Interview: Old Man Markley talk origins and how they ended up on Fat Wreck Chords

On Episode #101 “Loud Fast and Shitty” talk with the darlings of bluegrass/punk, Old Man Markley. The 8 piece band from California recently had their debut record chart at #8 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Charts. The radio show caught up with them on their Orlando, Florida tour stop with NOFX, Bouncing Souls and Cobra Skulls…

Among the topics discussed was the band’s origins, which started early with punk rock. Singer John Carey and upright/washtub bassist Joey “Balls” Garibaldi moonlight in the seminal punk rock institution, Youth Brigade. Washboard player Ryan Markley and Mandolin player Alex Zablotsky played together in the Los Angeles based band, Angel City Outcasts. Mix those musicians and their influences together with the traditional banjo pickin’ of John Rosen and the down home fiddle playing from Katie Weed, and you have the makings of Old Man Markley. Annie DeTemple, who already had a musical background and is now married to John Carey, learned to play the Autoharp specifically for Old Man Markley. Her father, Michael DeTemple was part of the legendary Flying Burrito Brothers.

An encounter with Fat Mike (NOFX/Fat WreckChords) on the road with Youth Brigade led to the interest in signing Old Man Markley to Fat. Before that, three of the members of Old Man Markley supported themselves by working at Michael DeTemple’s custom guitar shop. John Carey, who is a luthier by trade even helped design and build Joey Garibaldi’s trademark washtub upright bass. Alex Zablotsky, who does all of the OMM artwork, worked for the animation company that does The Simpsons and Family Guy. Katie Weed, who recently graduated from film school, now does all of the official YouTube tour videos of Old Man Markley.

Download/Listen/Subscribe to www.loudfastshitty.com to hear the complete interviews from Singer/Guitarist John Carey and Banjo player John Rosen on Episode #101.

Also included in the podcast are two tracks from Old Man Markley (“Running Weight” and “Letterman”) as well as bonus tracks of other OMM member’s previous bands Angel City Outcasts and Blue Collar Special.