History

The band formed in the early 90's, sharing a mutual love of bluesy artists like The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...

, The Allman Brothers, and Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

. Swan Burrus (rhythm guitar, vocals), Mac Burrus (lead guitar), and Justin Meyer (drums) had gigged around Nashville for years as "The Southern Delta Swans", playing at dive bars and pizzerias, talent shows, proms, masonic lodges, parks and house parties--anywhere they wouldn't get carded. .

With the addition of Rob Overbey on bass, the lineup was complete. They changed their name to "The Plain", and their sound was now in place, combining elements of southern rock

Southern rock

Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...

, blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

, power pop

Power pop

Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...

, and classic rock

Classic rock

Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...

. By 1995, with Swan, Justin and Mac all enrolled at MTSU, the band began to gig tirelessly around Murfreesboro and Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, earning a reputation as one of the area's loudest and unironically hardest-rocking bands. .

By 1997, after various lineup changes, the band was done. Mac Burrus went on to join local bands The Katies

The Katies

The Katies were a three-piece, power-pop band from Murfreesboro, TN from approximately 1996-2007.-History:Jason Moore and Gary Welch had previously been in a Murfreesboro band called A Million Worlds...

 (Katies singer Jason Moore had been playing bass for the Plain) and Self

Self (band)

Self is an American alternative pop/rock band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and largely the brainchild of writer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Mahaffey....

, Justin Meyer went on to play with Fluid Ounces

Fluid Ounces

Fluid Ounces were a piano-based, power pop band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee that garnered a cult following for their critically acclaimed records, which featured a distinctive blend of hooks, varied musical styles, clever wordplay, and intricate, complex arrangements.-Inception:Seth Timbs had...

, and Rob Overbey left for California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Swan Burrus continued to play in various bands before eventually leaving Murfreesboro as well, and recorded a solo album called "Swan Songs" in 2003. Mac and Swan are also listed as co-writers of the song "Stay Home" which appeared in Shrek

Shrek

Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...

. .

Stickers with the band's logo--a green and black decal featuring an outline of an airplane--can be found scattered around Murfreesboro to this day.