The Letmedowns

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

originally published September 17, 2008

"I know for a fact that I've let everybody down in my life I've ever come in contact with," says The Letmedowns singer Chris Nix. Frankly, it's hard to tell if he's joking. The lyrically driven tracks on his new release The First to Leave do in fact weave a tale of regret, frustration and failure. When Nix first penned these tunes five years ago, he never thought anyone would really hear them. It was meant to be an emotional release - a solo acoustic project to help him vent during a time of disillusionment with marriage. When the tracks finally made it on to the record, enhanced and altered by his eclectic bandmates, his wife had left him.

All of a sudden the hurt in those five-year-old songs rang with more truth than ever. "People said, 'Damn! You saw it coming, didn't you?'" Nix laughs. Maybe it's a nervous laughter, or maybe he just appreciates the irony of his band's name and his situation, but it does seem like The First to Leave has been a cathartic project for him.

This is by far Nix's most personal songwriting to date. His old power-pop band 6X9 was motivated mostly by "free beer and partying," but Nix and his current bandmates have done a lot of growing up since then, and the events of the past five years have made him re-focus his creative efforts.

Musically The Letmedowns are a puzzling conglomeration. Fellow 6X9 band member Mick Payne is on the drums, while former punk rockers Dom Totino is on bass, and Mike Nickerson lends vocals and guitar.

While Nix is influenced by bands like The Weakerthans, Bright Eyes and Neutral Milk Hotel, he's surrounded by metal heads and punk energy. He insists that despite the seemingly incongruous union of powerpop and punk, the band rarely butts heads.

When Nix first presented his tunes to the rest of the group, the tracks were completely finished, but as soon as his bandmates started contributing parts, the tracks evolved into something very different.

"Mike and Dom... really pushed it in a lot harder direction, and live we're even harder than we are on that CD," he says. "The songs were originally sort of a folky little psychedelic thing, and the punk attitude was brought back to it - thankfully, because the anger has built up harder than it was when we were recording. I'm glad to have that outlet now - to be able to just point at people, and scream and say 'Look, if you really, really listen you'll learn how not to fuck up your life.'"

Perhaps what is most striking about The Letmedowns' sound is Nix's unique vocals. His influences ring clearly in his thin, slightly nasal tones. It's a distinctive voice that fans of bands like The Mountain Goats will find endearing.

"I'm a terrible vocalist; I feel that myself," says Nix. "I just couldn't give my words to anybody else any more."

As a veteran of the Athens music scene, Nix is looking forward to his first show on the new and improved upstairs Tasty World stage. The Letmedowns' last gig at Tasty World, supporting Music Hates You, was in fact the last show ever played on the downstairs stage.

"My first show at Tasty World [with 6x9] was when they had that little bitty stage across from the bar, and people were throwing darts while we were playing. We've seen Tasty World through all its little incarnations, no doubt."

And Athens will soon see Nix continue to develop and grow through his various incarnations. The Letmedowns plan on returning to the studio next month to record two new songs. He feels like the record came out a little too polished-sounding and hopes to amend that on the new tracks. "We're looking to let some of the more edgier sound into the next recording." Look for a 7-inch featuring those two new songs to be released later this year.

Of course, as Nix seems to be living a self-fulfilling prophecy, with a name like The Letmedowns it's uncertain what the future might really hold.

"We always make the joke that if people don't like us, well, we warned you up front!"

Michelle Gilzenrat

WHO: The Letmedowns, Suburban Soul, Scarlet Snow, Zelazowa
WHERE: Tasty World
WHEN: Wednesday, Sept. 17
HOW MUCH: $5