'Market'ing musicians

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Musicians Clayton Landau, Ben Hussey, Josh Serrato and Dallas Neal, formed Six Market Blvd. while in college in Stephenville. The group, on the verge of re-releasing its sophomore album nationally, will be playing at Cutting Horse Bar Friday night. COURTESY PHOTO

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November 6, 2012

'Market'ing musicians

Six Market Blvd. enjoys country music success

Sally Sexton Weatherford Democrat The Weatherford Democrat Tue Nov 06, 2012, 07:51 AM CST

WEATHERFORD —

Weatherford resident Clayton Landau always knew he had the gift of singing.

But when he came in contact with three friends on the campus of Stephenville’s Tarleton State University in 2008, their talents flourished, and the band Six Market Blvd. was created.

“We all have our influences that have gotten us to where we are, and the things that we listened to growing up,” Landau said.

Landau, the lead vocalist and rhythmic acoustic guitar player of the group, as well as Ben Hussey, who plays bass, also contribute their song-writing talents.

Josh Serrato, guitarist pianist and organist, and Dallas Neal, on drums and percussion, make up the rest of the group, which plays many different types of music.

“We go from one side of the grid to the other, as far as our musical style,” Landau said. “Anything from Americana to folk and Texas country.”

Landau grew up listening to classic country tunes with his father, as well as outlaws such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The group also gets inspiration from more modern singers and songwriters, including William Clark Green and Red and The Vityls.

“For me personally, I always tip my hat to 80’s and 90’s mainstream country music, because it was awesome back in the day,” Landau said.

In 2012, Six Market saw success in the release of its debut album, Running on Seven.

The record earned the group two Top 25 singles on the Texas Music Chart: “Man Alive” and “Misery and Me.”

In May, Six Market Blvd. released its sophomore album, Shake It Down, which helped to earn them the title Best New Band in the Texas Regional Radio Awards. The first single off the album, “Say It,” hit the Top 10 on the Texas Music Chart.

The record, which debuted on the Billboard charts and the iTunes country chart its first week of release, has received so much attention in the last few months that the band’s distribution group Thirty Tigers, in conjunction with Sony Red Distribution, will be re-releasing the record Nov. 20.

“After the original release, we just got such a good response from fans, family and friends, that our distribution company decided to take it and distribute it nationwide,” Landau said. “I didn’t realize how much I was looking forward to it until about three days ago, when it really set in that we’re going to be exposed across the nation.

“That’s a pretty big deal.”

Because of their success in breaking onto the country music scene, the band has spent the last few years performing at venues such as the Larry Joe Taylor Texas Music Festival, and reaching out to the public on a more personal level, with the help of the website www.jamplify.com.

Fans can visit the site online and, with the help of friends or family, promote the band through the sharing of their music videos. The contestants with the most promotions are eligible for the opportunity to visit with Six Market members and receive various prizes.

“If they’re going to be our fans, we want them to be friends too, and get to know us on a personal level,” Landau said.

With all of the accomplishments Six Market Blvd. has received so far, the band continues to set the bar high.

“We knew as long as we stuck together and kept writing and performing, we knew we would end of somewhere,” Landau said. “Our hopes have been high and so far, we seem to be taking on the challenges and making it happen.”

To find out more about the band and its members, go to sixmarketblvd.com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sixmarketblvd.