"No one is making records like this today..No new artist anyways" - Producer, Frank Marchand
Washington, DC (PRWEB) September 07, 2014
Big Drums, Loud Guitars and Strong Melodies. That has always been the motto of Washington DC Rocker Zach Bellas. A singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, label owner, and avid Do It Yourselfer born in Fairfax, VA, Zach Bellas has sprung into the live music circuit with an unparalleled tenacity.
Bellas began his professional music career as an acoustic performer in Columbus, OH in 2006. However, his desire for Rock n Roll Glory began much earlier. A product of the MTV generation, Zach was binge watching music videos from a very young age and instantly caught the bug after watching some of those iconic 80’s Hair Metal band videos which soon would become the even more iconic 90’s Grunge videos that would follow. By the time Bellas hit the 7th grade, however, it was all about punk rock.
“I remember sending a cassette tape of my band in High School to the Dischord offices asking them if they would sign us. And they wrote back! I couldn’t believe it. We got a post card that had writing all around the sides and told us that we didn’t need a label and that we should just make 7” records and put them out ourselves just like Ian [Mackaye]. Needless to say, it left a huge impression on me.”
Flash forward almost 20 years and Bellas is now set to deliver his fifth full-length release under his own label SMB Records. Completely self-financed he has toured the contiguous United States several times over, including tours supporting veteran rockers Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity, has recorded with legends such as Junior Marvin of Bob Marley and The Wailers, shared the stage with Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Donovan and had his music played on hundreds of the top radio stations. All without the help of a manger or agent.
After a fairly grand production on Bellas’ solo debut, ‘Whatever You Want’ (2012) - an album that featured nearly a dozen musicians from the DC area and everything from string quartets to piano and organ and even a flute – Bellas knew the next album should be slightly simplified sonically.
The result, ‘Let Me Out’ is a 33 minute nod to the classic LP of old. A classic collection of rock sounds with a contemporary twist that could quickly be described as Neil Young meets the Red Hot Chili Peppers. All seven tracks were largely recorded live in a single take in the studio at Hudson Street Sounds in Annapolis. The entire album was tracked and mixed in just four days.
“I wanted to see what would happen if you put four guys in a room and just let them rip. Real instruments played by real people in one room, in true concert with one another. We had just come off of a long tour, so we had these songs down once we hit the studio. The sessions couldn’t have gone better.”
Most of the songs started with a vocal melody and a rhythm guitar, then add a strong, dynamic drum beat, a simple bass groove and a healthy dose of some heartfelt lead guitar work. Work those songs out over and over again live for audiences across America and boom, you got a Zach Bellas record.
Frank Marchand, who has worked with Bellas on many other projects, including his debut solo album ‘Whatever You Want’ which was featured on hundreds of radio stations across the country and earned Zach a Washington Area Music Award Nomination for Artist of the Year, co-produced and engineered the new album.
“We were shooting for something with a very 1970’s Rock n Roll feel. Like an updated ‘Harvest’ or ‘Rumors’…Something that was relevant now but with that classic sound.” Frank continued, “No one is making records that sound like this today…no new artist anyways.”
‘Let Me Out’ will be available everywhere on September 26th, 2014 and Zach Bellas & The Company Band are set to do a short tour of the Northeast USA this fall. The official release will be at Iota Club and Café in Arlington, VA on September 26th.
For Tour Dates, Music, Videos and More Info: Log on to http://www.zachbellasmusic.com
