Silveroller aren’t here to start a revolution. The UK-based Gen-Z blues rockers are a proudly traditional band, with a bone-deep appreciation for “rock’n’roll in its purest form”. At the heart of their sound is a need for simplicity; a back-to-basics, no-frills approach that’s not a rehash of the past, but an extension of it.
“It’s not a maths equation, it’s rock’n’roll,” says frontman Jonnie Hodson, talking about Silveroller’s new EP At Dawn, a patchouli-spiced, groove-flushed feast of feverish blues rock, soaked in whisky at its edges.
Blues pioneers such as Muddy Waters, Freddie King and Albert Collins, as well as Led Zeppelin, are echoed within Silveroller’s folksy stylings and soulful melodies. “We’re going to that original well where rock’n’roll came from,” Hodson explains. “There’s not many bells and whistles; it’s raw.”
They’re also strong advocates of recording live in the studio, where trapping bum notes is all part of the magic. “What made Johnny Cash as rock’n’roll as AC/DC or Black Sabbath was the attitude and rawness,” adds guitarist Aaron Keylock. “It’s capturing that and not losing it.”
Despite only being in their mid-20s, Silveroller are not new to the scene. In 2017 Keylock appeared in Classic Rock as a solo artist. Not satisfied with that centre-stage role, he sought out a band. “Growing up, I wanted what Tom Petty had [with The Heartbreakers],” he says. “I wanted that brother.”
After an unforgettable first meeting with Hodson at one of his own gigs, the stars began to align. They later met up to jam. Now, Keylock compares their brotherhood to “the whole Jagger/Richards thing”. The band is filled out by players from all over the country, including drummer Joe Major, organist Ross Munro and bass player Jake James Cornes.
While Hodson comes from Liverpool and Keylock from Oxford, distance has never hindered their determination to make music. “We are a no-fixed-abode band,” Keylock says.“We just move the circus wherever it needs to go and set up camp.”
Although they rarely practise, when they do get together the band of brothers are so tightly knit that they even share clothes. “There’s five guys and probably four pairs of jeans between us,” Keylock admits.
Looking ahead, Hodson hopes that one day they’ll perform in Chicago, the musical wellspring of their heroes. In the meantime, they’re enjoying the overwhelming love from fans, some of whom have pegged them as Britain's answer to a certain American band.
“Since the dawn of rock’n’roll, it’s been a transatlantic conversation between us and the US,” Hodson says, “and we haven’t sent anything back yet. We’re the UK’s reply to Greta Van Fleet”.
