West of Rome, a South Texas-based fourpiece, has just released its debut album, “Keep It Fly in the Negative Zone.” The album – “a love letter to misspent youth and a survival guide for difficult times,” according to lead singer Kevin Higginbotham – is indie-rock at its best, merging lyrical depth with music prowess and providing plenty to entertain the mind and the ears. Rounding out the lineup with Higginbotham are fellow band members Charlie Roadman (guitar), Blake Smithson (bass), and Jamie Roadman (drums). Fans of The Tragically Hip, The Hold Steady, Roky Erickson, and Vic Chesnutt will find much to like on this stellar new album. We had the opportunity to chat with Higginbotham recently about this compelling collection of songs.
Hi, Kevin! You and your bandmates have a terrific new album that just came out called “Keep It Fly in the Negative Zone.” How did these songs come together and what broad strokes can you tell us about the collection?
Thank you. Some of the tracks were written in the studio and others were written while traveling through Thailand and China.
One of the songs on your new album, “The Empire Never Ended,” is really great and stood out to me. It’s got a vintage “The Tragically Hip vibe” to it. Were they an inspiration for you?
Yes! In a previous incarnation, our band was lucky enough to open for The Hip for a few dates in Texas in the 1990s. They were really kind to us. We were already big fans, but after those dates we were really hooked. We occasionally cover “My Music at Work,” a song from The Hip, in our set.
What can you tell us about “The Empire Never Ended”?
It’s a meditation on fatherhood and memory in a digitally fragmented age.
What inspired you to write it and what is it about?
“The Empire Never Ended” is how a sci-fi author described our current reality – as a hologram projected over ancient Rome. I was always fascinated by that idea. I used that idea as the launching point for the song.
What was it like recording this album? What was the vibe in the studio overall, and how did this song, in particular, come together?
Relaxed. We’ve been playing together for a long time. We had the verse and chorus for “Empire” going into the studio – but we knew that wasn’t enough. “Don’t be lazy, write a bridge” is one of our songwriting rules. So, we spent some time working on the guitar solo section to move it briefly into another sonic zone. We recorded the backup vocals at another studio with our friend, Robert Harrison. The guitar tremolo on that track does a lot of work, too.
What do you hope this album conveys to those who listen to it?
No specific hopes – I think when you make art you’re just looking for connections and to do something interesting enough that it merits a second or third listen.
The album title is interesting. What do you think the phrase means, and how did you decide what to name the album?
It’s the name of a track on the album that we wrote live in the studio. I thought it captured a few of the themes of the album nicely – having a little fun while enduring the absurdity of 2020s in the USA.
If you look back over your career, you probably feel like quite a different artist now than when you began for a number of reasons – life experience, industry experience, studio and performing experience all factoring into that. Do different things inspire you now? Where do you tend to get your biggest inspiration from these days?
It’s easier to know when a song idea is bad – so you can save some time not developing material that will end up, let’s say, less than remarkable. Unfortunately, as with all art, it’s much less obvious when an idea is good. And often, it’s elbow grease that will make the difference. That’s where Charlie, our guitar player, shines – taking a kernel of a song and then developing it into something more dynamic.
Songwriting can be a really personal endeavor, yet when you release a song or an album or an EP, you share the music with so many people. How does this make you feel, and is it ever difficult to share songs widely like that? What kind of feedback do you get from fans who have connected with the music or had a song impact them in a deep and meaningful way?
I don’t spend too much time thinking about other people listening to the music – I pretty much immediately start to think about writing the next song. On to the next thing, you know?
What has been the most exciting thing to happen for you in 2024? What are you most looking forward to in 2025? Got any tour plans? Where can fans see you on the road?
Getting the artwork for the album was pretty exciting. Our friend, Fred Himes, designed it. His style is perfect for the music. We’re looking forward to playing a few shows around Texas. The first one is in San Antonio on Feb 1st at Lonesome Rose with our friends’ bands, The Please Help and The New Attractions.
