Throughout my entire life I’ve been regularly confronted with the same situation. After a display of aptitude or skill in a certain area it seems to be common-place for people to respond with ”you are so talented,” or something to that effect . My immediate response is usually a simple thank you and a smile. Although I often wonder if people realize exactly what they are implying with that phrase. Merriam Webster defines talent as follows: natural aptitude or skill. This is perhaps a little more specific than many people know.

     The term “talent” only accounts for NATURAL aptitude or skill, not any skill that has been gained through education ,practice, or experience. In my particular case the latter three are just as much contributors to my skill level as talent especially when it comes to music. I am not definitely not saying that talent doesn’t exist or that the good lord hasn’t blessed me with it, however I have always had to work for it. That being said the main point that I want to get across  is that talent is only a fraction of what goes into being a great musician and performer, furthermore I was not born with an overwhelming amount talent when compared to many other people. The only thing that separates me from the average person is determination,willingness to learn and perhaps opportunity.

     The only way to get from OK or good to great is with an unbelievable amount of hard work. There are exceptions to almost any rule but in this case there are very few. I came to this conclusion after studying many of the great performers and bands that inspired me in my youth. Bands such as Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, and Grand Funk Railroad all have one thing in common, a strong work ethic and musical integrity. This has become somewhat of a lost value system and does not have enough respect within modern music industry or society as a whole.

     This is the very set of values that The Wentzel Brother Band has been built upon along with the idea that there are no shortcuts to the top. There is reason that most bands don't make it and it isn't luck. Talent alone isn’t enough to get you to the top either. One of the most important things for a successful band or business of any kind is a functional and efficient team. One in which there is a clear leader and set of rules that each member follows to the dot.

     This is one of The Wentzel Bros. biggest and most apparent strengths. Each member of the band knows his job and follows it well to create a well functioning system. Not to mention the personal sacrifice that each band member has made for the betterment of the band and for each other, has made each one of them a valuable asset for the long run.

     It’s important for me to add that I do not consider myself a “great” musician, maybe you can make an argument for “good” but just take my opinion for what it is, an opinion.         

Written By Ivan Wentzel...

Listen to Acoustic Performance by The Wentzel Brothers Band on WKOM Radio 101.7 Fm

“69 Chevelle” 

“69 Chevelle” is a song that is on the album In The Shadow of The Mountain, which was created by The Wentzel Brothers Band, and it talks about having the car of your dreams. Every member of the band thought that it was one of the coolest cars they could think of. The band knew they it could be some of the best music in Nashville. So the jam began. 

Lyrics 

I've been waiting for the last two weeks just to get paid 

Get that fifty dollar bill in my pocket and I'll have it made 

Been bone dry sense I picked up my new Chevelle 

She runs like a top and drives like a bat out of hell 

Well I ain't got the money to pay the bills ‘cause I spend it on my new wheels 

But the chicks don't dig it when you get your thrills from pickup lines and dirty deals 

Boss man's chomping at the bit just to chew me out 

But he's the man who signs the check I can't live without 

So everyday I end up punching out right around five 

Just to go find me a little queen to take for a ride 

Well I ain't got the money to pay the bills ‘cause I spent it all on my new wheels 

But the chicks don't dig it when you get your thrills from pick-up lines and dirty deals 

I've been waiting for the last two weeks just to get paid 

‘cause I'm dead broke, got nobody else to blame 

I ain't got the money to pay the bills ‘cause I spent it all on my new wheels 

The chicks don't dig it when you get your thrills from pick-up lines and dirty deals 

Production 

This song is a result of a jam session. It went on for a while before Ivan called a stop to the session and grabbed a piece of paper. About 15 minutes passed and the lyrics were complete. Naturally the band went to work on arranging the song. Keeping in mind their musical influences like ZZ Top, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath, and the best music in Nashville, Issac Wentzel added killer lead guitar work. Jacob Newcomb preceded to lay down a groovy bass line. Ivan Wentzel added some driving drums and the song began to come to life.        

The lyrics of the song focus on a man that spends all his money on his car. He's got the coolest ride in town but lives paycheck to paycheck and struggles to afford basic necessities.  He's more interested in building his persona as a cool stud opposed to settling down and going with the flow. 

