1. How would you classify your music?
Righteous Hillbillies music is a mixture of Southern Rock and Americana.
2. Who are some of your top 5 musical influences?
Steve Earle, Lynryd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Doors, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Rolling Stones.
3. What do you want fans to take from your music?
The feeling of excitement and energy from our live shows and to be able to connect to our music through the mood and lyrics of the story.
4. Can you tell us a bit about your latest album? When will it be released and how does it differ from your previous work?
Our latest record “Two Wheels Down a Lost Highway” was recorded locally in our hometown of Joliet, IL at Third City Sound and was mixed at FAME Studio in Muscle Shoals Alabama by John Gifford III.
“The movement of Two Wheels Down a Lost Hightway is one of Rock ‘n’ Roll greatness giving the listener a feel good incentive to live with more aggression.” – Dave Masciotra, author of Mellencamp: American Troubadour (University Press of Kentucky, 2015), and Metallica (a 33 1/3 book from Bloomsbury, 2015)
Since the last record we have grown as songwriters and players. We have also added the addition of keyboard player Chris Bartley and Blues guitarist Nick Normando giving the band a new revitalized southern blues direction.
5. What do you love and hate about the Music Business?
There’s a music business? lol. I guess what I hate about the music business is that its a “business” and often times the business comes before the art, clouding what’s really important…the music. What I love about the music business is the opportunity to meet people and establish long lasting friendships. We’ve met some great people along the way, that we consider family and friends.
6. What is the best concert you have been to? What do you like most about playing live?
Best concert I’ve been to lately was Beth Hart, not only for her raw vocal talent but her conviction and energy captivated me and the entire audience.
What I love most about playing live is the feedback from the crowd. As a song writer the ultimate gift is to see people singing along and dancing to your music. Also talking to people about specific songs that made a personal emotional connection to in their life.
7. Is there a song on this latest CD that stands out as your personal favorite, and why?
It’s funny the way songs on a record can affect you. Your favorite song to play live may not be your favorite song to listen to, and vice versa. One thing I love about music is that theres a song for every mood your in. On Two Wheels Down a Lost Highway, if I’m in a rock ‘n’ roll mood I like the dirtiness and raw energy of Drama Zone and Throwing Stones but I also love Down to Memphis, Rollin’ and the tilte track. It depends on mood and what I’m doing or feeling at the moment.
8. How have you evolved as an artist over the last few years?
If you stop evolving and learning new things you become creatively stagnate. Sometimes playing the same songs can get old and it takes walking away for some time off and or sitting down by yourself with an acoustic and messing around to find something new that revitalizes a spark. We have all gained experience by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.
9. If you could meet, play a gig, co-write a song, have dinner, get drunk with any band or artist (dead or alive) who would it be?
That’s a really difficult question and every band member would have a different answer. I personally am a freak of nostalgia and I often dream about the times in the 50’s and 60’s when bands, guitarists and singers we’re your heroes. Everything was simpler and there was more human interaction in those days then now. Technology hadn’t yet taken over some of the things we loved and shared through music. With that being said I would probably want to gig with the Stones and share a smoke and a shot of jack with Keith Richards, disappear on some trip with Jim Morrison or get drunk with Janis.
10. So tell us what’s next?
The Righteous Hillbillies are no different from any other band out there in the respect that we all want to take it to the next level. Whatever that next level may be, we can guarantee that we will continue to devote our creativity and passion to our fans and to our music.
http://ventsmagazine.com/2017/02/21/interview-righteous-hillbillies/