The Endangered Species is a movement dedicated to promoting togetherness, positivity, awareness, and change for the betterment of all lives and species.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
We have quite a few members as we utilize the hired gun system in The Endangered Species
Wade & Robin Divver - Songwriters, rhythm guitarist, vocalist, and sometimes the bass.
Jasper Sharp - percussionist
Tanner Camp - Drums
Casey Higgins - Lead Guitarist
Joey Huffman - Producer/ organ, piano, keys. Partner at The Vault Recording Lounge
Kerry Denton - Drums
Bruce McColumn - Drums
Jonathan Norwood - Bass
Christian Caden - Bass
Brianna Sotillo - vocalist
Nicolas Lobaton - hip hop lyricist
Kevin Sellors - sound engineer and partner at The Vault Recording Lounge
Christian Serrano Torres Davis - Cellist
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to The Endangered Species? How long has the band been around?
We've all been in various local bands to make some easy side money. Joey Huffman is are true rock star of the group. He has been in Soul Asylum, Matchbox 20, Hank Williams Jr., Drivin N Cryin, Georgia Satellites, an engineer and musician on Cee Lo's Perfect Imperfections, toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Berry Smoke, Isaac Hayes,and so many other great artist. You can dive into his background more on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Huffman
Kerry Denton is a former drummer from Mother's Finest and current drummer for Moses Mo and the Real Cool Band.
Jonathan Norwood is the bassist for Alex Guthrie
Everyone else are very active studio musicians as well as professional musicians in the Atlanta Music scene. Really just a group of a bunch of band whores.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The Endangered Species was formed in the year 1989 by Wade and Robin Divver's parents. They revived the band name and created their version of The Endangered Species in 2009 with drummer Tanner Camp, bassist Daniel Kraguli, and their brother/ percussionist Jasper Sharp.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Wade and Robin Divver are the main song writers in the band. Tanner Camp has also been instrumental on numerous tracks in regards to helping to write drum tracks and the creation of the structure of the songs. Jasper Sharp has also lent his poetry to help write songs the band performs.
The topics of the song usually are inspired by true life experiences. Love, hate, betrayal, dissatisfaction with the government and world leaders. We intend to write lyrics that convey a message and evoke the listener to think. The concept of the band is to stand for something meaningful and to bring the masses together for the betterment of all humans and species, present and future.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
We are inspired by numerous bands. I'd say a lot of our musical interest stems from the classic rock era and 90's alternative era. Bands like Led Zeppelin have obviously impacted most bands, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sound Garden, Alice In Chains, Tool, Rage Against The Machine, Pearl Jam.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
For Wade and Robin I think the first performance that drew them together as song writers and inspired them to write and sing songs together was the Alice In Chain's MTV unplugged. For them that performance really displayed great lyrics, unique guitar riffs, and raw talent.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
Before shows we tend to just relax, jam around on our instruments a little and work on vocals warming up. Its always fun to team up and go over what we want the set list to be. Everyone in the group is different. Everyone handles the stage differently. Some people need their guitar in their hands and to do vocal stretches leading up to a group to calm the nervous energy, others may need to smoke a joint, it all depends on who you are asking.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
So far the biggest highlight of The Endangered Species is finally getting in the studio with Joey Huffman and Kevin Sellors and recording our debut self titled record. We even have vinyl copies we had made at Kinder Core Vinlyl in Athens, GA and we have a fantastic artist, Stephanie Dalton Cowan, who designed our album artwork. Just getting to work together with so many great musicians and collaborate to make something we feel is unique and special to us has been an amazing process. This is what we love to do. For musicians hearing the hard work pay off when you listen back to the tracks is very rewarding.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Black Sabbath because they are just bad ass and Ozzie is.... Ozzie. Red Hot Chili Peppers would be awesome because we are true fans of theirs and they write great music. Their records are all unique in style and sound. If you could bring Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison back to life and tour with them that would be quite a captivating experience. They were true showmen and pioneers in music.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We are honored and privileged to share our music with anyone who wants to hear it. We want to help bring music played by humans back to the forefront of the industry. We love music and the species we share the universe with. This band doesn't just represent us, its a movement for all species. To raise awareness and strive for something beyond ourselves. We promote love and compassion for one another.