This song was recorded at Sound Revival Records during the Shadow of the Mountain session. It was one of 10 other great songs tracked that day. It has become some of the best music in Nashville. This is some of the best live concert music! It rightfully earns its spot as 1st on the album. 

Concluding Statements 

In conclusion, “69 Chevelle” is an epic southern rock tune with an infectious driving rhythm and wailing lead guitar. Definitely some of the best concert music there is. This song is something any rock fan south of the Mason-Dixon line can get behind, or anyone into muscle cars.

CD LAUNCH at CITIES COLUMBIA with

The Wentzel Brothers Band:

"In The Shadow Of The Mountain"!

Come over tonight March 3, 2018 for a great afternoon and evening full of fabulous music, great food and drinks at CITIES! Columbia, TN for the release of the new CD "In The Shadow Of The Mountain" by The Wentzel Brothers Band! With: Damien Boggs, Liv Noelle, Rossi!, Uncle Dave, Recorded by Sound Revival Records, Broadcast (later) by WKOM Radio 101.7 FM and of course The Wentzel Brothers Band! No fees! Just enjoy! Starting at 6 pm ~ 10 pm ~ Doors will be open at 5.30 pm Food will be ready and served starting at 6.30 pm

Address: CITIES! at Columbia Tennessee. 105 E 6th St, Columbia, TN 38401

Getting the Final Product 

Finishing Tracking 

The Wentzel Brothers Band had got 6 of their songs done and wanted to get the rest of them knocked out the next weekend. The band tracked in order: “Bullfrog”, “No Time”, “No Turning Back” and “All The Wrong Places”. The latter two were saved to be the last ones because Ivan had ideas of where to add vocals to them to make it a more fuller sound. “Bullfrog” followed up “Broken Trust” because Jacob wanted to play the ending jam on “Broken Trust” on upright bass, as he played “Bullfrog” on standup bass as well.   “In The Shadow of The Mountain” was recorded free at the studio before they started tracking as a package deal. This song ended up needing to be redone though because the earlier mix got lost. They finished up all the tracks and hopped in a couple times a week to punch - in parts that needed fixing, but after that, the mixing process started. 

The Music 

The next couple of months that followed the recording session, were spent on mixing to get the redneck rock songs sounding better than ever. Almost every week from that point on, one day was spent going to the studio to tell them what to fix, until it got to a spot that Ivan was ok with, but the music is not all that goes into making the album. (Listen to "In The Shadow Of The Mountain Here"

The Art 

The Wentzel Brothers Band had created an album with redneck rock songs before, but were novices in the process of making albums. They pick up on more ways to improve their next album, from production to telling mixers how to get the sound they want, to even getting the art made for the cd. The cd art for this album took awhile to make because the band was going through different artists who were about to create the cd art. The band had went with an artist they were not familiar with and he did not get the job done. Rushing in getting everything ready on time; They decided to go with was proven good! The Wentzel Brothers Band contacted the artist that also had taken care for the cd art of the first album "Flatcreek Road" which worked out perfectly. From there on the entire process went smooth and the finalizing of the second cd ended in the late stages of production, printing and specially rehearsing the songs. Within a couple of weeks The Wentzel Brothers Band was ready for the launch and maybe on their way to becoming rock legends?!!

Radio Time 

Marty V from WKOM Radio 101.7 FM, called up the Wentzel’s home to schedule a day to come and meet with them and met all of them for the first time, and thought “These guys are serious about this, maybe I could turn them into rock legends, if they let me”, which Ivan graciously accepted the invite. The deal was to give the Wentzel Brothers Band some air time and commercials for the CD Launch and website on the radio, but he did not want anything in return, except a table and a couple of benches built for the radio. Ivan said “I’ll sleep on it first, but it's looking like it'll be yes!” 

The Current Situation

In January, 2018, the masters for the album finally got finished just the way Ivan wanted. It seemed like everything in the album making process was moving along smoothly with the art, guaranteed air time and hard advertising on the radio and all the redneck rock songs being complete, but the only thing that is left is getting everything rolling and see exactly where this path is going to take this band. With as hard working of a band as The Wentzel Brothers Band, they are bound to hit hard and make countless classics that people will enjoy for decades, which is their all-time goal. Radio Shows with Duck FM, KIX 96, WKOM Radio 101.7 FM and others are scheduled, (positive) Reviews of the CD are coming in from Europe, Australia and North America, gigs are line up: The Wentzel Brothers Band is ready for another step in the future!

