With their new album, ‘Kentucky‘ in stores now, and an upcoming Australian tour supporting Steel Panther coming up in a couple of months time, times are busy for Black Stone Cherry.
They are making their maiden voyage down under in support of the 5th studio album, a tribute to their home state in the USA.
You can order the album on iTunes [Here], or physically [Here].
Chris Robertson from the band answered our On The Record questions this week. Check out his answers below.
All those tour dates with Steel Panther can be found below the interview.
The title of the album actually came from our manager, Vinnie! It was kind of like it was sitting right in front of us the entire time but we couldn’t see it until he mentioned it!
Tell us about the artwork.
Jon did all the artwork for the album. He has done the last three albums. The house on the cover is actually the practice house where we rehearse and write our music. The photos on the inside were by Jon and our bass tech Josh landreth. And the photo on the back was by Rob Fenn.
What format/s will it be released on and how will it be packaged?
The album is going to be released digitally, cd, and vinyl. The packing isn’t a Jewel case and I’m not sure what the correct technical name is. My apologies. Lol
Who will it be released through, and when?
Mascot Label Group on April 1st. In Australia, distribution by Warner.
Tell us about the studio and why you chose to record there?
We recorded the new album at Barrick recording in Glasgow, KY. It’s the same place where recorded our self titled debut album. David is an incredible engineer with a great ear and it was amazing to go home every night to our families after recording!
Tell us about the producer / engineer and why you chose to record with them?
We self produced the album with the help of engineer David Barrick (who also ended up being the executive producer). We just felt like after 10 years of doing this we know better than anyone what we want to sound like and what our fans want to hear.
Did you go into the writing process with a clear direction in mind?
Not at all. We literally just try to write the absolute best songs we can. We’re not much on concepts. Lol.
Were you listening to anything in particular during the writing / recording process that influenced the songs at all?
Not really. I try to shut off the outside world when we are writing and recording. You don’t want anything to influence what you are trying to create and capture.
Were there any albums you were referencing in the studio to aim for a certain type of sound production wise?
We generally reference Aerosmith a lot while in the studio. Their records always have the coolest sounds. It all depends on the song and the vibe you are going for.
We spent a grand total of 20-22 days in the studio from start to finish! It was a quick and painless process this time!
Tell us a little about the recording process the band used?
We generally all play live together to capture the drum track. Then we will go back in and look at guitars then bass. Mostly starting from scratch on the guitars and bass to get things as tight as possible, but, if there is a magical moment we leave those things!
Was this any different to previous processes you have used?
Not really. This has always been the approach to recording our records.
Any guests involved? if so, who.. and what did they do?
Yes. We had the Dye sisters song on soul machine. They were amazing to work with. Then we had a slew of friends sing the backup vocals on war. It was an awesome time. And we also had some friends play the horn sections on war and soup machine. And another friend play organ on long ride. The cool thing is that everyone who was a guest on the album were local to our area!
When it comes do naming the tracks, is there any particular approach or process to it all?
Basically whichever line in the song that sums up the vibe of the song best gets the title! Pretty easy!
Any particular equipment outside your usual live gear used in the process?
This album we literally only used the gear we use live with the exception of a couple small amps for overdubs.
Any memorable studio moments?
I guess for me having the guests in was a lot of fun. And something new for us. When we recorded the rambler I had a moment where I literally broke down into tears and had to stop singing. Never had that happen before.
Any additional tracks recorded that didn’t make the cut but may see the light of day sometime?
All the tracks recorded will see the light of day. We recorded 18 in total and they will all appear on different bonus versions of the album.
What track/s are you most looking forward to playing live?
I think ‘Soul Machine’ and ‘Long Ride’ will be great live. In truth we wrote this entire album and recorded it in a way that all the songs can be played live. It’s gonna be awesome!
How would you compare the final product to previous releases?
To me this is the most honest representation of our music the world has ever heard. You get every color of the band with no outside influence whatsoever!
Anything else you want to say or about the release?
Can’t wait for the world to hear this album! And we will see y’all soon!
STEEL PANTHER
With guests BLACK STONE CHERRY
JUNE
17th – Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney [18+]
18th – Festival Hall, Melbourne [18+]
20th – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane [18+]
22nd – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide [18+]
23rd – Metro City, Perth [18+]
—> Tickets available now.
—> For more information, visit [Here]
