Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2007-11-19


Interview:
I Nine, a quartet from Orangeburg, a sleepy southern town tucked away in central South Carolina, are remarkably on the verge of authoring another chapter in this country's musical heritage. The group is made up of charismatic lead singer, Carmen Keigans, Bryan Gibson (lead guitar, cello), Matt Heath (bass) and Brian Whitman (guitar). We recently sat down with Carmen to ask her a few questions about the band's history, their future, and their inspirations.

How did you guys get started?

Bryan Gibson and Matt Heath started playing when they were like in the sixth grade at our middle school and I used to think they were like the coolest guys ever cause they played guitar. They probably didn't know I existed. It wasn’t till I was in the twelfth grade that Matt, I mean Matt always hung around town and stuff, but I don’t think they ever really paid me much attention. I guess ‘cause I was a girl and I’m a little younger than them. But, when I was in the twelfth grade they were getting ready to go to college and what not, that’s when I started really playing music with them on a more serious level like actually playing gigs.

In high school, they started to realize that I could sing and we hung out and wrote music, but we never played a gig, and we started playing at these open mic contests in Columbia, South Carolina. And when we won a few of those we where like "hmmm... maybe we, we should do this." But, that band actually broke up. It was called “Encaustic”. And then I was riding down the road with Brian Whitman in his Ford Escort one day and he said that we could start a band with me and Brian Gibson, and I was like as long as Bryan’s in the band then I’m down.