If you have questions for The Wentzel Brothers Band, or you want more info about a Gig, Interview or other: Click Here

In The Studio 

       The studio that The Wentzel Brothers band went with to record and mix their second album, In The Shadow of The Mountain, was Sound Revival Studio, and this studio offered to go ahead and start tracking immediately, so then one of the best music bands went straight to recording in that late October of 2017. 

      The first song that the band hit in the studio was “We Ain’t Through” and it only took about 2 hours, with breaks, to complete. Ivan and jacob hopped in on the background vocals during the chorus and Joshua added background vocals to the verse, giving those spots some more “flavor” to the person hearing it. The group then decided to hit the song “69 Chevelle”, which went easy because they had already taken that song to the studio before, so they had an idea of what they wanted it to sound like. This song took 3 tries with the rhythm section and a couple of tries for the melody and lead. The only changes made to this song, in studio, were a couple of different drum fills and some different vocal changes to add diversity to the lyrics. 

         After a lunch break and some more time spent away for family reasons, they tracked one of the best southern songs that the engineers have ever heard which was “Helltrain”. The changes they did to this song were mainly in the bassline, where Jacob added a rhythm that progressively adds to the energy build-up in the song, and the guitar parts to the drop off in the song. They ended this night with those songs done and got there the next morning to get back to work. 

The Next Day 

     The Band got to the studio early to get started on the next songs for their album, and went to work proving themselves as one of the best music bands of their generation. The band started the day off with “Do It Again”, another one of their best southern songs and ran through it around 5 times to get it close to what they wanted. They ended up going back to re-track the song the next weekend because Jacob did not like the tempo problems in the song. Josh and Ivan added background vocals in the chorus while Issac spent a good while on the lead guitar parts throughout the following weeks. “Chuck Terry” followed that up, being another one of their best southern rock songs, and got completed within the hour with only the drum change to the end being the thing added to the song. Jacob commented on this song saying “The bass you hear in this song was the first run that we tried and it was just the way that I wanted it!”. 

        The next song that finished off that day was “Broken Trust” and Ivan already had the intention to put backing vocals into this since the day it was created and knew just what to put in for them with Issac starting off the song in a low voice, to himself in the mid and Josh as the higher voice. This format changed in the chorus though, because of Issac singing the main vocals, Ivan’s  and Issac’s harmonies switched to keep attention pulled on Issac’s part.

Song-Writing Process 

The Wentzel Brothers Band worked on “Broken Trust” for a short amount of time, which was around two weeks in the making and then moved onto the next song which they called “Corkscrew”. This song was a early version of the song “No Turning Back”, which sounded completely different from today's version. They could not quite get the sound right so Ivan went to create some great new music, with a blues rock revival sound which was titled “Chuck Terry”.  Issac came up with a starting riff and Ivan put it into movement making Issac sing it over and over until they got the finished riff and melody/lyrics for the song. 

They finished up the melody and brought it to the band to put the rhythm down and finish the song. The band at this point kept getting asked to play “Free Bird” so they wanted to create great new music and ended up being an early version of “Wrong Places” which sounded like a slow acoustic Guns and Roses song at the start and turned into an electric jam solo at the end. The sound changed to what is heard now after Ivan and Issac took it to the band and they put their ideas into it.   

A Good Mix of Music

The band had a good mix of blues rock revival songs, but they were itching to write a fast-paced high energy song, and started creating “Hell Train”. This song from start to finish was completely done in two practices and incorporated every part in new jammin ways that was not before used. The band kept working on their “Corkscrew” song during this time, and gigged with some bands like The River Tramps, and one of their favorite bluegrass bands, The Howlin Brothers, and got an idea for their next song which was the secret track on their album called “Bullfrog”. This is the first all acoustic song on the album and displays the musician skills and talent each of them possess.   

It was around this time when the band revisited their “Corkscrew” song, and turned it into “No Turning Back”, but not a finished version of it. This song still did not feel like the great new music they were looking for but it got finishing touches put on it in the studio just like every other song in the album.  The last two songs, “We Ain’t Through” and “69 Chevelle”, got worked on at the same time and got mostly completed before they got into the studio to add stuff to their songs. 

