Rooted in Saint John, Hammond River Collective give us blues with some added funk, all nicely wrapped together in a rock ‘n’ roll package. They’ve just released their debut self titled album, providing us with fourteen tracks that are reminiscent of an era of classic rock.
“We’ve been a band for two years, but we never really considered what we had were songs, but more so jams at first” says lead vocalist Aaron Kelly. “They weren’t like jam band jams, but more like rock and roll blues and funk jams. It wasn’t until about 6 months in that we started considering them songs and structuring them.”
The album opens with “I Really Don’t Care,” throwing us ears first into edgy guitar riffs and powerful vocals. Right off the bat we realize we are in for a hell of a ride.
Moving down the tracklist we take a breath as we reach “Hey Rita,” which provides us with a slightly more mellow mood. Adding emotion to the lyrics with an addition of the soft hum of a harmonica, the band spin a tale of a relationship where one man is fighting for the woman he loves to stay instead of returning to the man who does not treat her right.
There is no shortage of energy throughout the entire album. It gives you the feeling that these guys must have had some fun while creating it, even though they may have come across a few challenges along the way.
“The biggest challenge would have been balancing our personal lives and band time. I got married, Jay and Mike both had kids all around the time we were in the studio. It has been a crazy ride with some personal sacrifices, but worth it.” say Kelly
Standing out from the album is the happy discovery of “Bluff Creek.” The blend of groovy bass lines and funky percussion coincides perfectly with Kelly’s dynamic vocal range.
“Bluff Creek is our pride and joy. I love prog rock, and we all wanted a full piece like this. It has a monstrous walk to it that kind of gave me glimpses of monster-movie-era stuff. I love all the cheesy stuff that came out of that era, and just the idea of possible undiscovered creatures is cool to me, so why not write about one.”
The band takes notes from talents such as Van Morrison, Robert Plant and Steven Tyler, just to name a few. And while they’re leaning into that classic rock sound, the inspiration drawn by these great performers allows Hammond River Collective to create something that is truly their own.
“We’ll be playing as many shows as we can. It’s something we all really love to do, so we don’t plan on slowing down any time soon.”
Show Dates:
06.15.19 – Saint John, NB @ Loyalist City Ribfest
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(Photo: Cory Harris)