Coming off of an awesome week at Austin’s SXSW, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are traveling across the U.S throughout April & May in support of their debut album Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!. Revolt’s Evelyn Miska was able to catch up with the band for a Q&A Session.

Revolt: What are your hopes for the album, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!?
BJL: It’s the first album so I hope people buy it all over the world, and from there, maybe go intergalactic.

Revolt: You worked with Jim Eno (Spoon) while recording the album. How did you get to know him and what was the experience working with him like?
BJL: I met him on tour with Spoon. He wanted us to come into his studio to record “Gunpowder” and the session was great. He really gets our sound, and did a great job on the new album. Without him, it wouldn’t have happened.

Revolt: What are you most proud of about Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!?
BJL: It got on a great label that will be able to get our music to people everywhere. Hopefully, it will get tons of people to come out to shows. Our live set is really what we are all about.

Revolt: You’ve been playing lots of shows for the past couple of months. What are you looking forward to on the tour? What aspects of touring don’t you like? Do you have plans to tour more extensively across the U.S. in support of your album in the near future?
BJL: We are going to do some shows with Robert Randolph and Lucero, which we are really looking forward to. Cramming into a van for hours can be a bitch, but I like getting to see the landscape of the US, the west coast especially because you see it change from forests, to mountains, to deserts as you go. Hopefully, we can bring our show all over. It would be great to go to Europe or Australia or something.

Revolt: You were named as one of the ten bands expected to break out at this year’s SXSW and you generated a huge buzz. Do those sorts of proclamations make the experience any more exciting or anxiety-provoking?
BJL: It’s flattering to get that kind attention. It’s always more exciting when more people are at the shows.

Revolt: What is the best part of being part of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears at this moment? What is the most difficult aspect?
BJL: The best part is going on the road and playing the shows. The most difficult part is probably our bass player’s snoring.

Revolt: While most bands want to be known for doing something original, every musician has likely been influenced by another band or artist. Who has been your biggest influence or what band/musician do you most admire?
BJL: Jimi Hendrix. He changed the game completely. It would be impossible for any one person to do what he did for music again.

Revolt: What do you think are some of the most interesting trends in music right now? Is there any particular band or musician whose recent work you’ve gotten excited about? Are there any forthcoming albums you’re particularly psyched to hear?BJL: I’m kind of out of the loop. I’ve been recently discovering the beauty of Yacht Rock, such as Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Toto, Steely Dan, and Christopher Cross. I know what you’re thinking, so don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it.

Revolt: Finally, what prompted you to choose “Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears” as your group name?
BJL: Well, I’m black, and my name’s Joe Lewis. As for the band name, the Honeybears always get what they want. Especially honey.

Band’s MySpace