Finding the Right Studio 

The process of finding the right studio to record the album took longer than actually recording the music. The band had all 11 of the songs to put on the album, but needed to get into a studio to get it made, and lucky for them, they actually had a LOT of competition between studios. At one point, the band had three studios to choose from within Tennessee that were all lowering their price and trying to offer more for less; it was a hard choice to pick which one they would go to. In the end, they chose Sound Revival Studios, in Columbia, Tennessee to record their music based on a couple of reasons that the others could not offer.

In The Shadow of The Mountain is an amazing southern rock/blues rock playlist released by The Wentzel Brothers Band. The album draws strongly from the band’s most prevalent influences in the genres of southern rock, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk, reggae, and country. The album includes 11 tracks of the Wentzel Brothers’ best work. 

Tracks: 

Track 1- 69 Chevelle 

Track 2- Do It Again 

Track 3- Chuck Terry 

Track 4- In the Shadow of the Mountain 

Track 5- Wrong Places 

Track 6- We Ain’t Through 

Track 7- Broken Trust 

Track 8- No Time 

Track 9- Hell Train 

Track 10- No Turning Back 

Track 11- Bullfrog (hidden track) 

The Process of Making the Album 

In the Shadow of the Mountain was mainly put together as a follow up to The Wentzel Brothers Band’s first blues rock playlist Flatcreek Road. The band was happy with their first album, however they knew with their ever-growing skill and experience that their next effort was going to be significantly better. 

Knowing Your Role 

The material on this album really showcases the bands abilities to play classic rock in a whole new way. Issac Wentzel’s lead guitar work, unwavering ability to write excellent vocal melody and excellent lead vocal performances are evident in every track. Ivan Wentzel’s consistent and always maturing songwriting and arrangement skills are a major part of the focused and experienced sound of each song. Not to mention, a very solid and musical drumming style combined with contributing more backup vocals than ever before. Jacob Newcomb is able to connect the band as a bassist and really add an entire new dynamic to the rhythm section with his locked-in, composed, and unique style. Joshua Terry’s rock solid rhythm guitar work and excellent vocal harmonies make him an essential member that any band would be proud to call part of the team. As each member’s roll became more clear, the process of writing and arranging songs became easier. Being that the band had more time and energy to spend on songwriting with a more efficient process, they were able to add more complexity, meaning, and substance to their work. 

Learning More Every Time 

When this band got together to write music, they always wanted to write music that was similar to the old classic rock that they listened to growing up. Ivan sat in with the mixer for the first album  Flatcreek Road and picked up how to put arrangements together, and how to compose lyrics. Ivan started using these skills to try to compose a song, and came up with the early ideas for “Do It Again” and took it to the band, and it was a success with the bandmates. With this in his mind, Ivan started working on “No Time” and Jacob hopped in to help him with the lyrics.   The process of making “No Time” took a couple of weeks to finish and changed to what you hear today with a Texas-style shuffle and  a drop off that was inspired by Pink Floyd’s classic rock staple “Money”. Ivan had a family member steal from him and he decided to write a song about it which is called “Broken Trust”.

- Fan Article of Will Meacham 

To start this we need to go to the beginning of my relation to the Wentzel brothers. I first met the boys in elementary school and that was the beginning of two great friendships that are likely to last a lifetime. I would ride on the bus everyday with either Ivan or Issac and every year the bus driver would assign me to sit with one of them. I would come over to their house and play games or go run in the woods. I remember the drumset downstairs that if we touched it would make mom mad. Their family would always treat me like I was part of it. They fed me good and I always had fun. I remember Ivan’s epic 16th birthday party where we shot guns and destroyed a tv. It was a super good time. I won’t forget the  many days I have spent at their house. 

Being good friends with Ivan, he always loved to listen to bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. When he hurt his back I didn’t see him for months and I missed him. Before he got hurt we lost a very close friend to Ivan. It was very hard to get through. I knew that Ivan and a lot of other people needed help with the situation. I was there for Ivan and I truly believe that helped me and him become closer friends. Music was an escape for Ivan and he showed me a lot of what he listened to which was good classic southern rock. 

