A Review Of “Push Away” By THEM GUYS

A Review Of “Push Away” By THEM GUYS
Written by Annie Schlottman

Let me start by saying how fortunate I feel to have found this awesome band, THEM GUYS.  I live in Pennsylvania, but about a year and a half ago I started developing connections with a lot of bands on the Gulf Coast, especially Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.  THEM GUYS became one of those bands.  I quickly realized how special they are.  Not only are they a fantastic rock band, they are also some of the nicest people in the Gulf Coast music scene. They support other bands and are amazing with their fans.  People are drawn to their magnetism, which makes their shows spectacular.

THEM GUYS is a band from South Louisiana made up of four friends who are more like brothers and have the same music vision. The band includes:  Nick Oubre (lead vocals/rhythm guitar); Anthony Green (lead guitar/backing vocals); John Waguespack (bass/backing vocals); and Chet Tabor (drums/percussion/backing vocals). The band formed in 2019 and was originally going to be a Chevelle tribute band, but because of COVID they shifted their focus to creating original music.  In 2020 THEM GUYS released their first studio album, All A Dream, courtesy of OCD Recording and Productions.  The second album, Insomnious, came out in 2022, also via OCD.

Recently, THEM GUYS have been focusing primarily on live shows.  The band joined forces with Pro Audio Video & Security, LLC. in 2022, and MASSIVE MEDIA MS in November 2022.  Ross Johnson was added as producer/sound man, and Benjamin Kliebert became the light man for the band.

The amazing support of THEM GUYS fans is highlighted in a story Chet Tabor tells.  “We met our great friends David and Erin Pesquie at Battlefield Bar when we opened for Flaw.  It was our first show as an original band. Ever since then, they have become family.  We do some holidays together, they make it to the majority of our shows, and they support us in the most adamant ways possible. An interesting thing is when we played at 19th Hole Grill and Bar in The Woodlands, Texas, which was about five and a half hours away from home. We were standing outside waiting to go on stage, and here comes a car with Louisiana plates pulling into the parking lot.  Low and behold, David and Erin got out of the car after driving at least six hours to come to our show and support us.  Our minds were blown!”

THEM GUYS recently released a great new song, “Push Away”, with a music video to go along with it. This is the first track being released off the band’s upcoming third studio album, Delusions, and if it’s any indication, fans of THEM GUYS are in for a real treat when the album drops. Click HERE to listen to "Push Away" on Spotify.

The song-writing process for THEM GUYS is the same as it has always been.  Basically, Nick writes the lyrics, and the whole band writes the musical elements of the songs together. The main difference now is that Ross Johnson is producing the music and helping the band find that next level of greatness.  Right from the start of “Push Away”, that funky guitar riff catches your attention.  Nick’s vocals in the verses are hard but somehow melodic, too.  The singing kicks in for the pre-chorus and the chorus, and the vocals combine harmoniously.  The guitars are thunderous and the drums and bass combine to create a headbanging rhythm.  There is a stellar guitar solo by Anthony in the bridge!  I really like this song.  It seems to be a different direction for THEM GUYS from their previous work, and I’m excited to hear the rest of the music they’re creating for the upcoming album!

“Push Away” is a song about dealing with anxiety and distancing yourself from your problems, and sometimes, from everyday life in general.  The lyrics reflect what goes on inside your head when you are trying to escape from the problems and anxiety – almost like what you’d be saying to yourself in that situation.

What can I say about the video for “Push Away”?  It’s awesome! It truly reflects the electric energy THEM GUYS brings to the stage during their live performances. The lighting and ambience are spectacular.  The band credits director and editor Nick Miller of JNickMiller Productions for his “incredible work” on the video.  They say he exceeded their expectations by miles.  Ross Johnson came in at the last minute, dialed in the lighting, and turned the video into something the band couldn’t have even dreamed of.  Gene Broome from Spade Image helped also.  Chet says Gene always goes above and beyond for the band, and they can’t thank him enough.  They appreciate Dustin Lanier from Awaken The Giant, who allowed the band to use his studio to film the video. Alex Carr from NVSN helped out setting up scenery, and Dustin’s bandmate Mike Yorks was also on hand to offer support. There were so many people who came together to make the video shoot an awesome experience, and you can see that from the professionalism of the final product. It’s just a really fun video to watch.

The entire upcoming Delusions album is written, but there is no set release date yet.  The band is working hard to get it out to their adoring fans.  Meanwhile, THEM GUYS have several upcoming shows:

Saturday, July 1 – Hurricanes Sports Bar in Metaire, LA
Saturday, July 22 – The Sound 228 Dirty Thirty Fest at The Juke Joint in Ocean Springs, MS
Saturday, August 12 – Hometown Throwdown Music Fest ’23 at Warren J. Harang,Jr. Municipal Auditorium in Thibodaux, LA
Saturday, August 26 – Hollywoods Bar in Napoleonville, LA

THEM GUYS can be found on Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, and the band's website.