Blues Pills - Live (2015)

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Blues Pills - Live (2015)

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Ultimately comprising members from Sweden, the U.S., and France, this retro-flavored blues-rock quartet were originally founded as a trio in 2011 when the former rhythm section of Iowa act Radio Moscow – Zack Anderson and Cory Berry – recorded a demo with vocalist Elin Larsson in her Swedish hometown of Orebro. While on tour in France, Anderson and Berry met a gifted 16-year-old guitarist named Dorian Sorriaux and invited him to join the band. Excited by what Sorriaux brought to their sound, the band issued their debut EP, Bliss, under the name Blues Pills in 2012; their moniker inspired by the name of a friend's blog that focused on music of the '60s and '70s. A single, Black Smoke, followed later that year, and 2013 brought appearances at prestigious European festivals such as Roadburn in Tilburg in the Netherlands, and DesertFest in Berlin. The band managed to tie in a 2013 German tour with their itinerary, and when representatives of that country's Nuclear Blast label witnessed a handful of their shows, Larsson and co. secured a record deal.

The Devil Man EP – their first release on the label – saw the light of day that October and was produced by Don Alsterberg, who had previously worked with fellow Swedish rock acts Horisont and Graveyard. While Larsson claimed that her soul-inspired vocals were influenced by artists such as Big Mama Thornton, Etta James, and Aretha Franklin; the press continued to compare Blues Pills, as a whole, to acts such as Big Brother & the Holding Company, Led Zeppelin, and Free. When it came to recording their self-titled debut album, the band retained Alsterberg for its warm, all-analog sessions, which only reinforced the retro nature of their sound. On its release in July 2014, Blues Pills hit the Top Five in Germany and also charted in Austria, Switzerland, and the U.K.

After rigorous touring across Europe, Berry left and was replaced by drummer Andre Kvarnstrom. The band's concert at the underground German Freak Valley Festival was issued as Blues Pills Live. Re-entering the studio at the end of the year, the band announced a second album, Lady in Gold, in late April 2016; the title track was issued as a single in May. The full length – again produced by Alsterberg – was issued in August during Blues Pills' European tour.

by James Wilkinson, AMG

Easily one of the breakthrough classic rock bands of 2014, Blues Pills have been enchanting fans and media alike since they unleashed their self-titled, UK Top 75, debut last July.This young American-Swedish-French quartet create a very unique, intense and extraordinary rock atmosphere while at the same time having a major mainstream appeal that takes you right back to the time of BLUES PILLS' ancestors Aretha Franklin, The Original Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Cream. Driving bass lines, grooving drums and guitar solos from another planet by the only 17 year old Dorian Sorriaux, harmonized and tied together with such easiness, such delight, by Elin Larsson's incredible voice.

With the idea to take soul music, combined with blues and rock'n'roll and turn it into a new force of unimaginable energy, intensity and freshness, the blonde archangel & soul-saviour Elin Larsson will guide you gently into a new world, the band's empire of soulful rock. Elin's powerful lyrics are full of emotion, her jazzy-soulful voice unfolds an outstanding beauty with a refreshing new take on the timeless and unquestionably noble art of rocknroll. The band's stunning 10-track debut, produced by Don Alsterberg (GRAVEYARD), was dubbed "one of the most exciting releases of the year" by Classic Rock Magazine while Mojo predicted that "good times lie ahead for Blues Pills." The album was rapidly backed by serious bout of roadwork. A sold-out November club run was followed a month later with a full UK tour as "special guests" to Rival Sons. Such is the demand for the band that another April headline run was announced immediately after.

It couldn't be more fitting that the band's first live album was recorded at the renowned German Freak Valley Festival.Festival founder Jens Heide has not only been supporting the young musicians from "day one, before we even played a single show, before 'Devil Man' even was written and before the band was fully formed," as vocalist Elin Larsson points out.In fact he even gave the band its name! This was also their first ever headline festival appearance."We took a walk around the festival and I remember getting a really good vibe from the place," guitarist Dorian Sorriaux recalls. "It felt like all the puzzle pieces came together up at that moment," adds Larsson. And it's in the live arena where Blues Pills really come into their own, as this 10-track release, recorded in front of a rabid German crowd,surely testifies. Improvising, stretching and twisting arrangements,with Sorriaux and Larsson swapping the spotlight, Blues Pills remain anchored by their rock-solid rhythm section. 'Blues Pills Live' is the sound of a young band at the top of their game.

~ amazon

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Blues Pills - Live (2015)

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Blues Pills - Live (2015)

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