Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans, the new noise rang like a Sunday morning church bell, calling on saints and sinners alike to free their minds and become part of the revolution. They came out of the Southern swamps, the California desert, the working class towns of the Midwest and all along the East Coast. Loud guitars and larger than life drumming came together with storytelling poetry. Rebel-ism gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll.
Every few years or so, a special batch comes up from the ground, to serve as a beacon. Black Stone Cherry have arrived with their second Roadrunner Records release, Folklore and Superstition.
"There is a mystique with folklore and superstition," says Black Stone Cherry drummer John Fred Young. "We're intrigued by and interested in history, roots and heritage, and we incorporate that into our songs."
The ability to tell compelling stories and lyrical tales isn't the only thing that Black Stone Cherry bring to the table. Folklore and Superstition isn't just a Southern rock record. It's an American rock n’ roll record. The album is a timeless work by American pied pipers destined to take their music from the back roads of America to the four corners of the globe. "We are taking Southern tradition and giving a taste to the rest of the world," says bassist/vocalist Jon Lawhon.
Black Stone Cherry didn't stray too far away from home to record the album. The band wrote all the songs in the infamous Practice House, an old farmhouse used by John Fred’s father and uncle to write Grammy winning albums for The Kentucky Headhunters. A song like “Soul Creek” fills the room with its vintage arena rock sound yet was born where the band held bonfires around a creek across the country road.
The band enlisted famed rock producer Bob Marlette (Ozzy, Shinedown, Quiet Riot) and headed to Nashville’s Blackbird Studios that has housed everyone from Kid Rock to The Raconteurs, just 85 miles from their hometown of Edmonton, Kentucky. “We incorporated regional sounds into the mix throughout the album,” says Young. The band used turkey calls, a banjo and a washtub basin, among other things. Jon Lawhon recalls, "I made a washtub bass out of a broom handle and nylon rope!" Clearly, the band shied away from absolutely nothing when it came time to explore and experiment. "We didn't want to leave any door unopened while recording," says guitarist/vocalist Ben Wells.
Hitting the road in support of their 2006 self-titled debut helped inspire and direct Black Stone Cherry's worldview when it came time to write the new album. The band traveled extensively outside the United States during the tour cycle. This allowed them to stretch their creative muscle with songs like "Please Come In" and “Sunrise” which show the band's growth and diversity.
"This album has allowed us to dig deep into our roots," continues Young. "It also shows our influences in the songwriting. Our band is a positive band and we try to write songs that are uplifting. We also have a big storytelling side to us which comes through on songs like 'Ghost of Floyd Collins’ and ‘Reverend Wrinkle.’"
Vocalist/guitarist Chris Robertson reflects on the process, saying, “Starting out as a band seven years ago, with high hopes and even bigger dreams, I honestly believe this record shows the experience of our past travels, and gives a hint of the future. It captures all the energy and heart that embody Black Stone Cherry. We took some chances on this album and I believe that our fans will appreciate seeing the other sides of the band that they may or may not have known existed.”
Ben Wells comments on the band’s expansion of its sound and subject matter, saying "The songwriting took on a life of its own, as the structures of the songs themselves have grown so much from touring. We have so much more to talk about and can apply the things we picked up musically.” He admits the band also kept the ladies in mind this time around, recalling, “On the last album, girls would come up to us and say, 'You have songs for guys, so where are our songs?’ So we have a song called 'You' on this album, which is a timeless ballad."
The band’s family and friends are another influence. "Long Sleeves" is told from the viewpoint of a friend who took part in the battle of Mogadishu as featured in the film “Black Hawk Down,” while "Things My Father Said" is a ballad that hits home with people from all walks of life.
From the eerie swagger of “The Key” to the tell tale rocker “Blind Man” to the triumphant stomp of the anthem “Soul Creek,” to the heartfelt message of “Peace Is Free,” Black Stone Cherry say the trick to Folklore and Superstition is simply brotherhood, family, friends and home; no more, no less.
