Singer-songwriter Kevin Aldridge has never been one to rush the result.
A Fort Worth music scene fixture for decades, and a passionate music fan for the entirety of his life, Aldridge has drifted between various combinations of collaborators, tweaking and searching and refining.
His latest creative endeavor, Hotel Satellite, has its roots in a prior iteration of a band Aldridge has performed with for years — the Appraisers. For Hotel Satellite, Aldridge, who splits songwriting and guitar duties with ex-Appraiser Steffin Ratliff, is joined by Neil Saunders and fellow former Appraiser Maui Mang.
Former Telegraph Canyon bassist Chuck Brown rounds out the quintet, which, to be clear, is primarily concerned with its enjoyment, rather than the pursuit of something bigger and better.
“We’re not hanging our hats on the idea of like, ‘Let’s go on tour and let’s get a record deal and whatever that even means anymore,’” Aldridge said during a recent conversation. “It’s just the end result is having a kick-ass song to play and enjoying each other’s company and spending Friday nights practicing songs and writing songs together at the warehouse.”
Indeed, the cumulative experience of these skilled musicians is readily apparent when listening to Hotel Satellite’s latest single, “Nothing Much Happens (World’s Greatest Mess),” a pleasurably danceable slice of country-dappled rock — imagine Tom Petty fronting Depeche Mode, and you’re partway there.
“I wrote like a Violator[-style] Depeche Mode song — that’s what I had,” Aldridge said. “Then I brought to the band, and they just started carving it up, you know? It was very ‘Personal Jesus’ or something — because I was listening to that a bunch at the time, and you just can’t help but have those things invade your hands and your ears.”
Hotel Satellite will celebrate the release of “Nothing” with a free show July 27 at Fort Worth’s Chat Room Pub, joined on the bill by Cut Throat Finches. As for what lies ahead, Aldridge said he and the band are taking it one tune at a time, savoring the bond and letting the future unfold as it will.
“We want it to be the right thing,” Aldridge said. “We want it to have the right feel for us; you want to be happy with it. I feel like if I’m happy with it, more people outside of my circle will be happy with it. Because they can hear it — they can hear the joy of doing it, the feeling of ‘This is an authentic thing.’”
Hotel Satellite single release party at The Chat Room Pub, Fort Worth. 7 p.m. July 27. Admission is free.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
