Johnson Kuhn | new scene
Clay Rose is what you’ll name Colorado musical royalty. Having based a number of bands, from his present long-running challenge Gasoline Lollipops to his highly regarded band Zombie-Loss of life-Polka. Widow’s Bane even entertaining audiences with numerous solo performances, Clay Rose is a reputation that is laborious to overlook.
Gasoline Lollipops will headline the Rialto Theater in Loveland as a part of the Sweetheart competition on Friday, February 10 at 7 p.m. heartbreaking tales from Clay’s songs, of which there are numerous.
With the infinite ups and downs all through life that include the pursuit of goals and happiness, Clay mentioned she typically displays on the recommendation somebody as soon as gave her, which was that the worry of shedding what you’ve is at all times far better than the worry of not getting what you’ve. you need. Clay defined that his complete life, he is solely been afraid of not getting what he wished as a result of he actually had nothing to lose, and it wasn’t till lately that he skilled the worry of shedding what he has, which he summarizes. saying, “It is lots more durable to have shit than to not have shit.”
As a lot as anybody will acknowledge their title, they’ll definitely acknowledge the title Gasoline Lollipops as properly, as they’ve been identified to tour the world, in addition to headlining all the foremost venues in Colorado, and have additionally obtained important radio play. . Clay lately sat down with New Scene to speak about beginning over and staying constructive, as many bands have been compelled to do through the COVID-19 pandemic. As Clay defined, although he was compelled to decelerate with the large progress of the band, the possibility to reevaluate his causes for enjoying music within the first place turned out to be the very best factor that would have occurred.
“I had been climbing this ladder and it appeared systematic and doable after which abruptly the entire construction collapsed and there was no objective anymore, so I had to determine if I used to be going to proceed taking part in music with out a objective.” Clay mentioned. “For the primary yr of the pandemic, I believed, ‘No, I am not and I am achieved,’ I used to be simply going to hit a hammer on building work once more, which I did simply out of necessity. However then there was a type of liberation from not pursuing a objective; At a sure level I noticed that I’ve to maintain taking part in music simply to keep up my sanity and some extent of non secular well being. Now I really feel like I am again to taking part in music for the precise causes for the primary time in a very long time.”
Because the pandemic has grow to be much less intense, Clay mentioned he looks like issues have began to return to regular in a way, however on the identical time there is no denying the sensation that the band went again “10 miles in time.” street”.
“It is again to 2010 regular,” Clay mentioned. “Clearly, we’re not the one ones who’ve to start out over to a point, however I am additionally at an age the place it is laborious to return ten years once I’m ten years older than I used to be then. I certain really feel like an previous canine.”
2017 was not solely the yr the band noticed their largest line-up, it was additionally the yr they noticed their largest success. At the moment, Clay mentioned the band sits pretty steady as a five-piece and has been for the previous few years.
Though followers have grown accustomed to seeing Clay’s solo units, The Rialto will characteristic the total band, nonetheless it’s going to encompass a extra stripped-down acoustic-style set. Clay defined that the explanation for the stripped-down set is that the Rialto is a spot to sit down, which the band would not normally play in on account of its excessive power, so for this event, they’re excited to shake issues up by dialing again the sound. to deal with their extra songwriter tunes quite than crowd favourite “rockers”, whereas additionally offering a bit extra perception into the historical past of these songs and the place they got here from.
For instance, Clay mentioned that her track Mary Rose, which was initially launched on the Resurrection album in 2017, it was one among many songs that started off as a ballad however ultimately turned an up-tempo track just because the unique incarnation of the band was taking part in so many gigs in seedy bars and loud golf equipment the place Clay mentioned no. they may. I actually maintain the viewers’s consideration with ballads.
“We would have liked as many rockers as we may get, so we turned quite a lot of these ballads into rockers, and Mary Rose turned a dance track, and I do not assume lots of people heard the lyrics or knew what they had been. over,” Clay mentioned. “That track is definitely about one among my sisters who was murdered in 2005, so it is a deeply private track, a bit heavy, however traditionally it has been lined in a rock and roll sheen, which I assume in a way is like the medication that helped decrease your sugar, however on our most up-to-date album we revisited the track and performed it again in its authentic format in order that the lyrics stand out extra and you will get a greater thought of what that track is about.”
Challenges and ups and downs apart, followers might be joyful to know that the band feels the times of licking their wounds are over and the times of melting viewers faces have returned to the season. Together with his present lineup of Don Ambory on lead guitar, Dangerous Brad Morse on bass, Kevin Matthews on drums and Scott Coulter on keys, Clay mentioned the boys are again to plotting world domination as soon as once more.
“I’ve undoubtedly hit sufficient nails now to recollect what that life is like; It is laborious being an ageing rock star, however it’s a lot more durable being an ageing building employee,” Clay mentioned. “If I am going two weeks with out giving a present, I am going loopy, it is greater than a job or a interest for me, it is remedy. It is actually needed for my sanity to maintain taking part in music, so within the face of all that, we have re-motivated ourselves to get again on the profession path. We’re getting strategic about it and planning excursions for the summer season. We will give it one other push as a result of what the hell, we’re nonetheless right here, we’re nonetheless sucking air, it’d as properly.”
Gasoline Lollipops have definitely come a great distance since their origins in 2005 as a ‘cowboy duo’ with Jonny “Machine Gun” Mouser, and in terms of sound, Clay mentioned there’s not a hint of it left, and the title is all that was left However whether or not it is Gasoline Lollipops or The Widow’s Bane or the rest, because the query says, what’s in a reputation? What we name a (clay) rose (band) by another title would scent simply as candy and sound simply as impolite.
You’ll want to try the band on the Gasoline Lollipops Fb Web page or in gasolinelollipops.com.
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