We first introduced you to the rock riot of People’s Blues of Richmond late last year with the exclusive premiere of “Gone Gone Gone”. Now we continue the trend of tearing down the joint with “Richmond City Hangover Blues,” the latest offering from the band’s upcoming album Quit or Die, out June 10 (pre-order).
Quit or Die is touted as a psychedelic prog-punk workout that combines the raw garage sound of The White Stripes’ White Blood Cells, the manic vocal style of Modest Mouse’s Lonesome Crowded West, and the acrobatic prog of The Mars Volta.
“‘Richmond City Hangover Blues’ is an important song to this band for a couple of reasons,” frontman Tim Beavers explains. “Lyrically, it has always been one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. Musically, it started as a simple progression that I wrote around 2012. When we recorded our second album in 2013, RCHB (as we call it) didn’t feel quite ready so we took the quote ‘Good Time Suicide'” from the song as the title for the album but left the song off.”
Beavers continued: “Around that time, Neko and I were playing in a side project called “Thumper” when me and Matty decided to make him the drummer for PBR. When Neko and I got together so I could teach him some PBR songs we ended up deciding to write new material for the new band lineup. The first instrumental we came up with ended up being the crazy version of ‘Richmond City Hangover Blues’ that is being released today. We hope you enjoy our ode to the madness that is being a Richmond band. From life on tour sleeping on floors to washing dishes in bars to make ends meet, we’ll do anything to keep this dream alive and RCHB is our rock n’ roll mission statement!”
An ode to madness it certainly is. Check out the tempo-shifting marriage of punk and prog in “Richmond City Hangover Blues below, premiered on Crave:
People’s Blues of Richmond co-founders and lifelong friends Beavers and Matt Volkes (bass, backing vox) began playing music together in college as a way to grieve the loss of a mutual friend. Those bleak, drug-fueled days pushed the two into a maelstrom of songwriting and camaraderie that led to their 2011 debut LP, Hard-On Blues. They followed with the self-released Good Time Suicide in 2013, the album recorded on the exact same handmade ’68 Flickinger board used to record T. Rex’s Futuristic Dragon. Immediately following this album, People’s Blues of Richmond’s lineup finally solidified with the addition of friend and powerhouse drummer Neko Williams (son of Drummie Zeb of legendary reggae band The Wailers).
Quit or Die arrives June 10. Pre-order now, and keep up with PBR at their official site, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
