Adjustable Mustard is a Nashville-based psych-rock band with an interesting and inspiring backstory. The band emerged out of Auburn, Alabama’s small but colorful music scene in 2016 after a chance meeting between vocalist Katie Pitts and guitarist Will White, who found an immediate musical connection.
Other players were added to the mix to complete the band. Bassist King Townie and Galen Hagerty joined up, and the project was given the name Adjustable Mustard, a nod to the genius of Alabama-born songwriter Reverend Fred Lane and “an attempt to convey the adjustability of ALL mustard; the absolute interconnectivity of us all.”
Slopadelic Funkagoose drummer Jess Lee joined the band, too, as well as keyboardist Michael “Peterbilt” Whelan, and they constantly rehearsed to develop an EP’s worth of material. They entered the studio in the spring of 2017 with producer Wade Allen, but tragedy struck, and things fell apart. They completed an EP called Whatever’s Clever and then played a string of shows with various hasty lineup changes before the band disbanded later that year.
Whatever’s Clever was more or less shelved for more than seven years, and the band tells me it’s taken nearly that long for them to understand what it is they actually recorded. On Spotify, the release date is marked as 2017, but the band tells me this is a somewhat “new” EP because Adjustable Mustard is back together again. We’re getting the band back together!
Will White tells me in an email, “Katie and I are both extremely proud to present this album to you now, and we look forward to sharing this next stage of our musical journey with you all. Look for new music very soon.”
It’s always good to see musicians persist in the face of obstacles to their creativity and not give up the good fight. So, with that, check out what Adjustable Mustard has to offer. The band being based in Nashville was also an attraction for me since I now live in Music City’s metropolitan area.
Whatever’s Clever consists of five songs with a total runtime of nineteen minutes, giving us a preview of the past and future of the band. Much of the music has a vintage psychedelic sound, including the opener “You Cheated You Lied.” Katie Pitts’ vocals could be compared to other classic psych female singers, bringing a major bluesy vibe.
“Runaway” offers us a bit of guitar funk and a solid groove. The band is tight! The funk is what you’d expect from most soul-based rock ‘n roll, and it gave me strong John Frusciante vibes. Like “You Cheated You Lied,” “Runaway” also covers blues rock themes in the lyrical content. Cheating, lying, running away from home – it’s all in the wheelhouse of classic rock ‘n roll.
“Take Me There” is the shortest track at just over two minutes. You’ll be transported back to the Sixties between the guitar groove and the keyboards. I was picturing Deadheads and dancing bears with this song. It’s followed by the longest song, “On Down The Road,” a more melancholy tune.
“Don’t Even Know Your Name” sends us off on a high note, a high-energy funkadelic romp that probably sounds incredible live. It will get you moving, tapping your feet, and nodding your head.
Cheers to Adjustable Mustard. Life is hard enough, and some of us give up on our dreams sometimes, whether that’s in starting a band or writing our next novel. This Nashville-based band is sticking with it. Check out Whatever’s Clever, an EP seven years in the making, and stay tuned to Adjustable Mustard’s social pages to see what they come up with next.
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