WANT TO GO?

Sundown with Love Wolf

WHEN: 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22

WHERE: The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St.

COST: $5

INFO: 304-345-3914 or www.facebook.com/thisissundown

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --  On Thursday night, the Columbus-based "psych-folk" rock band Sundown plays The Empty Glass. In advance of the show, the gazz caught up with guitarist and Charleston-area native Dustin White to learn more about the band, its recently released debut album and his thoughts on hailing from the Mountain State.

Q: Sundown just released its debut LP, "Mansion Burning." What's the response been like, and how excited are you for people to hear it?

A:"'Mansion Burning' is basically a document of us figuring out what it is we do. We hadn't played live yet. It was really intended just to be a demo, that's why we released it on cassette, as a nod to that. We just released it on [Friday, Sept. 16], so I have no idea what the public response is yet, but what little feedback I have had has been frighteningly positive."

Q: You're a Hurricane native, right? How excited are you to bring Sundown to the Empty Glass?

A:"I'm excited to play Charleston; I haven't played there since [I was with] Apart From The Projector in 2000. I've played some of the weirdest and some of the most life-changing shows in Charleston -- in karate studios, flea markets, churches, trailers, living rooms, VFW halls, coffee shops, stairwells and everywhere in between.

"The all-ages scene that I was lucky enough to participate in growing up here was monstrous -- 100-plus kids at a storefront in Nitro every weekend. It seems ludicrously impossible.

"I'm excited to play the Glass. I've always loved the place. When I was underage, I snuck in there to see Hasil Adkins, Jesco White and Mojo Nixon!

"I've never tried to hide the fact that I'm from West Virginia. A lot of people try to hide their history with whatever character they've invented when they move to the 'big city' but that has never really interested me.

"When we were on tour in Europe, I was constantly drunkenly rambling about Appalachia. People would want to talk about New York City or Los Angeles. Those cities are amazing, but all mega cities are incredibly similar. There is no Boone County in France. That was what I was trying to stress to them is to go see those places.

"Due to my pro-Appalachia rhetoric on that tour, our driver watched 'Harlan County, U.S.A.' and had his mind blown. He had no idea that existed and much less had been documented.

"I'm also just as excited to get a Dottie at Tudor's."

Q: You were described in a recent interview as a "talented weirdo." Are you cool with that?

A:"I am beyond cool with that. I should just make a business card that says that."

Q: What's the songwriting chemistry like with co-founder TK Webb, and what did working the soundboard with Columbus indie band Times New Viking bring to Sundown's sound?

A: "Initially I was going to help TK record some songs. Things changed completely though when TK and I actually got together. It just immediately made sense that this should be a band and not just another TK Webb-and-band scenario.

"The two of us have been at this a long time and share a lot of the same vocabulary. We both lived through late '90s indie rock firsthand and watched as the now dreaded 'e word' [emo] changed from something interesting and vital to the worst nonsense I have ever heard. To go from that point to where we both are now is really interesting, especially because we both are blessed with serious bulls--- detectors.

"In summation we work amazingly well together. When it ends up just the two of us cranking out something that sounds like Suicide and Springsteen jamming, it doesn't surprise or confuse either of us. Somehow it makes more sense to us than if we painted between the lines more.

"Working with Times New Viking, especially recording 'Dancer Equired,' has been amazing for me. I've been traveling around the world with some of my best friends who just happen to make amazing music. It happened, too, right as my last band kind of hit the pause button.

"The biggest thing I've taken from working with them to this is just a sense of immediacy. Good instincts will get more done than anything else, and theirs are spot on usually. I overthink things. I know this. So seeing them just constantly moving was something I picked up on."

Q: You've been in a lot of bands. What's it like being in a brand new one like Sundown?

A:"After my last project, Moons, went on hold, I haven't had a 'band.' Fortunately I started working with Times New Viking just as that happened, and there hasn't been a real lull in that.

"Times New Viking are taking a little time off the road for now, so I can pursue this without worry. I feel beyond excited about what we are doing. Everything has just lined up in this really amazing way for us.

"We are seriously brand new. As of right now we have played live five times, and two of those were yesterday! There are more songs being written than we can learn. It all just feels really good."