During Ivan’s senior year he asked me if I wanted to help him in the talent show, which ended up being one of the best bands in concert the school has ever had.  I decided I would help as much as I could with either equipment or other things. I helped them by singing “Hotel California” and “Simple Man”. We started to play “Wish You Were Here” but the teachers told us to stop. The judges gave us twenty dollars for winning the talent show and all the money went to the band. It was a memory that I won’t ever forget. When Ivan graduated we didn’t see each other as much but when we did it was a lot of fun. 

I knew Jacob Newcomb from my sister in the marching band. We had talked a few times and when I saw him in the band I knew he was a great addition and had the dedication to go far. 

I knew Joshua Terry from Boy Scouts and we always got along great. I helped him and he helped me and I was so happy when he got his Eagle Scout. He joined the band and was a great rhythm guitarist from the start and I was happy to see him a part of it. 

I always tried to keep track of the band and later i saw that Issac had joined and Joshua Terry. It was a jolly good band. They had great songs and I remember loving “What Was I Thinking” as soon as I heard it. 

I am so glad that these boys have made it so far and I am excited to see how far they go with this classic southern rock. The music they produce is amazing and I support them all the way because they are one of the best bands in concert. Shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you will be a star. 

Will Meacham - Fan of The Wentzel Brothers Band Chapel Hill

Flatcreek Road is the first album that The Wentzel Brothers Band has ever written en recorded! The album was released on May 25, 2017 and was influenced by many different styles of country songs that rock. Being and forming a band together is one thing. Playing and recording a full album another....

Songs recorded on Flatcreek Rd.

1. Flatcreek 
2. Can't Wait 
3. What Was I Thinking 
4. Campfire Blues 
5. Deadly Hand 
6. Southbound 
7. Freedom Remains 
8. No Better Place 
9. A Better Day 

Production 

Flatcreek Road was recorded in december of the year 2016 at Blackbird Studios in Berry Hill, Tennessee in a single twelve-hour session. This album was recorded with a live band (a style of recording in which all parts of a song are recorded at once. The Nashville album Flatcreek Road was mixed by Tim “Mr. Starchy” Goode, who is is a good friend of The Wentzel Brothers Band, and mastered by Sage Audio. 

Instrumentation 

The band created this Nashville album as a four-piece band. Issac Wentzel played the lead guitar and sang the lead in every song except No Better Place, Ivan Wentzel played the drums in every song and sang all the backup vocals(also sang the lead vocals in No Better Place), Jacob Newcomb played the bass guitar for the tracks, and Joshy Terry recorded the rhythm guitar throughout Flatcreek Road. The lyrics are mainly written by Ivan Wentzel, with a few exceptions being “Can't Wait” and “What Was I Thinking”. Issac Wentzel wrote the melodies for the vocals in the country songs that rock. 

Writing the Album 

This Nashville album was written and recorded within six months of the band forming. Flatcreek Road was part of an experimental writing phase for The Wentzel Brothers Band. As each member learned more about their strengths and weaknesses, they were able to find their roles in the creative process. 

Presentation 

The album is named after a local creek( Flat Creek) near where the Wentzel Brothers were raised. The album art features The Wentzel Brothers Band sitting in the back of Issac Wentzel’s 1972 Chevrolet C10 pickup truck. The back cover is a photo of a street sign to Flat Creek Road. The album's photography was all photographed and edited by Jennifer Hedgepath of Northern Belle Photography. The package design is by Tom Comet. 

Miscellaneous 

The Wentzel Brothers Band was a very new band and the members were very young during the making of Flatcreek Road. They wanted to start bringing back rock and roll after hearing what people call rock nowadays. Ivan and Jacob were 18 and had just graduated from Forrest High School located in Chapel Hill, TN. Joshua was had just turned 17 at time of the recording and was a junior in high school. Issac was only 15, making him the youngest out of the group. Issac was a sophomore in high school. All four member of the band went to Forrest High School, which makes them a high school band. All the band members lived in Chapel Hill, Tennesee, also. 

Conclusion 

Flatcreek Road is The Wentzel Brothers Band's first studio album and was a great way to introduce them to the world. If you're interested in catchy tunes with genuine rock and roll feel, look no further than Flatcreek Road.