By Noe Gutierrez
The name “The CMFs” may be more agreeable to some ears than The Classy Mother Fu?kers but the sound they generate and demeanor they represent is unaffected. The CMFs will be performing on Friday 2/15 at The Hood, Saturday 3/2 at Record Alley and Saturday 3/30 at SoCal Psycheout. Coachella Valley Weekly sat down with The CMFs to get us up to date on all the happenings.
CVW: Please remind us of the band members and their duties.
The CMFs: “We have Joseph Vaughan on vocals and guitar duties. Jasyn Smith on the drums. And last but not least, Matt King on bass.”
CVW: I know Matt is the newest M’fer. How did you connect with him and how has he meshed as a bass player?
The CMFs: “Matt has been a great addition to the band, giving us a new level of stage presence and incorporating his own style into the music has been fun to watch. The connection was quick and easy for the most part. At some of the earliest practices, we were able to just go-off into a 15-minute jam with him and build from it. There’s definitely a lot of potential with this lineup, and we look forward with what’s to come.”
CVW: You were known as The Classy Mother Fu?kers at one point and abbreviated it to the more palatable “The CMFs”. Despite the name change, has anything else changed in the band concerning your attitude towards the music and your energy?
The CMFs: “We are still known as The Classy Mother Fu?kers, as we’ve only initialized the name in order to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. As we continue to take advantage of these opportunities, our energy has definitely grown and thrived as a band, on stage especially. However, our attitude towards our music has stayed fairly the same on most levels, as we are still as hungry as ever, and continue to strive to perfect our arts respectively and as a whole.”
CVW: So how weird is it that a computer named your band?
The CMFs: “We tend not to give the name of a band too much importance, rather relying on the music itself to make the name important, if that makes sense. Ultimately it was our decision what the name of the band would be, our computer just made it a bit easier for us, Ha Ha!”
CVW: Who I Once Was has so many idiosyncratic sounds that I can attribute to your influences like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and a number of Blues artists. How have you developed that identity to encompass so many sounds?
The CMFs: “When we begin writing a song, it most times starts off as a jam of sorts or something Joseph fiddled around with while practicing. Our music tastes all vary a decent bit with obvious influences across many bands and artists from the 60’s and 70’s. Once the music begins evolving, we try our best to make it as unique as possible, with the thought of, ‘how do I make this sound like all the artists people love but keep it complete original? If that makes any sense.”
CVW: Desert Hot Springs is your home base. What are you proud of in regards to DHS and the Coachella Valley as a whole?
The CMFs: “It’s definitely a great feeling to be from a city and valley with such great and diverse musical talent. Being surrounded by so many talented musicians constantly keeps you striving to be bigger and better than you are. And whether you’re looking for Pop, Rock, Metal, Country, Rap, you can find something for anyone here if you look in the right places. You don’t find that everywhere these days.”
CVW: By the time this article appears you’ll have competed in Round 3 of the ‘CV Music Showcase’ competition. Why are events like this so important?
The CMFs: “Competitions are important because they are a great way to grow and build experience as a band. It’s a great opportunity to learn from what other bands do as well as from insights, tips, and critiques some judges give. Competitions are also one of the best ways to get good exposure. Playing in front of industry professionals, other bands, and the crowds they have drawn in is a great way to make new fans.”
CVW: You have some pretty cool shows coming up on 2/15 at The Hood, 3/2 at The Record Alley and SoCal Psycheout on 3/30. Tell us more about the events and how they came to be.
The CMFs: “All three of these shows are very cool in their own way, and we’re excited to be sharing the stage with so many great acts in the coming month. This weekend at The Hood we’ll be playing the ‘Anti-Valentine Show!’ with Ormus and Sleazy Cortez. Two kick-ass bands we’ve had the pleasure to play with and get to know fairly often lately. Socal Psycheout is a three-day music and arts festival, just outside Pioneertown at Garth’s Boulder Gardens. A beautiful backdrop for a stacked line-up of great bands and artists of all kinds to showcase their talents, so be sure to get your tickets while you can! Finally, our show at Record Alley in the Westfield Palm Desert on March 2nd actually came to be through Matt’s good relationship with the store and it’s owners, Jim and Shelley Stephens. We’ve all shopped there for years, but Matt probably most of all, and so he secured us a spot to play. We’ve always wanted to play at our local record shop so we’re definitely looking forward to putting on a great performance for everyone in the mall!”
CVW: What’s on the horizon for The CMFs?
The CMFs: “We hope to continue in mastering our craft and playing shows in as many new places as possible. Building a store for our fans will definitely be a main focus of ours. Then, we hope to gear-up and prepare to hit the road and spread our tunes as far as we can go. As always, be on the lookout for new music, there will be much more to come!”
CVW: When will new The CMFs music be released?
The CMFs: “We don’t have a date confirmed for new music yet, but it is in the works. Be sure to stay tuned in to our social media pages for more information and updates about new and upcoming projects!”
CVW: Give us your take on the Desert Music Scene.
The CMFs: “The music out here in the valley has definitely changed quite a bit in the last 5 years we’ve been performing. From the spectrum of genres and talent that have emerged in just the last year and a half alone is profound. We’ve performed with well over half the majority of the local bands and artists with the skill and talent raising every time we see them again. It’s just a shame the valley’s venues are so limited.”
CVW: Where can we find The CMFs music?
The CMFs: “You can find us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Soundcloud @TheCMFs for all information, shows and music. Stay tuned for more news and updates!”
Upcoming shows:
2/15 – The Hood – Palm Desert, CA
3/2 – Record Alley – Palm Desert, CA
3/30 – SoCal Psycheout – Pioneertown, CA
