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April 2010, Spotlight33
Secret Agent T
Angela gets Secret Agent T to talk.
The original Secret Agent T was formed six years ago by Andrew Hassler (bass) and Joseph Gearheart (guitar/vocals). Originally inspired by the minimalist rock movement, the original Secret Agent T set out with the goal of pushing the boundaries of what a two-person band could accomplish. After several shows and an EP entitled Fill The Bucket, the duo took a hiatus for several months, during which Andrew and Joseph busied themselves studying at their respective schools. During this hiatus Joseph was lucky enough to stumble upon drummer David Hopkins, completing the line-up and prompting a reformation as a power trio.
After several years of honing their craft in basements and bars, Secret Agent T has become a force of pure rock and roll to be reckoned with. Their debut EP At the Tone was released in mid-February 2010. Recorded with Lexington, Virginia producer Jeremy Leadbetter with additional input from Hassler, At the Tone captures the nuances of Secret Agent T's explosive live presence. With Gearheart's raunchy, buzz-saw guitars and a rhythm section with enough raw power to put an atomic bomb to shame, At the Tone proves to be one of the dirtiest, loudest, and most ass-kicking rock albums you'll hear this year.
33: How did your band Secret Agent T form?
Joseph: I had been playing in a four piece in high school, and we were around four months and that fell through. We were pretty much bored and just Andrew and myself played and we called it Secret Agent T and then David joined. David and Joseph went to Radford together. We all studied music.
33: What made you decide to make music?
Andrew: I chose music because I was in a four story building, and the music department was on the bottom floor and English was on the top, and it was a hot day.
33: Where did you come up with the name Secret Agent T?
A: I found it on an old thermos from the 70s.
33: Do you guys have any albums out, and if so where can they be bought?
SAT: At The Tone is the latest album. Contact us on MySpace or Facebook or come to a show.
33: What other musicians have you worked with?
SAT: Nobody that anyone would know.
33: Do you guys plan on playing with any other local bands in the area?
SAT: We keep trying to.
33: What are your musical influences?
SAT: Radiohead, the Pixies, the Beatles, King Crimson, electronica, hip-hop stuff, Run-DMC, 90s alternative stuff.
33: Are you guys from Harrisonburg?
SAT: Not originally from here.
33: What made you choose rock 'n' roll?
SAT: Never tried anything else. I don't think we could play anything else and be okay with it.
33: Have you guys played instruments your whole life?
A & J: Didn't start playing until 8th grade.
David: I took piano lessons. My first drum kit was a Smurf.
33: Have you guys ever played at any festivals?
SAT: No, not yet.
33: Do you guys write your own lyrics? If so, who is the songwriter of the band?
A: Joseph does it.
J: David and I collaborate.
33: What can you tell your fans who would also like to be musicians?
A: Listen to everything as much as possible.
J: Abstinence is the best policy.
D: Have people that you admire, but follow your own path, create instead of just mimic.
33: Do you have a message for your fans?
SAT: Take everything we say with a grain of salt.
Angela was born in Waynesboro, Virginia. She has since lived in Townsend, Tennessee, and Stuarts Draft, Virginia. She can be a very interesting person to get to know. She is much like a book, you have to open the cover to get to her many talents and qualities that are hidden in her pages. Her love for music came when she played drums in a band as a teenager. She always loved every genre of music. She also has a passion for photography, poetry, blogging and writing. She enlisted in the army in 2004 and is a Persian Gulf War veteran. She recently attended Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center and became Student Government Association President. She was editor of the SGA newsletter Old Ragtime News and worked in the Marketing Department at WWRC on the 2008 Annual Report. Recently she achieved a certificate in Web Design and has started her own business, Fine Designs & Creative Works. You can find her online on Facebook, and numerous other sites.