Biography

BOSTON'S GIRLS GUNS AND GLORY HONORS
THE ROOTS OF ROCK & ROLL ON 'GOOD LUCK'

Boston Music Awards' Act of the Year Set to Release Fifth Album in February

         (BOSTON, Mass.) For the past eight years, Boston's rising stars Girls Guns and Glory have been making a name for themselves through relentless touring (about 200 gigs a year worldwide), the release of four critically acclaimed records, a slew of local awards, including being the Boston Music Awards first act of its genre to win Act of the Year, and international awards (Independent Artist of the Year at the French Country Music Awards).  And, now, the hard-working band is refining their focus to the roots of rock 'n' roll with a twist of country on their fifth album, "Good Luck," due on February 4, 2014 on Lonesome Day Records.
 
         The foursome (Ward Hayden on vocals/guitar, Paul Dilley on electric and upright bass/piano, Josh Kiggans on drums/percussion, and Chris Hersch on lead guitar/banjo) found inspiration for this record from early '50s rock 'n' roll icons such as Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, and Buddy Holly, as well as country greats like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

         With “Good Luck,” GGG is looking back to that era of music for a more rock 'n' roll-focused record with producer Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (Nils Lofgren, Steve Earle, The Bottle Rockets) at the helm. "We were familiar with the work he'd done with Steve Earle and The Bottle Rockets and he was Joan Jett's original guitarist. Right after we made our fourth record 'Sweet Nothings' in 2011, he heard us on the radio and contacted us, asking about our plans. It's funny because we had been talking about trying to get in touch with him and there he is calling us out of the blue," explains Hayden.
 
         It was this serendipitous coming together that really solidified the sound of "Good Luck." "One of the ways we really benefitted from Roscoe was that he had seen us play live several times and was able to see what the audience reacted to the most," continues Hayden. "Even though we play a variety of styles of music, he saw that fans really reacted to the more rocking songs. We wanted to focus this album on making more of a straightforward rock 'n' roll record that would translate well to the live show and he really helped us accomplish that."
 
         The 10-track album kicks off with the heartfelt, feel-good rocker "All the Way Up To Heaven," which sets the tone for the album thematically. "It's about finally winning in love and feeling that thrill of getting something good and having a true appreciation of it," says the singer.
 
         The record was written over the past two years with the exception of two songs, "Shake Like Jello" and "UUU," which have been in the band's repertoire for about four years. "We never really had a place for those songs because we were viewing ourselves more of a country band than a rock 'n' roll band and those two songs are definitely more rocking. They fit perfectly on this album," he notes. 

         Another song close to GGG's heart and the band's Northeast roots is the ballad "Centralia, PA." "Chris and Paul are originally from Eastern Pennsylvania and we tour a lot in that area. We found out about this coal-mining town there called Centralia that was destroyed by a coal fire over 50 years ago. It's a ghost town now because it's unfit to live in. I became fascinated by the tragic story of the town and we kind of wanted to put Centralia back on the map with this song," he says.

         As for the album's title, each band member threw about 10 ideas into the hat and "Good Luck" was the only one that everyone could agree on. Hayden explains where it came from: "One of my hobbies, some might call it hoarding, but I love collecting vintage taxidermy and I collect antique and vintage good luck charms. I picked up this really cool token that featured all these different good luck icons like a four-leaf clover, a wishbone, a swami looking into a crystal ball, and the all-seeing eye. And that's exactly what we wish for this album - good luck. But there's also the sarcastic way to say good luck and with the state of the music industry today it's kind of like, 'yeah good luck.' The guys liked both the literal and sarcastic meaning of it, so it stuck."
 
         "Good Luck," which was produced and mixed by Ambel and recorded by Mario Viele at Cowboy Technical Services Recording Rig in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is available on CD, vinyl and iTunes on February 4, 2014 via Lonesome Day Records, an independent label that specialized in Americana and Bluegrass with previous releases including Fred Eaglesmith’s critically acclaimed Tinderbox and Cha Cha Cha. Meanwhile, the band is up for Americana Artist of the Year the 2013 Boston Music Awards and Ward Hayden is up for Male Vocalist of the Year. And, Girls Guns and Glory is currently on the road...as usual!