MANKATO — Time may have changed what the Rain Kings band drinks before a show, and also what time they go to bed after one. But its effect on the music has been less calming.

After more than a decade playing together in another form — ILL-Gotten Booty — the band has gone in a new and fresh direction, performing now as the Rain Kings and experimenting with new sounds.

The band, about a year old now, consists of Clint Eaton on guitar, vocals and harmonica; Scott Helgerson on guitar, vocals and piano; Jason Olson on stand-up bass, guitar and vocals; and Gregory Lee Spear, on guitar and vocals.

Catch them at a variety of places in the area. To keep up on shows, visit www.rainkings.net.

Here’s more about the band from Spear.



Q: Tell us a little bit about your band. What’s your sound like? What genre of music would you say it fits into?

A: Like the bio on the website states, we are a musical evolution of ILL-Gotten Booty (IGB). We scaled it down to an all acoustic Americana/blues band (with a hint of old-school country).

After 13 years as a rock band in southern Minnesota, it was time to venture into something new and fresh. The live music climate changed drastically around us over that time, and we found that in order to continue to perform the music we wanted to play, something had to give.

So, we changed the music style and changed the name but kept the essence of what being in a band is all about: having fun and creating good music. If you are lucky enough to have people want to spend their time at a show and you get paid at the end of the night, it’s even better!

Like many other acoustic acts, we’ve taken some of our more fan-favorite cover songs and originals from the IGB days and changed the arrangements to make something new out of them. And, of course, we have added many new songs to the repertoire.



Q: Do you play original material or covers? A mix of both?

A: At the moment it’s a mix of both, leaning more heavily toward the cover side.



Q: When you write music, what’s your inspiration? Political? Observational? Spiritual?

A: We certainly are not political. Perhaps a few of our originals come from observing something, but I think most of our original songs come out of some experience one of us has had at some point in our lives. The most obvious is from the trials and tribulations of relationships.

 

Q: Does your band have a signature song? Something your fans have to hear at every show? If so, how did that come to be?

A: I believe we do have a signature song. I’m not sure if our fans want to hear it at every show, but it is the source of the band name. The song is “Rain King” by the Counting Crows which was taken from the novel “Henderson and the Rain King” by Saul Bellow, which I have yet to read. Scott has an original 1959 copy.



Q: When you cover, how do you choose songs for your repertoire?

A: If we like the song and if we feel we can come up with a great arrangement, then we add it to the list. Of course, there are times when we go through all the work and then look at each other after the first time we play it and we never play it again. That’s one of those “oh well” moments.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like?

A: Almost every night is a good night. Some start off a bit shaky, but we recover (and vice versa). When you can see the audience actually engaged in a song we are playing, either by singing along or just watching us, that is a good night. You know for that moment you have their full attention.

 

Q: What do you love about performing?

A: I can’t speak for the rest of the guys on this one because it’s such a personal experience, but for me it’s all about the music and evoking an emotion out of people. That is a great feeling.



Q: Who are some of your influences?

A: That is a very large list. Counting Crows, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Ryan Adams, Keb Mo’, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Allman Brothers, Robert Johnson , James Taylor, etc.



Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?

A: While it would be a great honor to make the cover, I don’t believe we would want to be compared to anybody else. Being in the same genre as “xyz” or even influenced by “xyz” is fine, but I don’t think people would want to hear or see another “xyz.”



Q: How do you unwind after a show?

A: Well, back in the day it was a shot of cocaine and snort of whiskey. Now, we just pack up the guitars and go home. It must having something to do with age at this point. I just can’t put my finger on it. (Insert smiley face here.)

 

Q: Any interesting band rituals?

A: Tequila was once the shot of choice prior to starting the show, but again, the age thing has crept up on us. We’re typically still tuning guitars when it’s time to start. We do bring a lot of them to a Rain Kings show!!