Boston Music Awards' Act of the Year Set to
Release Fifth Album in February
10-Track Set Features “All The Way Up To
Heaven,”
Co-Written With Alt-Country Pioneer Jimmy
Ryan
(BOSTON, Mass.) For the past eight years, Boston's rising stars Girls Guns and
Glory have been making a name for themselves through relentless touring (about
200 gigs a year worldwide), the release of four critically acclaimed records, a
slew of local awards, including being the Boston Music Awards first act of its
genre to win Act of the Year, and international awards (Independent Artist of
the Year at the French Country Music Awards). And, now, the hard-working
band is refining their focus to the roots of rock 'n' roll with a twist of
country on their fifth album, "Good Luck," due on February 4, 2014 on
Lonesome Day Records.
The foursome (Ward Hayden on vocals/guitar, Paul Dilley on electric and upright
bass/piano, Josh Kiggans on drums/percussion, and Chris Hersch on lead
guitar/banjo) found inspiration for this record from early '50s rock 'n' roll
icons such as Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, and Buddy Holly, as well as country
greats like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.
“Good Luck” looks back to that era of music for a more rock ‘n’ roll-focused
record that kicks off with the heartfelt, feel-good rocker "All the Way Up
To Heaven," which sets the tone for the album thematically. "It's
about finally winning in love and feeling that thrill of getting something good
and having a true appreciation of it," says the singer.
Co-written with Jimmy Ryan (Blood Oranges), “All the Way Up To Heaven,” is one
of the three songs that Hayden did not singularly craft. He notes, “Jimmy Ryan has long been
one of my favorite songwriters. He's got a gold tooth, a taste for whiskey and
is possibly the best left-handed mandolin player on the planet. Which is part
of what makes his songwriting so special. He doesn't try to get fancy or get
flashy with technical intricacies. As a songwriter he exemplifies three chords
and the truth. Like Hemingway with a mandolin. He boils a song down to its bare
bones, to where you can see and feel the grit. I think that makes him great. He
serves the song from its inception.”
The other songs were written over the past two years with the exception of two,
"Shake Like Jello" and "UUU," which have been in the band's
repertoire for about four years. "We never really had a place for
those songs because we were viewing ourselves more of a country band than a
rock 'n' roll band and those two songs are definitely more rocking. They fit
perfectly on this album," he notes.
Another song close to GGG's heart and the band's Northeast roots is the ballad "Centralia,
PA." "Chris and Paul are originally from Eastern Pennsylvania and we
tour a lot in that area. We found out about this coal-mining town there called
Centralia that was destroyed by a coal fire over 50 years ago. It's a ghost town
now because it's unfit to live in. I became fascinated by the tragic story of
the town and we kind of wanted to put Centralia back on the map with this
song," he says.
Produced
by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (Nils Lofgren, Steve Earle, The Bottle
Rockets), "Good Luck" was mixed by Ambel and recorded by Mario Viele
at Cowboy Technical Services Recording Rig in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and will
be available on CD, vinyl and iTunes on February 4, 2014 via Lonesome Day
Records. The band is up for Americana Artist of the Year the 2013 Boston Music
Awards and Ward Hayden is up for Male Vocalist of the Year. And, Girls Guns and
Glory is currently on the road...as usual!
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