Following the release of their first two acclaimed albums, Please Make Welcome (2011) and Holly Grove (2013), the Atlanta-based band The Whiskey Gentry are set to release their third full-length studio album entitled Dead Ringer this spring. On it, the husband and wife duo of Lauren Staley & Jason Morrow and bandmates have created an effort that builds on many of the sounds of their previous albums - incorporating deep country, Americana, honky-tonk, bluegrass and a stiff shot of gritty rock 'n' roll, yet it also finds the band testing themselves and pushing beyond their own boundaries.
Dead Ringer deals with growing up, and how that's affected the band's relationships, and the places they've gone and people they've met in the process. As singer/songwriter Lauren Staley puts it, "There's also a lot of questioning where you are in your life: are you going to follow your dream, or are you going to do what society thinks you should do?" It's apparent with this effort that Staley & Co. have opted for the former. "A common lyrical thread throughout this album are stories about being on the road," Lauren admits, "and chasing your dreams and the outcomes - either good or bad - in doing that." Stepping outside of the comfort zone of their previous recordings, the band has moved in a different direction musically. "Sonically, the biggest difference of this record is that we recorded it live together in the same room at Echo Mountain Recording Studio (Asheville, NC)," Lauren explains. "There are less overdubs, which makes it sound more like how it would if you were to see us in person - it's raw, it's not perfect. We worked with a producer for the first time (Les Hall), and he had so many amazing ideas we'd never thought of and really pushed us to think outside of our box. There's an energy on this record that we've never captured before, and I think it was a complete game changer for our sound."THE WHISKEY GENTRY SHARES THEIR NEW MAKING-OF DEAD RINGER VIDEO | CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND SHARE
The Whiskey Gentry premiered the new track "Looking For Trouble" via No Depression. Click here to check it out.
THE WHISKEY GENTRY TOUR DATES:THE WHISKEY GENTRY TOUR DATES:
Mar 09 - The Buckhead Theatre w/ Dwight Yoakam - Atlanta, GA
Mar 15 - SXSW - Atomic Music Group Presents @ The White Horse - Austin, TX
Mar 17 - SXSW - NoiseTrade & PledgeMusic present FryeDays @ The Blackheart - Austin, TX
Mar 18 - SXSW - Brooklyn Country Cantina @ Licha's Cantina - Austin, TX
Mar 31 - The Willow Tree - Johnson City, TN
Apr 01 - Barley's Taproom - Knoxville, TN
Apr 07 - Center Stage - Atlanta, GA
Apr 08 - 40 Watt - Athens, GA
Apr 27 - New Brookland Tavern - Columbia, SC
Apr 28 - The Evening Muse - Charlotte, NC
Apr 29 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
May 5 - Jack Rabbits - Jacksonville, FL
May 11 - The Southgate House Revival: The Lounge - Newport, KY
May 12 - The Warehouse at Mt. Victor - Bowling Green, KY
May 13 - The Basement - Nashville, TN
May 19 - Revelry Room - Chattanooga, TN
May 31 - The Broadberry - Richmond, VA
Jun 1 - Hill Country - Washington DC
Jun 2 - Hill Country - New York City, NY
Jun 3 - The Shaskeen - Manchester, NH
Jun 4 - Atwoods Tavern - Cambridge, MA
Jun 7 - Sellersville Theatre - Sellversville, PA
Jun 8 - Howlers - Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 9 - MusicBox Supper Club - Cleveland, OH
Jun 10 - RibFest - Chicago, IL
(additional dates to be announced soon)
Videos