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www.myspace.com/theselmanaires 
Their theme song pretty much says it all: “The Selmanaires are really awesome. The Selmanaires are going to rock.” Perhaps the sentiment is slightly conceited, but the delivery is nothing but endearing. Melodic three-piece The Selmanaires do rock, and in more ways than one. Their eclectic record and live show range from gentle and charming, to dance party punk, executing all realms of catchyness masterfully.
Comprised of twins Herb and Jason Harris and bassist Tommy Chung, The Selmanaires' popularity has soared since they first came together on 73 Selman Street six years ago. Their record “Here Come The Selmanaires” (International Hits) topped local store Criminal Record’s best selling albums list for several weeks, and they continue to draw packed crowds across the city. Their sucess has been matched outside of Atlanta as well, with shows supporting such national acts as Radio 4 , Jason Molina (of Magnolia Electric Company/Songs Ohia), La Pieta, The Makeout Room, and the Dresden Dolls . At South by Southwest last year, The Selmanaires joined such acts as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Black Heart Procession among others at Chunklet Magazine's showcase.
AMG had a chat with Tommy Chung about the band's history and his possible kung fu skills.
AMG: We know your band name came from the house address where you first fomed…but having carried this band name for a bit, have you done any research into who/what Selman is/was ?
CHUNG: Unfortunately, we have no idea who or what Selman is. I wouldn't say that we chose the name arbitrarily, because 73 Selman Street is where we became friends and started playing music together. That particular house had a special energy to it.
Did Herb and Jason and grow up playing music together? Had they been in band previous to The Selmanaires?
I don't think Herb and Jason started playing music until high school. Herb played trombone in his school's band for a little while. While living in North Carolina in their teens, Herb got a bass and bass amp, Jason got a drum kit (the same one that he plays today), and they were in a couple of punk-rock bands. They were in a band called Triple Crown for a little while, and actually played a few out-of-town shows. I've been in a ton of bands over the last seventeen years, but none that you've ever heard of.
Brothers in bands are usually a notoriously bad combination- has sibling rivalry ever been a factor here?
I don't think sibling rivalry is a factor at all. If anything, I think being brothers (twin brothers in particular) has worked to their/our advantage. A lot of times when we're working on a new song, it's as if they don't even need to talk about the parts or chord changes. They seem to know and understand what the other is thinking before it's even stated. After playing music with them for five years, I feel like I'm in on the telepathic communication too. They both have solo projects, but they're so different in nature, I don't even think you can compare them.
We like the "Kung Fu" sticker on your bass...do you have any kung fu abilities, and if so, how do you apply them to rock 'n' roll?
I have never studied kung fu. However, I did take the Korean martial art Tae Kwon Do when I was younger, and I was pretty obsessed with Hong Kong action movies in my late teens and early twenties. I'm thirty now, and I hardly ever watch kung fu movies anymore, though I do enjoy them from time to time. I've been told that my stage presence is very stoic, serious, and focused, which I guess is somewhat kung fu-like. Or maybe more like Tai Chi.
How often do you tour and how far have you headed out? How has the reaction been out of state?
We went on tour five times last year. We have another one in the works for April 2007, and hopefully, many more before the year is over. We've mostly concentrated on the East Coast and the Midwest. Hopefully, we'll hit the West Coast and possibly Europe and Mexico later this year. We've gone as far up the East Coast as Boston, as far southwest as Austin, and as far up the Midwest as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Detroit. The reaction out of state varies. We have a good following in Nashville and NYC, mostly because we've played those places more than other places. It is encouraging that our shows seem to get better responses and audiences each subsequent time we play a place.
Who is behind "International Hits" and how did you get hooked up with the label?
International Hits is an Atlanta-based label run by two guys: Shannon Mulvaney (formerly of Magnapop and the current bass player for Anna Kramer's band) and Andrew Quinn (songwriter/guitarist/vocalist for Roy Owens Jr). I used to work at Criminal Records with Shannon, and knew that his label had put out the A Fir-Ju Well record (as well as Roy Owens Jr, The Sightseers, and Tragic Plastic). When Herb, Jason, and I started writing songs, I told him about our band and asked if he would be into putting it out. He seemed hesitant until he actually came out to one of our shows and saw us. Shortly after that, we signed some contracts, and the rest is history.
When can we expect to see a new release from The Selmanaires?
We're pretty much done writing songs for our second album. We still feel like the first album has some life left in it, so we're going to tour just a little bit more to try to get it out there. Hopefully, we will record our second album some time this spring, which means that it will probably come out in the summer. But don't quote me on that.
The Selmanaires will be performing next on Sat February 17th at Star Bar with Cassavetes and Moresight. Catch them in Atlanta now before they head out on tour across the East coast and Midwest this spring!
Interview by Michelle Gilzenrat |
