As a music blogger, I’ve talked to several dozen musicians and no matter what genre they play, the common theme is that being a musician is tough, but being a musician in New York seems particularly daunting – and unless you possess an uncommon amount of moxie, hustle, and determination, it’s difficult to make it as a musician. Guitarist, Andy Stack managed to thrive as he played wherever and whenever he could get a gig across the city; however, after a while, Stack had quickly grown disillusioned with being a hired gun and after spending time with a dear friend in New Orleans, was close to leaving New York for good.
When Stack returned from New Orleans, he was determined to pack up his stuff and leave but the forces in our lives work in rather mysterious ways. While catching a friend’s at 55 Bar, he noticed an attractive woman standing in the corner – a woman that Stack just and to speak to. And while speaking to this woman, Stack learned that she was a Canadian transplant via Nashville, and they exchanged numbers. Two months later, they were writing material as a band (The Stacks) and seven months after that, they were married. About a month later, Andy and Tania Stack had moved to Hudson, NY.
While at Levon Helm’s barn, the Stacks caught Lee Falco (drums), Brandon Morrison (bass) and Connor Kenned (drums) jamming and eventually the quintet not only became friends, the Stacks asked the trio of Falco, Morrison and Kennedy to record with them — and Buffalo Stack was formed. And after 6 months of writing and recording, the result was an album that was heavily inspired by Americana, the blues and early rock.
“Maryanne” is the latest single off the band’s self-titled album and sonically, the song owes a great debt to folk music, the blues, early rock and soul – and bears an uncanny resemblance to the lIkes of The Band, The Allman Brothers and interestingly enough, Cracker’s self-titled debut. And much like “Dangerous” the first single released from the band’s latest effort, there’s an actual heart and soul within the song, as Stack’s narrator is the sort of charming and roguish ne’er do well., who realizes that he’s really fucked up and that his act is probably getting a little tired to his beloved. So the narrator promises that he’s gonna get it right this time.