26/06/2009 - CLASSIC ROCK AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED- ROADRUNNER ACTS GAIN 6 NOMINATIONS Roadrunner Records is thrilled to bag a whole clutch of nominations in this year’s Classic Rock Magazine ‘Roll Of Honour’ 2009 Awards. The categories were ... 17/06/2009 - GET ROADRUNNER RELEASES FOR JUST £4.99 ON ITUNES In celebration of the plethora of bands that Roadrunner had play this years Download festival, iTunes are letting you download (see what we did there?!) ... 15/06/2009 - VOTE IN THIS YEARS KERRANG AWARDS Voting has opened up for this years KERRANG AWARDS! Has a Roadrunner album been the highlight of the past 12 months for you? Maybe 11/06/2009 - DOWNLOAD STAGE TIMES! PLUS SEE HOW YOU CAN GET THE BACKSTAGE GOSSIP!! It's almost time people!! Tomorrow DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2009 kicks off and this year, Roadrunner UK has a staggering ELEVEN bands on the bill, including the ... 11/06/2009 - ROADRUNNER UK CHAT TO BLACK STONE CHERRY; FOLKLORE & SUPERSTITION SPECIAL ED. OUT NOW! BLACK STONE CHERRY were in the UK recently in support of NICKELBACK so we took the opportunity to catch up wit 09/06/2009 - BLACK STONE CHERRY LAUNCH THINGS MY FATHER SAID VIDEO WIDGET To celebrate the release of their special edition of current album FOLKLORE & SUPERSTITION this week and upcoming digital single THINGS MY FATHER SAID (available ... 04/06/2009 - BLACK STONE CHERRY & STEADLUR ON DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL'S 'THE LOWDOWN' Head on over to the OFFICIAL DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL WEBSITE and you will see the latest installment of their podcast- 'The Lowdown'. I this snippet, you ... 03/06/2009 - EXTRA CAMPING TICKETS RELEASED FOR DOWNLOAD If you were one of those folks who had a ticket for DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL but had no camping sorted yet, you will be happy to ... 02/06/2009 - ROADRUNNER UK BLOG UPDATE There's been another update on the Roadrunner UK Blog and this time it's Sami, who looks after the online PR in the office and the ... 01/06/2009 - BLACK STONE CHERRY LIVE AT GIBSON GUITARS- PICS AND REVIEW When they were in the UK supporting label-mates NICKELBACK, BLACK STONE CHERRY used one of their days off to e 27/05/2009 - RR UK BLOG UPDATE- BEN FROM BLACK STONE CHERRY TAKES OVER BLACK STONE CHERRY are currently on tour here in the UK and Ben was finally able to get online on the road and update the ... 21/05/2009 - NEW SINGLE, NEW VIDEO, UPCOMING TOUR- ALL GO FOR BLACK STONE CHERRY Kentucky’s favourites BLACK STONE CHERRY begin their support slot on Nickelback’s UK arena run in Manchester tomorrow, and are set for their own flurry of hard ... 19/05/2009 - BLACK STONE CHERRY EXCITED TO BE BACK IN THE UK- NEW VIDEO INTERVIEW This week sees the BLACK STONE CHERRY guys come back to the UK to support their label mates NICKELBACK, so on 18/05/2009 - CHECK OUT THE NEW BLACK STONE CHERRY VIDEO- THINGS MY FATHER SAID BLACK STONE CHERRY hit the UK this week to support label mates NICKELBACK and so it's with rather good timing 15/05/2009 - PRE-ORDER SOME OF THE EXITING NEW RELEASES COMING UP ON ROADRUNNER We have some AMAZING new albums coming up and here we present the pre-order links for those of you who feel the need to hold ... 12/05/2009 - BLACK STONE CHERRY TO PLAY SPECIAL ACOUSTIC SHOW Black Stone Cherry will be playing a special acoustic set for Planet Rock Radio winners at Gibson Studios in London on May 27th. For your ... 06/05/2009 - NICKELBACK'S STAGE MANAGERS TALK ABOUT SETTING UP THE DARK HORSE TOUR Meet Donnie and Jerry. They have worked with NICKELBACK setting up their stages for years and this year, in the Dark Horse Tour, they have ... 21/04/2009 - DAYS AND STAGES CONFIRMED FOR DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Wondering when your fave Roadrunner bands are hitting the stage at this years DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL?? Then wonder no more. Here are the full deets on ... 20/04/2009 - SLIPKNOT ON THE COVER OF THE NEW ROCK SOUND PLUS MADINA LAKE, STEADLUR AND MORE!!! If you head to your local news agent and check out their shelves of music mags, you will be able to see the face of ... 01/04/2009 - HOGCAT = GOTCHA!!! Sadly, there will be no RR supergroup of members of Trivium, DragonForce, DevilDriver, Black Stone Cherry and Killswitch Engage performing at this years Download festival.It ... 26/06/2009CLASSIC ROCK AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED- ROADRUNNER ACTS GAIN 6 NOMINATIONS Roadrunner Records is thrilled to bag a whole clutch of nominations in this year’s Classic Rock Magazine ‘Roll Of Honour’ 2009 Awards. The categories were ... 