carey.miller@jackson.gannett.com

Roots rock band The Sundogs may be based out of Atlanta, but their sound has Mississippi written all over it.

Brothers Will and Lee Haraway, the two vocalists and principal songwriters of the band, attended the University of Mississippi in the mid- to late-'90s, when Oxford's music scene was booming.

Add lead guitarist Matt Ulmer, a Jackson native who was a member of Oxford college rock sensation The Charlie Mars Band and a former Ole Miss student as well, and Oxford's influence is undeniable.

Will Haraway spoke to The Clarion-Ledger about The Sundogs' music and their strong ties to the Magnolia State.

Q: What's the skinny on The Sundogs' Mississippi connections?

A: Yeah, we definitely cut our musical teeth in Oxford, which is a great town to start playing music in - I basically majored in going to see bands. We just soaked up the whole hill country blues movement that started exploding with R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough and later Jimbo Mathus and the North Mississippi Allstars. You mix that with the Jo Jo Herman/Widespread Panic thing and it was a really wonderful place to get a roots music education - still is. Mississippi definitely shaped who we are and the way we sound. Matt's from Jackson and both of our parents are born and raised in Mississippi. We even got our name from an old word my grandfather (who lived in Olive Branch) used to use for the sun's rays.

Q: From Oasis' Gallaghers to the Kinks' Davies to the Black Crowes' Robinsons, brothers in bands can be a caustic combination. How do The Sundogs avoid the typical rock 'n' roll sibling rivalry?

A: We don't have (those) issues. I think it's an advantage because we kind of think the same way about things and have a shared history, besides the fact that our singing voices are similar, which helps the sound. Of course, the Gallaghers and Robinsons make a whole lot more money than we do, so that probably presents its own set of problems. But Lee and I don't have big fights or anything -maybe we should!

Q: Playing at Hal & Mal's will be a homecoming of sorts for Matt. What do you have in store for those that come to the show?

A: It's definitely a showcase for Matt, being his hometown and all, but we all have strong connections to Jackson through our families and friends. Matt's sister Betsy (who goes by the stage name Betsy Roo) is going to open the show and everybody in their family plays guitar, so there will be be a bunch of Ulmers on stage. Our old friends Ed Thomas and Jimmy Jarratt, who played with Matt in Southgate, a great Jackson band, will probably sit in on a few things. It takes a while to develop a sound and we feel like we've found ours over the last couple of years. Honestly, we've been looking forward to this show for a while cause we get to see some friendly faces; our whole sound is about throwing your hands up in the air and rocking out with your friends for a few hours, do your thing, get naked, whatever. Just have fun, baby.

details

• Who: The Sundogs and Betsy Roo.

• When: 10 p.m. Saturday.

• Where: Hal & Mal's Red Room, 200 S. Commerce St., Jackson.

• Tickets: $5.

• Phone: For more information, call (601) 948-0888.

• Online: www.sundogs.net [http://www.sundogs.net]