After the Nashville blue-rockers TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN‘s final album (Pressure) on Snakefarm Records was released in 2020, the band felt it was time to go back to their independent roots.
Urgency and a long-lasting sense of dedication to their audience drove this change in direction.
In the end, the band hopes that having more control over the production, promotion, and dissemination of their music will deepen their commitment to authentic sound-making and remove any obstacles that might hinder listeners from hearing their most sincere work. Once the decision was made, their label Rattle Shake Records was born. Their first independent single, Born Rockin, was released on September 17, 2021. This was followed up with the release of an all-acoustic E.P. titled Rust ‘N’ Roll on September 23 2021.
The next single that Shakedown fans can look forward to from the indie press is “Ain’t None Watered Down” which will appear on the label’s forthcoming inaugural full length, ‘Shake the Roots.’ Watch the music video for the single, shared below.
The vocals are drier than coffin ash lifting on the east wind…
Raw Ramp Music Mag
The percussive guttural huskiness of ‘Ain’t None Watered Down’ is, as you might have guessed, steeped in cornbread rasp and jargle-born guggle. The vocals are drier than coffin ash lifting on the east wind and the sentiment is moodier than a torpid afternoon spent fishin’ for ‘gator in a peppered swamp. If you like resonated blues then it is quite certain that you’ll slurp this up!
Bryant, the co-author of the new single with his Preachin’ Bluester Larkin Poe wife Rebecca Lovell explains: “When Caleb, Graham, and I started talking about what we wanted to do next, we kept kicking around the idea of getting back to our initial roots as a band. So much of that was steeped in low down blues and rock and roll. One morning I was kicking around a little song idea with my wife and ‘Ain’t None Watered Down’ was born. Everything fell into place so naturally. Once the Shakedown got hold of it, it served as a road map of sorts for the new album”
Although the band has performed alongside acts like AC/DC, Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, and Jeff Beck, to name a few, one gets the impression these guys are not beyond driving all day, pushing their own causes, and giving it their all on a stage when the opportunity arises.
This is a group that will go to considerable measures to demonstrate the truths they want to bring to an audience.
The group’s fifth full-length album titled Shake The Roots captures the passion of their live performance and serves as proof of the Shakedown’s enduring spirit. The attention to detail is superb – the edges are never sanded down. The musicians appear to have tackled this album’s writing & recording with the same purpose they accomplish their exciting live shows. The band clearly means what they say and wants it to mean even more to an audience.
“We spend so much time writing and recording, it’s time we start spending more time sharing our art with the people who care. We’ve seen how the soup gets made and are confident that any ingredients we are missing will be obtained. That’s the spirit of this band and has been since day one. We’ve built our fan base in such a grass roots way that it only makes sense. They want to support us and OUR collective cause. When I say “our,” I’m including the fans. They are the reason we feel confident enough to make this leap. This is the next logical step in our trajectory as a band and we are thrilled to offer up ‘Shake the Roots’ as the first release from Rattle Shake Records.”
Tyler puts this pivot in their business model simply, “We want to release MORE music and want our fans to know that their support is what is fueling it.”
It’s one thing to choose to become the master of your own destiny, but it’s an entirely different animal to identify the adversity that may come your way in the process. Bryant has grown into the type of person who no longer sees that as a red stop sign. For him, it’s often a useful indicator to keep pushing forward.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety over the years and there are certain techniques that you use to manage it. You learn how to breathe properly. That’s sort of what the Shakedown is doing right now. We’re learning these techniques that will allow us to breathe and thrive as a band. Sure, there’s some insecurity in what we’re doing, but that insecurity is fuel. If you know what you’ve gotta do in your heart, you’ve just gotta do it.”
Bryant is still appreciative of the adventure so far and is giddy with anticipation for what is ahead.
He, Caleb Crosby, and Graham Whitford, in his opinion, are neither too far removed from the band’s early days of performing abroad clubs nor have they ever lost an enduring ‘DIY’ mentality for what lies just around the next corner!
Main photo credit: Robby Klein
Link: http://www.tylerbryantandtheshakedown.com/
RAW RAMP 