Event

An Evening with Paul Cauthen and David Beck of Sons of Fathers

Paul Cauthen and David Beck are the frontmen in roots rock band Sons of Fathers.

Legendary producer Lloyd Maines put it best when he described their music as "The Everly Brothers meets Neil Young and Merle Haggard and The Clash." Rolling Stone has praised their 2013 album Burning Days as "wide open roots and folk rock," while CMT described it as "rip-roaring Texas rock studded with gospel-influenced harmonies," and Paste called it "soulful."

Though Sons of Fathers is one of Texas' most talked-about emerging artists (eMusic named them one of 12 hot new acts to watch), their sound is generations in the making. Cauthen, a native of Tyler, Texas, began singing in the church at the age of seven and learned guitar from his preacher grandfather. "Granddad was a hell of a musician," he says. "He chose the Church of Christ instead of the church of rock and roll. I remember learning to sing harmonies in the bathtub at six years old." Cauthen wound up in reform school as a youngster and turned 20 doing time on a Texas chain gang, all the while honing his chops as a songwriter and storyteller.

Beck was raised in San Marcos, Texas, the son of Bill Whitbeck, a renowned touring bassist with Robert Earl Keen. As a youngster hanging out on tour buses and in studios, Beck witnessed the ups and downs of the music business from an early age. "It was a different lifestyle for a young son. Dad was always on the road for businessBut what my dad did was make it a natural deal to play music. It wasn't strange to me."

"We've learned from what our fathers and grandfathers have done and put those lessons into our lives," Beck continues. Those lessons passed down across generations provided a fitting foundation for the band and inspired their name.

The music of Sons of Fathers is not only timeless, but a timely reminder of how great music can be.