THE CADILLAC THREE offer up today “Hard Out Here For A Country Boy” featuring CHRIS JANSON and TRAVIS TRITT, a new song from their upcoming album COUNTRY FUZZ. Singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston and drummer Neil Mason wrote the track with Jeremy Stover while out on the road.
“We were playing some tour dates with Travis Tritt and The Charlie Daniels Band when “Hard Out Here For A Country Boy’ was written. He was on the bus when we were playing through some songs and with his big signature twang belted out the line. I grew up listening to Travis, and he’s a big reason I sing the way I do -- that gritty twang thing. We knew he had to be on the song,” shared Jaren.
Neil adds, “This song was kind of a jumping off point for the record and one of the first we cut. We’ve all been buddies for years and Chris heard the song playing in the background during a call with Jaren. It was cool that he quickly wanted to be a part of it and cut the vocal the next day.” With each advance preview, anticipation continues for the 16-track project, out February 7 via Big Machine Records. CMT notes how, “’Long After Last Call’ and ‘Back Home’ put the band’s cool country vibe front and center but they remain just as focused on Southern rock and fuzz.” Rolling Stone declares, “This is rebellious rock & roll, with country twang and, unexpectedly, overtones of disco-funk, like on the instant live-show staple ‘Slow Rollin'’ and the swerving ‘Blue El Camino.’ Of course, this is TC3, so beer-drinking anthems still abound. And thank god for that.”
As COUNTRY FUZZ PRESENTS: THE CADILLAC THREE gears up for the January 23 launch in Jackson, TN before crossing into Europe for headline dates and C2C: Country to Country Festival, Taste of Country suggests, “Nashville's favorite power trio have remained committed to being the loudest country band that can still book honky-tonks.” Several U.S. headline shows will offer a special album bundle for each pair of online tickets and complete details are available online at thecadillacthree.com. Watch TC3’s perspective on other stories behind the songs here.
COUNTRY FUZZ isn't just the name of the group's new album, tour and merch line, it's also their aesthetic, the phrase that best sums up both the music and lifestyle of the singer-guitarist, drummer and lap-steel alchemist who’ve brought their sonic chemistry across the globe.
"We've matured as musicians and as a band," muses Kelby Ray, whose lap bass line is largely responsible for the trio's one-of-a-kind vibe. "Our sound is second nature to us and that only comes from playing together for as long as we have."
Jaren continues, "when I think of Southern rock, I think of Lynyrd Skynyrd. When I think of country, I think Garth Brooks. This record and this band are all of that. But it's also ZZ Top and Jerry Reed. It's Medeski Martin & Wood and Prince. There's no better way to describe who we are than Country Fuzz."
"It's not easy to land on something that is your own thing, but we're proud to say we did that," Neil explains of the band's sound. "It works for us in any direction that we're going. Country Fuzz is anything from a stripped-down country ballad to a sludgy, riff-heavy rock song. And it's also country-funk." ABOUT THE CADILLAC THREE: Leaving a lasting impression on fans across the globe with their instinctive sonic tendencies, THE CADILLAC THREE prove they are Nashville's most versatile band. Made up of singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston, drummer Neil Mason, and lap-steel player Kelby Ray, the trio have been performing together for over a decade and adding to their following of both Country and Rock loyalists. On their fourth album COUNTRY FUZZ – due February 7 via Big Machine Records – the musical co-conspirators further their Country-Rock sound with songs like "Labels," "Heat" and "Slow Rollin'," while also exploring heavy Funk on tracks like the super-charged "Blue El Camino" and the devil disco "The Jam." Pre-order now. Funneling Southern-to-the-core sensibilities into their own catalogue, TC3 boasts chart-topping tracks and album cuts for Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert and Steven Tyler, to name a few. Both collectively and individually, Johnston, Mason, and Ray have been nominated for GRAMMY and ACM Awards. Known for their unpredictable live show, TC3 has toured the U.S. and Europe both on their own and with A-listers Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan, veterans Travis Tritt and Charlie Daniels, plus iconic rockers Metallica and Slayer. As a popular international act, TC3 was named Best New Band at the 2014 UK Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards and received a 2019 CMA International Award nomination for International Artist Achievement. In March, they'll perform at the C2C: Country to Country Festival across Europe. "Like Kings of Leon before them, they're poised for their first big break in the U.K. – where they've sold out every headlining show for nearly two years – before conquering their U.S. home turf,” heralded Rolling Stone. For tour dates and more, visit TheCadillacThree.com.