Things were rolling along nicely in the Electric Band camp as they decamped to the studio to record the long-awaited follow-up to 2015's critically acclaimed Trouble With The Blues album. They'd just played a typically storming set in Edinburgh's Voodoo Rooms, less than a month after rocking London's iconic 100 Club. They had some killer new material to work with and, true to form, a big ol' batch of tour dates planned across the remainder of the year. Life, it seemed, was looking pretty good.
Then war broke out. As the band got into the studio together, news broke around the world that Russia had invaded Ukraine, sparking a bloody conflict that continues to this day. The Scottish four-piece couldn't help but feel affected by the alarming images coming out of Ukraine, and it had a profound effect on what came next.
“Art and music should reflect reality, or be the reality of reflection," says singer, guitarist and band leader, Gerry Jablonski. "We walked into the studio on the morning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The terrifying events of the unfolding war started shaping the mood and the sounds we were creating. It seemed like the lyrics never meant so much before, the sound never felt so dark. This unknown and new reality deeply affected our music and performance during this session. The sound of the album is a sum of the experiences and the feelings that inspired us during the recording process”.
“We went into the studio with a plan but as Mike Tyson used to say, 'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,'" adds harmonica player Peter Narojczyk. "In our case that punch came from the unfolding war the very morning we started the session."
While the war itself wouldn't be a direct influence on all the lyrics across the entirety of the new record, it added an extra layer of darkness that elevated the emotional resonance of the songs The Electric Band were writing.
"Lyrically, the album comments on the current events," continues Narojczyk. "From the war (Hard Road) and environmental disasters (Heavy Water), to mental health issues (Tiny Thoughts) or the high cost of living ( Breaking The Stones ). But it was never meant to be delivered with such an intensity."
There is indeed a subtle darkness and sense of melancholy to the new album, titled 105. It's hiding there, just under the surface; a seething, brooding propulsion driving forwards the groovy, bluesy stomp that's sewn across rock 'n' roll bangers like Strange Love, Breaking The Stones and riotous single, Goddamn, which was originally released last year. It all results in one of the finest slabs of heavy blues you'll likely hear this year, and given Gerry Jablonski And The Electric Band's famously brilliant live shows, it'll put you right in the mood to catch them at a venue near you as soon as possible. Given how much the band evidently love hitting the road and touring their asses off, we suspect it won't take you very long to find an excuse to go watch them, either.
"Music and art should reflect the world we live in ," notes Narojczyk, "and right now, the world feels dark and heavy!”
The world is dark and heavy indeed, but with 105, Gerry Jablonski And The Electric Band have produced the tonic you need to help you through the dark times.
Gerry Jablonski And The Electric Band's 105 is out now. Order the album here: https://bit.ly/3tnWdAF
