Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Sound Company makes its own kind of rock & roll, mixing psychedelic swagger with rhythmic, groove-driven stomp. The band is thrilled to announce the release of their self-titled new album out May 31st via Core Sample Records.
Gluing the mix together is the chemistry of a band whose five members have all logged years in Louisville’s music scene. Some have toured internationally. Some have owned local music venues. Together, they’re a rock act whose sound mirrors the vibe of their hometown, nodding to traditions of the past while also pushing ahead into new territory. Call it classic-minded indie rock for a modern audience, with songs that bounce between the hypnotic and the heavy-hitting.
Years before releasing the band’s self-titled debut on Core Sample Records, guitarist Billy Lease, frontman Hunter Embry, and bass player Jeremy Grawemeyer held Sound Company’s first rehearsals during the summer of 2015. By early 2016, they’d begun recording original music together, too, releasing their kickoff single — the moody, dynamic “Run,” written in protest of Kentucky’s controversial governor, Matt Bevin. The band’s audience grew, as did their lineup, with Nick Hall joining on keyboards, Josh Anna on drums and Jaime Innis replacing the late Grawemeyer on bass.
With Sound Company, their seven-song LP, the guys team up with engineer/mixer Dave Chale, already celebrated for his work with Low Cut Connie, Fifth on the Floor, Wax Fang, and Shooter Jennings. They recorded the album at DeadBird Studios, joined by several local guests during the process. Mastered by Grammy winner Marco Ramirez at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX, Sound Company is heavy and riff-ready, with Embry’s vocals — cut from the same burly, unchained cloth as Jim Morrison — sharing the spotlight with overdriven guitars, swirling keys, and the band’s amplified version of rhythm and blues.
Glide is proud to premiere “The Tip” (below) the hook aggressive opener that rallies with bursts of soul and rock, along with a classic long-haired ripping guitar solo that hollers of 70’s rock glory. Sound Company combines elements of The Cult, Allman Brothers Band and The Oh Sees into a bluesy guitar rock whirlwind.
“Thie Tip,’ which is the album opener, was actually the last song we had written, prior to the start of recording. Nick (Hall) came to a rehearsal with the general idea of the song – the rest of the band knew where to take it. To me, it’s very much a vintage pop song with a psychedelic swagger.
However, the lyrics didn’t come together so easily,” adds Embry. “At one point, the entire record had been tracked, except for the vocals on this one. I went back n forth with several ideas lyrically, but nothing was working. One evening, I was in my basement listening to the Gil Scott-Heron song “Whitey On The Moon.” Gil’s song is about social and racial injustice. I decided to use the lyrics “Look out now, whitey’s on the moon” to illustrate a manic episode and to kick off a song about the ups-and-downs of the mind. The lyrics were done in minutes, vocals tracked quickly and we asked our friend Gina C to lay down some background and she did, as Gina does, emotively and powerfully.”
Photos by Ty Goodwin
