mericana band The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers is set to release a new album, No Glory, on July 14, 2017. A follow-up to the group's 2015 debut, Heavenly Fire, No Glory was produced by Matt Wignall (Cold War Kids, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Sam Outlaw), who also produced the Singers' last album.
Says vocalist Kim Garcia: "We slowly started working on this album at the beginning of 2016 with our longtime producer, Matt Wignall. We'd just come back from a national tour of the US and Canada and had such a great experience seeing so many other bands at the festivals where we performed. We came back and really dug into working on a whole new set of songs. We had so much to draw from, so much to write about. These songs represent every bit of our collaborative efforts as a band, and even more so as a family. They represent our victories, as well as our struggles."
No Glory was recorded in Wignall's Tackyland Studio in Long Beach, CA. The band tracked "Lay Down Low" and "Church Fire" as live recordings with him in a historic church in Lincoln Heights, CA. A few guest performers lent their skills on the album: Jeremy Long on pedal steel,
Theodore Smith on trumpet, Nathan Jensen on sax, David Maust on organ, and Kelsey Lee on vocals. No Glory features remarkably focused vocal arrangements, poignant lyrics, and smooth rhythmic grooves that will set it apart from the band's previous work.
The
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers began as a collective of friends gathering together in the summer of 2010. A choir of up to 15 revived the old gospel spirit with songs like "I Shall Not Be Moved," "12 Gates," and "In My Time of Dying." Slowly, they evolved into a band of six, and later five, committed to embracing the richness found in early 20th century recordings. Influenced by past gospel musicians such as The Dixie Hummingbirds,
Washington Phillips, and Sister
Rosetta Tharpe, as well as current bands like The Black Keys, Wilco, and Calexico, the band creates a unique style drawing from rhythm and blues, alt-country, indie rock, and folk.
A rousing celebration of traditional Americana-soul music has always been the hallmark of The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers. Elmore Magazine praised their "bold and barn-burning old-school meets new-school blend of gospel, Americana and rock 'n' roll." Heavenly Fire, brimming with fiery melodies and country moods, laid the foundation for two successful
North American tours, including appearances at prestigious festivals such as Winnipeg Folk Fest,
Montreal Jazz Fest, Austin City Limits, and Voodoo Fest of New Orleans. The album also garnered high-profile song placements (MTV, Showtime, Amazon,
Discovery Channel), as well as popular playlist spots. LA Weekly called their debut album "a rip-roaring, soaring batch of rootsy-flavored originals written by the band's individual members, who took their songwriting cues from the greatest and most venerable of American trad musical genres." SpiritYouAllMusic wrote: "Heavenly Fire is suffused with that almost dangerous spiritual catharsis, and the result is intoxicating. Gospel was birthed from anguish, desperation, and ecstatic joy, and The
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers prove that as there's no shortage of them in the world today, the music remains as riveting and vital as ever."
The band is excited to hit the road with their eclectic mix of alt-country gospel. The
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers has confirmed an album release show at
The Hi Hat in Los
Angeles on July 7th before heading out further afield to share its music with audiences in a live setting. Confirmed tour dates are listed below with more to be announced soon.
The
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers is Will Wadsworth (drums, vocals), Jeremy Horton (guitar, vocals),
Kevin Collins (bass), Kim Garcia (vocals), and Andrea Chita (vocals).
The
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Tour Schedule:
7/13 - Sunflower Theatre - Cortez, CO
7/14 - Ophelia's Electric Soapbox - Denver, CO
7/18 - Volcanic Theatre Pub - Bend, OR
7/19 - The Bartlett - Spokane, WA
7/20 - Brewminatti - Prosser, WA
7/22 -
Emerald of Siam - Richland, WA
7/23 -
Wildwood Music Fest - Sheridan, OR
7/24 - Harbor Grange Hall - Harbor, OR
7/29 - Cafe du Nord - San Francisco, CA
7/30 - Don Quixote's International Music Hall - Felton, CA
ergospelsingers.com
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