Seattle, Washington-Based Massy Ferguson Celebrate The Release Of Their Third Full-length, Victory & Ruins, On Seattle-based Indie Spark & Shine Records
New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ In Music We Trust) Massy Ferguson is celebrating the release of their third full-length, and fifth release overall, Victory & Ruins, this spring on Seattle, Washington-based Spark & Shine Records.
Often referred to as alt. country or roots-rock and Americana, Massy Ferguson, who has drawn comparisons to Son Volt, The Bottle Rockets, and Blue Rodeo, as well as Thin Lizzy and Bruce Springsteen, has been described by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as "the people's band" and a "roots Americana quartet" that "combines steady, blue-collar alt. country with Southern rock and an everyman ethos that has helped it land gigs all over the world."
Comprised of Ethan Anderson (vocals/bass), Adam Monda (guitars, backing vocals), Tony Mann (piano), and Dave Goedde (drums), this quartet lives up to The Seattle Weekly's assertion that "you know only good things can come from a band that named itself after a farm-equipment company."
And, while they may fit in well with The Blasters, The Jayhawks, and The Backsliders, Massy Ferguson isn't just an alt. country band, as Victory & Ruins will attest to.
The album opener sets the tone, quickly proclaiming, "Hello! It's good to see you all again, but you're really not my friends 'til you see me at the end" with a steady rhythm and hooky guitar leading the way. A straight-forward rock song, it is quickly followed up with "Renegade," a song that says Massy Ferguson is indeed an alt. country band.
"2am Beauty Queen" tips it's hat to Southern rock, while "Everything's Done" shows the band can be tender without losing it's pop sensibilities and country-fried touch.
"Labour In Vain" owes more to Tom Petty, but still keeps the small town roots-rock vibe of Massy Ferguson, while "Apartment Downtown" shines with a glowing cello leading the tender song, proving that Massy Ferguson can tone it down and still keep you hanging on every note.
"Bring Something Back" is a straight-ahead alt. country/roots-rock number, and so is the shuffling beat of album closer, "Been Around," which incorporates the band's melodic sensibilities to ensure the album goes out with a bang - and makes you want to grab another beer (or shot of whiskey) and hit play once again.
"I've always hated the standard recording process, it felt so artificial. It felt robotic," says front man Ethan Anderson. "I love tracking live, it puts your balls on the line and I think that kind of raises your game, your level of playing. You feed off each other more. I could probably never be a solo act for any extended period of time, I like playing with other musicians, feeding off their energy, using their powers to help me - l ike that show The Highlander."
When the conversation turns to the lyrics on the album, something fans of storytelling songwriting always gravitate towards with a Massy Ferguson album, Anderson says he just writes about what he knows about.
"Lyrics tend to evolve along the way," he says. "Women seem to have a prominent role in the lyrics of this record, among other topics. There are references to women who show up at the bar for last call, Midwest girls with drinking problems, small towns and tattoos, sand and dirt, rebellious women who can't be tied down, hometown heroes, girlfriends and ex-girlfriends, small town summer festivals, making a name for yourself while running away from your town, only to come back…"
He trails off a bit before summarizing the lyrical content on the album.
"Forty hours, five days a week until you die, doing things the hard way, that's what a lot of the songs are about."
Imagery is big to Anderson and his lyricism, so it comes as no surprise that when he discusses the band's sounds and lyrics working together, that he uses a lot of imagery.
"Our sound reminds me of landscapes and places I saw while looking out of an old jalopy car, sitting in the backseat with the windows down, in rural Snohomish County, sitting on ripped upholstery with no seat belts."
Very proud of his small town upbringing, he furthers by saying, "Some of the tones sound like Eastern Washington to me, snarling, hot and dry, calloused fingers on rusty guitar strings, dust and cool water. So, I tend to dip in to stories of people I knew, references to local places. I think the lyrics take you there, the place where everyone drinks Schmidt beer from a can with a deer on it - including my mom, it's her favorite. A place where your town has its name printed on a water tower, the place where you take your girlfriend to the town festival and maybe have to get into a fight with some drunk local dumbass who is bored and looking to start something, a place where your buddies who get cut from the basketball team immediately announce, 'I think I'm gonna become a stoner,' and yet somehow end up cooking meth within a year of dropping out of high school."
Which is why the band decided to title the record Victory & Ruins, a name that has everything to do with life, good and bad, for the band.
"This band, like most, is held together with duct tape and staples, constantly on the verge of going off the rails or toward some sort of ruin. Three of the members have had kids in the last two years, including me, and I believe there is a certain victory and ruins to having kids."
Now the band looks forward to many more victories with the release of the album.
