. Johnny Cash and John Anderson among others.
“We joke that we can’t learn a new song unless it’s at least 10 years old,” Mullis said.
Sons-N-Britches is getting some airplay on stations like 94.9 FM on their Backyard Country program and they are getting some good feedback. They will be excited to introduce themselves to even more people this Saturday and hope that they find some new fans.
“We’re just glad to be there,” Mullis said.
Sons-N-Britches will play at 8 p.m. on Saturday at The Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville.
