Jason Janik/Special Contributor

American Werewolf Academy (from left): Tony Harper, Aaron Thedford and Jake Barnhart

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You'd be hard-pressed to find more viscerally efficient rock songs than those assembled by American Werewolf Academy. A typical AWA song behaves like the ill-mannered mutant stepchild of a drunken bar band singalong and a soaring arena rock anthem. It's 1960s Texas psych-rock, '70s guitar crunch and '80s college-radio jangle compacted into commercial-break-size nuggets.

While singer-guitarist Aaron Thedford serves as head Werewolf in charge, it's the sum of its parts that make AWA such a fun and ferocious group. The rhythm section boasts fine local-music pedigrees. Drummer Tony Harper (the Drams, Slobberbone) and bassist Jake Barnhart (Little Grizzly, Raised by Tigers) provide ample architecture for Mr. Thedford's lumbering rock 'n' roll beast.

Currently at work recording the follow-up to 2005's Tell Them Right Now!, Mr. Thedford brought us up to date on the state of the Academy in an e-mail interview.

How's the new album coming?

Stuff keeps happening that prevents us from getting into the Echo Lab. Right now the tape machine is broken. Other times somebody has been sick, or some [expletive] band with a lot of money has booked studio time for an entire baseball season and won't let us in. Otherwise, it should be a good record.

Can we look forward to more fist-pumping, blink-and-you-miss-it rock attacks, or are you taking a Use Your Illusion: Parts I & II type of departure?

Some songs have actually broken the three-minute barrier this time around. Of course, there will be a few anthemic pop songs – those are the best kind of songs. Some of it is jangly and moody, but there will always be rock songs on an AWA record.

Any local yokels going to make guest appearances?

Yeah, Jess Barr [the Drams, Slobberbone] is gonna do some guitar. [Producer] Matt Barnhart will do something, I'm sure. Kris Youmans [the Paper Chase, the Happy Bullets] played cello and Howard Draper [Tre Orsi, Little Grizzly] is all over the thing with pianos, organs, lap steel and whatever else he felt like doing. Have I dropped enough names yet?

With everyone in the band having day jobs or other gigs, how does the writing and rehearsal process go down?

Usually I come up with something brilliant and then they mangle it.

One of my favorite parts of your live set is your unpredictable high kick. Have your reckless onstage gymnastics ever led to injury or accident?

I kicked our first bass player in the head once. I've fallen down a few times, but not too much. The worst was a time my foot got caught in my cord and my pedals came unplugged. I was standing there with no sound and had to sing the rest of the song while the band glared at me.

Like many bands, your Web site includes a list of past shows that detail where a gig was, when it happened and who you played with. Your entry for January 13, 2007, simply says, "We should put this night behind us and forget it ever happened." Please explain.

That was the night of an ice storm. We were a four-piece at the time, and the guitarist and bass player said they were not coming out because of the roads. Well, the place was packed, and Tony and I decided to do the show as a duo. We also drank a bunch of shots, so things did not go very well. I can't blame those guys for our drinking that night, but I'll do it anyway. They are not in the band anymore.

PLAN YOUR LIFE

American Werewolf Academy plays Saturday night with the Mullens and the Bug Nasties at Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St. Cover TBA. 214-887-6510.