The four guys in San Francisco’s The Stone Foxes play the sort of stripped down, roots rock n roll that has all but disappeared from the musical landscape. It’s dirty, gritty and loud, with tracks like “I Killed Robert Johnson” loaded with foot-stomping hooks and irresistible, sing-along choruses. Much like Creedence Clearwater Revival, it’s hard to believe these songs are coming from a handful of Californians instead of boiling up from some Louisiana swamps. The harmonica and whiskey-laced songs on their sophomore album, Bears & Bulls, are blues rock at its simple best. One unique aspect of The Stone Foxes is they have no set line-up on their instruments — depending on the song, a member plays a different instrument. The brothers Spence and Shannon Koehler, Avi Vinocur and Aaron Mort swap instruments on stage, giving each track a very distinct personality. Great stuff. Give a listen, and if you like what you hear read the interview with Spence Koehler below to find out what makes The Stone Foxes tick…

Allow me to introduce myself, I’m…
Spence Koehler

You can find me…
The Sunset District of San Francisco, CA

I’m usually posted up at…
I don’t have a specific hangout spot, and I’ve noticed that before, I don’t go to the Riptide at the end of Taraval every Thursday night and I don’t always get a peroshki in the mornings from Cinderella bakery in the Richmond… My group of friends don’t have a spot where we can go and always expect to see someone we know, maybe that’s sad, maybe I need to get out more… or maybe our house is the hub. Anyways, I kinda like to mix it up when I’ve got time to get out.

“When you’ve got a strong crowd that’s really digging the music you’re playing, you can feel it and it’s a powerful thing.”

I pay my bills by…
Working at a garden center – working outdoors in the sun (when the sun’s out).

You might’ve heard of me because…
I’m in a band called The Stone Foxes and we have a new album out called Bears and Bulls.

But why you really should know me is…
From seeing a Foxes show live.  That’s where we really have some fun.

If it wasn’t for _______ I wouldn’t be where I am today.
My parents, my brother (who plays drums in the Foxes) and every musician before me who’s poured their soul into rock and roll

The best part about my job is…
As a musician the best part is playing live and feeling the energy of the crowd, when you’ve got a strong crowd that’s really digging the music you’re playing, you can feel it and it’s a powerful thing.

The worst part about my job is…
Packing up after the show

If I was taking a train from Paris to Madrid, and I could choose one person to share the cabin with, I’d choose…
Jack White. I’d love to have a normal conversation with that guy, or maybe more realistically, see what would he do when he realized he had to sit in a train cabin with me for a few hours! Does he have normal conversations? Or is that just the image he puts out to the public?

The first piece of music I heard that I remember waking up my ears was…
Led Zeppelin 4 — my mom had that LP sitting in the garage and I found it one day and plugged in the dusty turntable sitting next to it. It scared me at first! Way too heavy! But I came back to it not long after and was hooked.

The Stone Foxes’ Bears & Bulls

The last piece of music I heard that woke up my ears is…
Dr. Dog. They did a two night stand at the Great American Music Hall in SF and I left that show thoroughly impressed. Rad band for sure.

If you want to put a smile on my face, you probably want to…
Ask me to go canoeing on a sunny day, take me to a Wilco concert, offer to buy me a new car!

If you want to wipe that smile away, then you should…
Take away my guitar, tell me I can’t see my girlfriend for another 3 weeks, show me a foggy weather forecast.

The last time I saw the sun come up I was…
In June when my brother and I flew back home from London and were seriously jet lagged for the first time.  For 4 or 5 days we were on a 3AM wake up — 9PM go to bed schedule, rough!

The person I admire most is…
My dad. Love you too Mom!

The last time I lied was because…
Lying is sticky business, not for me

If you hit shuffle on my iPod you might be shocked to find…
Jay-Z’s Black Album? Probably not that shocking…

If you hit shuffle on my iPod I’d be embarrassed if it landed on…
Lady Marmalade — my justification being Christina Aguilerra hits some pretty amazing vocal runs on that one.

When I get my first really big check, I’m gonna go score a..
I’ll take Bullitt’s 1967 Mustang Fastback, please.

But it’ll never replace…
The ’66 Mustang coupe I had in high school and college — white with red Shelby stripes!

My one magic power is…
Not going to be divulged here, much too overwhelming to be discussed publicly at this point.

And lastly, If I was Lost In a Supermarket, you’d find me in the…
Cookie section. Oreos. And then immediately followed by a trip to the milk section.