15/06/2009VOTE IN THIS YEARS KERRANG AWARDS Voting has opened up for this years KERRANG AWARDS! Has a Roadrunner album been the highlight of the past 12 months for you? Maybe 01/06/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY LIVE AT GIBSON GUITARS- PICS AND REVIEW When they were in the UK supporting label-mates NICKELBACK, BLACK STONE CHERRY used one of their days off to e 20/04/2009SLIPKNOT ON THE COVER OF THE NEW ROCK SOUND PLUS MADINA LAKE, STEADLUR AND MORE!!! If you head to your local news agent and check out their shelves of music mags, you will be able to see the face of ... 11/06/2009DOWNLOAD STAGE TIMES! PLUS SEE HOW YOU CAN GET THE BACKSTAGE GOSSIP!! It's almost time people!! Tomorrow DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2009 kicks off and this year, Roadrunner UK has a staggering ELEVEN bands on the bill, including the ... 06/01/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY ON XBOX LIVE 12/01 Hard-rocking Southern band BLACK STONE CHERRY will be on Xbox LIVE® January 12 to play members in 19/05/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY EXCITED TO BE BACK IN THE UK- NEW VIDEO INTERVIEW This week sees the BLACK STONE CHERRY guys come back to the UK to support their label mates NICKELBACK, so on 25/03/2009TEN ROADRUNNER BANDS NOW CONFIRMED FOR THIS YEARS DOWNLOAD! It's another killer year for Roadrunner at DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL with TEN of our artists now confirmed for the fest! Stirring up the mosh pits and ... 30/03/2009NICKELBACK TRIUMPH AT THE JUNO AWARDS NICKELBACK dominated Canada's Juno awards at the weekend, opening the show with a performance of their track 'Something In Your Mouth', and collecting three awards ... 13/08/2008EXCLUSIVE BLACK STONE CHERRY INTERVIEW Check out this exclusive chat with BLACK STONE CHERRY, where they full us in on the recording and inspiration behind their new album FOLKLORE & ... 19/02/2009RR DIGITAL SPECIAL EDITIONS AVAILABLE MARCH 2ND Here's your chance to own some of the best Roadrunner Records has to offer with the digital releases planned for March 2nd! With full special ... 08/12/2008ROADRUNNER BARGAINS ON ITUNES If you head over to iTunes NOW, you will find two amazing Roadrunner offers!!For the month of December the NICKELBACK back-catalogue will be reduced to ... 04/12/2008BLACK STONE CHERRY- UK TOUR KICKS OFF TOMORROW (05/12) PLUS NEW VIDEO!! BLACK STONE CHERRY kick off their UK tour in support of current album FOLKLORE AND SUPERSTITION tomorrow (DECEMBER 5TH) and to coincide with this, we ... 14/01/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY TO ROCK PLANET ROCK This coming Saturday (17/01) BLACK STONE CHERRY will be taking over the My Planet Rocks show on PLANET ROCK 21/04/2009DAYS AND STAGES CONFIRMED FOR DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Wondering when your fave Roadrunner bands are hitting the stage at this years DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL?? Then wonder no more. Here are the full deets on ... 17/03/2009MORE ROADRUNNER BANDS ADDED TO THE DOWNLOAD BILL Midnight last night saw yet more Roadrunner bands added to the bill of this years DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL. 12/05/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY TO PLAY SPECIAL ACOUSTIC SHOW Black Stone Cherry will be playing a special acoustic set for Planet Rock Radio winners at Gibson Studios in London on May 27th. For your ... 18/05/2009CHECK OUT THE NEW BLACK STONE CHERRY VIDEO- THINGS MY FATHER SAID BLACK STONE CHERRY hit the UK this week to support label mates NICKELBACK and so it's with rather good timing 04/06/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY & STEADLUR ON DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL'S 'THE LOWDOWN' Head on over to the OFFICIAL DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL WEBSITE and you will see the latest installment of their podcast- 'The Lowdown'. I this snippet, you ... 09/06/2009BLACK STONE CHERRY LAUNCH THINGS MY FATHER SAID VIDEO WIDGET To celebrate the release of their special edition of current album FOLKLORE & SUPERSTITION this week and upcoming digital single THINGS MY FATHER SAID (available ... Things My Father Said Things My Father Said Folklore & Superstition- Special Edition Folklore & Superstition- Special Edition Please Come In Please Come In Folklore & Superstition Folklore & Superstition Rain Wizard Rain Wizard Hell and High Water Hell and High Water Black Stone Cherry Black Stone Cherry Promo Live Shots Black Stone Cherry live at Gibson Guitars London, May 27 2009 credit www.angelamariekeen.com credit www.angelamariekeen.com credit www.angelamariekeen.com credit www.angelamariekeen.com
