I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, that in less than 3 years, this band will have secured a label deal and will be on their way to becoming a household name. All hail the future Ambassadors of Pop/Rock music...SUITE 709!

From the first time I heard this band I was instantly hooked. I've been in the music business for almost 20 years now (I'm still 25, don't hate!) and my ears are very critical of new music that I hear. I usually will find something wrong with an emerging band, but Suite 709's music is different. It's original, it's well produced, it's melodic and the lyrics actually say something. Their image is also interesting. A couple of pompadour hair styles, a few 70's porn mustaches and VOILA! people are talking. Suite 709 (Jirod Greene, David Butler, Ross Falcon, Dietrich Schmidt and Zach Boston) hail from the musical city of Austin, TX, where they've built up quite a fan base.  With their impressive showings at SXSW in 2011, they are now ready to release their debut CD "KEYS" on July 9th (7/09).  For any lover of music, this CD is a must for your collection. A little bit of Maroon 5,  a pinch of James Brown, a dash of John Legend and you have a sound that becomes uniquely Suite 709. I had a chance to talk with this guys and below are excerpts for our interview.

First of let me say that I'm an instant fan of your guys music. One day a week, I go over to this music company in Los Angeles called TAXI and I critique music. I came across a submission that had 3 of your songs on it and I just blew my lid. This is some really good stuff. 

What has been the response so far to your music?

Jirod: A lot of our friends and family that heard our music really enjoyed it because it's fresh. People are saying that it's something that you're not hearing on the radio these days. So I guess fresh would be the word to sum it up.

How did the band get together?

Jirod: Oh Delious, do you really wanna hear this story?

I don't know when you put it like that, but go ahead.

Jirod: Ok, There was 2 different bands in Austin, TX.  Different sets of friends from different home towns came together and formed Suite 709.  You have one group of friends who were home town friends, and another group of friends who went to college together and another set of friends who were in another band, so it's like 3 sets of friends coming together to form Suite 709.  That's the short end of it.

So you were in different bands?

Jirod: We were. One Progressive/Rock band and the other was Pop/Rock.

So how did you settle on what is to be know as the Suite 709 sound?  Was there bickering concerning the direction you wanted to go or did you automatically say this is what you wanted to do?

David: I think it was a combination of just maturing as an artist and coming into the sound and also just finding our way as musicians and as songwriters.  Every once in a while it would resonate.  We had a couple songs that had a soul vibe that resonated really well with some of the earlier stuff we were doing.  When we were forming this new group, we kinda looked at some of the past stuff we've done and said Hey! that stuff really resonated well with us as a group, so we just started experimenting and we definitely went through a period of time where we were finding that sound and then really kind of discovered it and really kind of found our voice during the recording process and started to get it out there and start writing more.

My favorite song is "Miss You the Most (True Love). When I heard this song at the office, I stood up and started clapping. (CLICK HERE TO LISTEN)

Suite 709: (Laughter)

Jirod: Coming from you  that means a lot. You're talking to an All-4-One CD holder right here. I tried to imitate you back in the day, when I was in elementary school, (OUCH! LOL! Still 25 dammit!). You have such a deep rich voice, so I appreciate that. Thank you so much!

Thanks man, I appreciate you for saying that. When that song came on I started rocking from side to side.  Really, Really good song. I was jealous cause I wanted to sing it myself.  I can hear your influences in the music.  I can hear John Legend in the Keys, and a bit of Maroon 5.  Jirod, who did you listen to growing up? Was it a James Brown, Terrence Trent D'arby sort of thing?

Jirod: Well definitely James Brown. I grew up listening to, Michael Jackson, Jodeci, Boyz II Men and people like that. As I got a little older, I started listening to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke trying to discover the grit in my voice.

Your image is... not a weird image, but a distinct image. Is this an image that you purposely developed? Are you gonna stick with this image?

Jirod: The pompadour was inspired by James Brown. I have locks, so I just really dig a classic old school vibe with a new school twist. My idea for the band, as far as image goes, is just staying fresh and just changing it up a little bit sometimes.

To the other band members, in meeting up with the image that Jirod had planned for himself, was that something difficult for you guys to follow or was that something you had no problem following?

David: Yea, it kinda occurred naturally, we've always functioned as a unit and wanted to be cohesive and yet at the same time it was important to have our individual styles. So you'll see that in all the different images and when we perform live and in some of the other photo shoots.  We've always been interested in the fashion side of things and marrying the fashion with music.

Is there one main songwriter or are you all songwriters in the group?

Jirod: Pretty much.  Usually the guys will find a feel for the music instrumentally and then I'll listen to it and then write. Sometimes the other way around. More often, David will play something for me on the guitar, record it, and then I'll go to my room and write to it.

What was the background on the song "She Don't Even Know"? (CLICK HERE TO LISTEN)

Jirod: Well that song speaks pretty loudly today with women who go through rough situations with men who don't appreciate them. It's usually that one guy waiting in the rafters, that one guy who could be her Knight in shining Armour, but she's blinded by the bad boyfriend.

What was your inspiration on "Miss you the Most (True Love)"?

Jirod: That just comes from a long distance relationship. A lot of people think that long distance relationships can't work, but it's the little things that make them work. If you're in a relationship and it's worth keeping, you have to rely on small things like sending letters, looking at pictures or listening to a song that attributes to that person that you miss.

So what is your goal? Are you trying to stay independent? Are you trying to do a major label deal?

David: I think we're pretty open to a lot of different things. Right now, we would love to just grow the fan base. We do really well in the Texas area.  So, what we're looking for in the immediate next steps is something that can get us launched on more of a national level. Whether that being finding good support or getting with good management, those are the immediate next steps.

A national level is definitely something that Suite 709 should be on. I'm hoping that upon their discovery, the machine that is the music business these days, doesn't affect the quality of music that these guys are able to make. 

You can find out more about Suite 709 from their webpage www.unlocksuite709.com  and be sure to "LIKE" their facebook page www.facebook.com/Suite709

Most importantly be sure to support their music and buy a copy of their debut CD "KEYS" when it's released on July 9th, 2011.