We’ve all exaggerated a little bit when it comes to our skills on a resume, and maybe even in job interviews pushed the truth a bit, but knew that if given a chance the job would get done if you could just get in there. Jared Hampton from LANCO can relate, because that’s what he did. When Jared was first introduced to Brandon Lancaster, and by future fellow LANCO band mate Eric Steedly, he knew that he could make it in the band if he was just given a chance…even if he didn’t play the instrument they were looking for. Jared recalls that Eric “knew that I played music, and he’s like, ‘hey man, one of my friends needs a guy that plays pedal steel.’ I was like, ‘you know what, I don’t play pedal steel but I think I could weasel my way in there.'” LANCO lead singer Brandon remembers it different, “”That’s what he said in his mind…to us he said, ‘yeah, I play pedal steel.'” Drummer Tripp Howell recalls the first practice that Jared came too, “He showed up the very first day with every instrument but the pedal steel. And we were like, ‘where is that, man? I thought you played pedal steel?'” Jared had an out though, he claimed to have forgotten the guitar in his parents basement, but was also pretty confident in his other musical abilities, “I was like, you know what, maybe I’ll just play keys. (laugh) And it worked!” The mystery of the missing pedal steel guitar wouldn’t rest though, as the friendship between band mates grew, they all visited Jared’s parents house, where Tripp discovered the truth, “we’ve been to that basement, and there ain’t no pedal steel.” A fact LANCO bassist Chandler Baldwin verified, “”I searched pretty hard for it when we went there and I saw no pedal steel.” Finally Jared fessed up, “Yeah, there is no pedal steel.” Seems like Jared and his fellow LANCO bandmates are doing pretty good these days with their single “Greatest Love Story”–and still no pedal steel guitar to be found.
Jared from LANCO explains how he got into the band with the help of a musical instrument he didn’t have, or couldn’t play. (:43)
Jared: “He (Eric Steedly) knew that I played music, and he’s like, ‘hey man, one of my friends needs a guy that plays pedal steel.’ I was like, ‘you know what, I don’t play pedal steel but I think I could weasel my way in there.'”
Brandon: “That’s what he said in his mind.”
Jared: “Yeah, I didn’t say that actually.”
Brandon: “To us he said, ‘yeah, I play pedal steel'”
Jared: “And then I was like, you know what, maybe I’ll just play keys. (laugh) And it worked!”
Tripp: “He showed up the very first day with every instrument but the pedal steel. And we were like, ‘where is that, man? I thought you played pedal steel?'”
Jared: “Famous line is ‘it’s in my mom’s basement.'”
Tripp: “Yeah, ‘it’s in my parent’s basement'”
Jared: “Parent’s basement”
Tripp: “And we’ve been to that basement, and there ain’t no pedal steel.”
Chandler: “I searched pretty hard for it when we went there and I saw no pedal steel.”
Jared: “Yeah, there is no pedal steel”