Chris Robertson – Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar
Ben Wells – Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals
Jon Lawhon – Bass/Backing Vocals
John Fred Young – Drums/Backing Vocals
Black Stone Cherry bridges the gap between the blue collar craftsmanship of dirty,
bluesy, ballsy, pedal-to-the-metal Hard Rock steeped in the ancestral lineage of
Southern Rock and the warm, broad embrace of the rock radio mainstream. There’s
enough boot stomping, soulful meat-and-potatoes in the Kentucky band’s stew to
invigorate Middle America, with the melodic chops to conquer the worldwide stage.
The Allman Brothers and Metallica meeting up, getting drunk, raising some hell and
then crashing into a big brawl together, only to have Robert Johnson break it all up?
That’s essentially the sound of Black Stone Cherry.
The Black Stone Cherry sound is as timeless as a backyard barbecue, a rundown
farmhouse or a worn-in pair of Levi’s, but as forward thinking as anything generated
by the millennial crowd in the modern age. 2014’s Magic Mountain carries the torch
for the brightest moments of Classic Rock history, but it’s no throwback. The energy,
enthusiasm and skill of today’s best rock n’ rollers keeps one Black Stone Cherry
boot planted in the future, even as they call upon the musical ghosts of the past.
The band’s substantial catalog has given birth to a bevy of rock radio staples like
“White Trash Millionaire,” “In My Blood” and “Please Come In.” It’s all driven by the
vocal charisma and vibrant lead guitar shred of Chris Robertson, the driving
dynamic crunch of guitarist Ben Wells, the rhythmic pulse of bassist Jon Lawhon and
the always-in-the-pocket groove of drummer John Fred Young, all of whom add
their voices to Black Stone Cherry’s soaring melodies and instantly accessible vibe.
“It’s an honor for people to throw us in the same category as Lynyrd Skynrd, Allman
Brothers, Molly Hatchet, or the Marshall Tucker Band,” Wells concedes. “But we
don’t act like we’re from the ‘70s. We never set out to be a Southern Rock band. It
just comes naturally. We couldn’t run from that if we wanted to. There is definitely
heavy rock in our sound, but we can also go into something that’s country, or even
funk. We bring a little bit of everything to the table. We don’t limit ourselves.”
Black Stone Cherry’s fourth full-length album arrives destined to add to Black Stone
Cherry’s eight triumphant victories on the mainstream rock radio charts, kicking off
with lead single “Me and Mary Jane,” with badass barnburners like the grimy “Dance
Girl” and the slow boiling, ultimately explosive “Blow My Mind” all on tap.
The band took off several months in late 2012 to decompress from the victorious
but exhaustive touring cycle behind Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea (2011),
the follow-up to their commercial breakthrough Folklore and Superstition (2008)
which had delivered on the ambitious promise of their self-released, self-titled
debut. Starting families, hanging out and being home helped recharge the BSC muse.
“We got to just settle in and be the good old boys from Kentucky that we are,” notes
Robertson. “I did a lot of deer hunting. Spending time alone in the woods will do you
good, man.” After they finished writing, they headed to California to record.
Black Stone Cherry’s producer partnerships read like a who’s-who of rock n’ roll
hitmakers. They made their second album with Bob Marlette (Ozzy, Seether, Saliva)
and the follow-up with Howard Benson (Daughtry, Creed, Three Days Grace). Joe
Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, Soundgarden) came onboard to help the
band craft what will certainly be a watershed moment in their storied career.
“A lot of rock music today doesn’t have any soul. It’s all really bland,” observes
Lawhon. “There’s no attitude. There’s no heart. We all grew up on ‘70s rock,
Southern Rock, country music and bluesmen like Robert Johnson and Muddy
Waters. On this album, more so than ever, those elements are all in the forefront.”
“We went in feeling a real sense of freedom and confidence about what we wanted
to be as a band and what we wanted this album to sound like,” explains Wells. “We
wanted it to be something that would really go over with our fans live. That’s where
we really sell ourselves. We wanted to showcase the heavy riffs and the melodies.”
The universal appeal and undeniable authenticity of Black Stone Cherry’s rock
anthems and down-to-earth attitude has won them an increasingly diverse and
international fanbase (as evidenced by the #1 debut of Folklore and Superstition on
the UK’s rock charts), converting unbelievers while crossing the globe alongside
rock royalty like Nickelback, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Def Leppard,
Whitesnake, Chickenfoot (featuring ex-members of Van Halen) and Alter Bridge.
“We’ve made our fanbase the old school way,” Wells notes. “Radio has supported us
and we have really appreciated that, but it’s when people see us live that they really
fall in love with us. We wanted that to come across with the sound of this album.”
Young notes that Magic Mountain represents a “full circle” moment for Black Stone
Cherry’s career, as well. His father (Kentucky Headhunters guitarist Richard Young)
had helped the band get a showcase for an Atlantic Records A&R man. A deal didn’t
work out then, but thanks to the recent merger between Warner, Atlantic and
Roadrunner, that same A&R guy is working closely with Black Stone Cherry after all.
“We didn’t want to make a cookie cutter record and our label team and producer
were down with that vision,” says Young. “We wanted to come out with our balls out
and blow everyone away, so that’s what we did this time. There’s no holding back.”
“Holding On…To Letting Go” opens the album with bravado. It’s a stand-up-andtake-notice heavy rock song certain to get fists pumping in the air at concerts
around the globe. “Runaway” is probably the most mainstream song the band has
ever written, but it maintains the heavy bite that is their signature. Barresi
encouraged the band to let loose with the Ted Nugent meets Aerosmith vibe of
“Fiesta Del Fuego,” a personal favorite for Wells. “At the end of the song, it goes into
this jam thing we put together on the spot in the studio. It’s one of my favorite
sections of anything on the album.”
Black Stone Cherry has maintained the same lineup since the band formed on
Robertson’s 16th birthday: June 4th, 2001. Robertson and Young have been buddies
since kindergarten. “We’ve known Jon since we were 13,” Robertson explains. “We
met Ben a couple of days before we started the band. A band should be more than a
singer with some fill-in guys. It’s a group of people with a common goal. It’s like a
marriage. You argue back and forth but at the end of the day, you love each other.”
It’s that chemistry, loyalty, brotherhood and charm their fans respond to the most.
“Most of our fans weren’t born with a silver spoon. They understand what it takes to
achieve something in life. They have goals and ambitions, just like us,” says Lawhon.
“We have picked up a lot of fans who understand and identify with us.”
Magic Mountain is about to spread that goodtime vibe even further ‘round the globe.
February 2014