band

Automatic Lovelette

By Julie Garisto
Published July 20, 2007

Don't shoot the messengers: Juliet Simms, guitar, vocals and arrangements; John Yates, keyboard and backing vocals; Tim Burkey, lead guitar and backing vocals; Sean Noll, bass; and Daniel Currier, drums.

Formed: 2005, in Clearwater.

CD: Self titled EP, 2005.

Grab bag o' influences: Simms cites classic rock from Stones to Zeppelin to Queen to Billy Joel, and current bands like Dashboard Confessional, Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World. Drummer Currier idolizes Police drummer Stewart Copeland, and Burkey says he digs Aerosmith.

Collaborations: Simms has performed with We Are the Fury, and brother Tommy Simms of local band win win Winter has produced some songs.

Major label, local band: After graduating high school early at age 16, Simms, now 21, left Pinellas County for L.A. to seek out a music career. Epic signed her two years ago, and though she's changed her mind about going solo, the Epic deal remained intact. So, Automatic Loveletter is now signed to Epic.

Simms: "They're not like, 'We're going to put you right on the radio and do all this yada yada!' Epic really wants us to work hard as a grassroots band. We're doing all of our own promo. We paid for the merch. We're buying our van and our trailer. We're doing everything as if we didn't have a major label backing us because they want us to build our fan base. ... With that, we have more leverage, more say so because we're doing all of the work. The EPs they made and gave to us to sell at shows for 3 or 4 bucks. That's all money in our pockets. They don't take anything from that. The LP's coming out next year, so there's still an opportunity for all of us to make a record how we want it. For the time being, we're touring the s--- out of the East Coast."

Is it ever too much? "No!" Simms says. "I'm having the time of my life. I'm happy to get my hands dirty. You have to work for it. There's no, 'Here you go - silver platter.' "

Growing up fast: "I moved alone to California when I was 17," Simms says, "when I got an indie deal. You take on responsibilities of being a grownup and you have to rise to the occasion."

Choice opening slot: They're opening for Duran Duran in Miami in November.

Newest member: Strange fate and geography led Burkey to join the band this month. From living in Indiana, to visiting California six months ago, he wound up in Clearwater. He earned a recommendation by phone from an L.A. pal of Simms'.

Crafty business skills: "I wear these feathers in my hair that I make with clips," Simms says. "I sell them to girls on tour. We also make necklaces and come up with other crazy merch ideas."

Upright musician brigade: On tour last year, they fired one of their do-nothing "trust fund" managers, who happened to provide the tour van. Simms, Yates, Currier and Noll wound up crammed in cars with all of their equipment for an overnight ride from Las Vegas to Phoenix.

Currier: "I was sleeping on keys from a keyboard the whole time. People were like, 'Wait till you tour. It sucks. You'll have to sleep in a van.' Dude. We wish we had a van to lie down in. The next thing worse would have been touring on bicycles."

Check 'em out: Friday (7/20) with win win Winter, Headset and Tres Bien! 8 p.m. at Royalty Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. All ages. $10. (813) 492-8235.

[Last modified July 18, 2007, 16:14:18]