Black Stone Cherry: Celebrating Staying True
Twenty years since the self-titled debut shone a spot light onto the Kentuckian quartet, BLACK STONE CHERRY have consistently proved themselves to be a band of authentic quality. Steadfastly sticking to their own values and principles has seen them attain popularity far outstripping the dreams of their teenage selves. With fans the world over finding a band that speaks to them and with them, BLACK STONE CHERRY have continued to prove doubters wrong and navigate their own musical journey offering moments of emotional rawness and raucous rabble rousing. They wear their heart on their collective sleeve and seek only to play the music they love for the fans that love them.
For a band now firmly entrenched in their career with eight studio albums under their belt, each one offering a slightly different look into the musical psyche of BLACK STONE CHERRY, it seems unusual that their impending new release should be an EP rather than another album. There is no need to build momentum or carve a space for a band that is already so widely recognised and rightfully lauded. Yet as guitarist Ben Wells puts it, “we’re excited to have this new collection of songs coming out. We’re always excited for new music to come out. The reason for the EP though is that people are digesting music so fast now. So instead of taking, say, thirteen songs and touring that for a year, people are already looking at you thinking what’s new?”
With streaming being such a predominate way for music being absorbed, this sounds like a shrewd move. Ben adds, “it’s also that half an album that usually gets the most attention, radio play and so on.” Therefore, by going down the road of seven songs with six originals and a cover, it seems that BLACK STONE CHERRY are trying out a new way to ensure that there is maximum attention kept on the music they are excited to release. The next stage of the plan, Ben explains, “once we’ve toured on this, we’ll look to put out a follow-up, see how it goes and if it pans out. It’s about staying fresh and current.”
With several singles already available, they’re certainly making sure they get maximum exposure to the new stuff, and Ben’s infectious enthusiasm for the latest music is well founded. For those that have heard the singles, including the extremely fun cover of Don’t You (Forget About Me), will know that there is a blend of vintage BLACK STONE CHERRY spark with a flair of them making sure the sound doesn’t stagnate into something audiences have heard before.
An aspect that people latched onto very quickly was the authenticity that BLACK STONE CHERRY portrayed. They are very clearly a band of friends that have been together a long time and have a unified musical taste that translates into music that is easy to respond to. This is true within the Celebrate EP, with several of the tracks retaining that early quality but never losing sight of their humble beginnings. A lot of this is down to the creative process. Ben explains the origins, “we would come up with riffs at sound check that we record on phones, take them back and flesh them out. Neon Eyes is a prime example.”The place where they fleshed them out was Ben’s own home. “Everyday we would come in with kind of nothing and leave with a song. It was really cool. It kind of reminded me of the old days in the practice house. Sitting around saying who has this and who has what. Creating in that moment.”
When talk turns to the longevity of both the friendship within the band and what they have created over the past two decades, Ben is quick to stay modest. “It’s something I do not take for granted at all. Thankful to do what I do with my best friends and we love doing it.” The passion of their music has always shone through and Ben puts a lot of it down to the bond they share. “We believe in what we do, we love creating music together, experiencing life together. Whatever those experiences may be. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but we can put them into song.” While this kind of statement may sound trite were it to come from another musician, the earnestness with which Ben speaks of how the band gel together lends undisputable credence to his words that they do genuinely put themselves into every song.
The sentiments which BLACK STONE CHERRY have always sought to portray have always been clear, yet on an EP release such as this, they come across in a more refined and powerful way. As Ben puts it, “if you have a song with a lot to say, you put that on an album of twelve or so songs, it might get lost. We want to showcase each track for what it is, musically and lyrically, and give that experience to the listener.”
BLACK STONE CHERRY have always felt like a reliable band from their inception. To those that have followed them from the debut and been present for every release, they’ll know that while there are some moments that hit harder than others, as Ben puts it. “You can get burned out, take a step back, come back to it and think wow that was actually really cool and get reenergised.” The quartet have arguably never put a foot wrong. They’re consistent with their output and they put everything out there for a live show. They are happy playing the music they love but simultaneously they will also honour the fans. “We’ve always been open and honest with what we do. I want to hope that people know how much we care about what we do and how much we truly care about our fans too.” Summarising with a broad smile, “I can’t wait to get back out there.”
Celebrate is out now via Mascot Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS128 here:
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