Profiler - 'The Intention'

A certain famous dead English playwright once asked: What's in a name? (If you can remember which one, congratulations, you passed freshman literature.) OFF! posed that same question to the members of Cape Girardeau's The Intention, one of our favorite new bands on the scene and some of the nicest guys you'd ever wanna meet. The band has endured an identity crisis of late- performing under several names, including PBNJ (the first initials of their then members- read it out loud if you don't get it,) and, OFF!'s personal favorite- Urban Gorilla. Even now, they're not sure they're going to stick with the name they've got. "The Intention just got tossed out one day when we were thinking of possible band names," says Brad Berry, lead singer and bass player. "If you can think of a better one, let us know."

But anyway, the band was still called The Intention when OFF! sat down with the group (minus one, since Jesse McAllaster, the lead guitar player, couldn't be there and was interviewed at a later date) for a quick Q & A. And it went a little something like this:

OFF!: So, how long have you guys played together?

Brad: Since May of 2001. Me and another guy were in a studio doing a personal project, and Pete tried to sell us advertising for some reason. Then he got hooked.

OFF!: So where did Eric come in?

Pete DeLuca, drums: Actually, we stole his guitarist (Jesse).

Eric Little, keyboards, harmonica, and background vocals: Yeah, he and I were just getting started about the same time they were. That band was called Dunklin, because we lived on that street at the time.

Pete: Well, after Nate, ( their former guitarist) left, we started looking around for another guy to play rhythm guitar, and nobody really worked out. We played as a trio for a while. Together our first gig was the City of Roses. That just worked. We got a lot of compliments. City of Roses ended up being a big party.

OFF!: Yeah, I heard a lot of stories about that...

Eric: (quickly) They're not true.

OFF!: When did you guys pick up your first instruments? Have you always enjoyed making music?

Brad: I sang in church at the age of five. I took piano lessons when I was younger. My sister took piano and she taught me, and I took lessons from her regular teacher. I've played the bass for eight years.

Eric: We always had a piano in the house- one of those upright ones- and I'd always kinda play around on that. There was a lot of music at my house. My mother played flute, she was in an orchestra that traveled overseas. I never actually took lessons.

OFF!: Can you read music?

Eric: I can read my music.

Brad: I can read music like the back of my hand.

Eric: But you went to school for all that.

OFF!: Anyway, we were talking about your beginnings as musicians...

Pete: Well, I started teaching myself to play drums when I was 12. I used pillows from the bed and some wooden, round things I pulled off a train set as sticks. I had that and I watched MTV a lot. I bought my first actual set when I was 14. ( Pete's dad, Pete DeLuca Sr. was a musician as well.)

Jesse: I played the violin when I was 10, as for the guitar, I'm pretty much self-taught. My stepmom got me interested in music- actually she got my whole family into it.

OFF!: In most bands each member has a certain role or personality that distinguishes them from the other members- like there's always The Shy One, The Weird One, The Smart-Ass- who's who in this band?

Brad: I'd say Eric's the weird one.

Eric: No, I'm the visual entertainer. I jump around and bother people.

OFF!: So you'd say you're the energy?

Eric: We feed off each other's energy. But they'll say something like "Hey, go out there and dance," and I'm like, OK.

Brad: How would we describe Jesse?... well, he's an idiot in practice, but he's all business onstage.

Eric: I think that he's just that good that he doesn't even think about it. Like an idiot savant. (Jesse later admitted he's the group goofball.)

Brad: Well, what about me?

Eric: You're like the onstage leader- calling out all the songs.

Pete: What am I?

Eric: You're the foundation; hold us all together- book a lot of our stuff.

OFF!: Musical influences?

Jesse: Mostly rock- Alice In Chains, Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Brad: I like rock, but also stuff like Gershwin.

Eric: I've got more of a hip hop, R&B, soul back ground, and Pete's got more of a jazz.

Pete: Yep.

Off!: So what kind of a band would you say that makes?

Brad: Right now we're more of a cover band, but we're taking some time to write our own stuff.

OFF!: So who's out right now that you'd say you sound the most like?

Brad: You mean a real band?

OFF!: Well you guys are a real band!

Brad: I'd say Train, but we have a huge variety- rock blues, punk, eighties- we're diversified.

OFF! One last question- where are you guys playing next?

Pete: We're playing January 25 at Rude Dog, and February 1 at Lil' Nicky's in St. Louis.