Bold, whiskey-seeped southern rocker Christopher Shayne – well known throughout the American southwest as the former frontman of country blues-rock band Whiskey Six – released his debut solo album of dusty rock, Turning Stones, in late 2016. With influences including blues artist R.L. Burnside, the Black Crowes, country rockers Blackberry Smoke and the ultimate in country boogie, ZZ Top, Shayne has written an album that proves itself as both an exciting new “desert-country-rock” discovery and familiar ring for classic southern rock fans. Watch the official music video for the lead single “Give A Damn” here.
Backed by his equally-gritty band (also featuring Whiskey Six guitarist Dave Lansing),Christopher Shayne is pleased to announce two upcoming Winter NAMM Show 2017 acousticperformances, taking place January 20 & 21 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. Shayne & Co. will perform at the ideaBench booth, #1695 Hall E, at 3:00pm each day.
The band will be using ideaBench’s Fastback LT Pedalboards during their performance. Born out of frustration from boxy, boring pedalboards, the Fastback provides ease of use with cutting edge style. The semi-circle shape of the Fastback makes it easy to step on any pedal comfortably and focus on what’s most important – your music. The Fastback™ Pedalboard line provides custom shop level design coupled with amazing functionality. The line includes three sizes of the board: The largest, measuring 38.5″ across, is the Fastback GT, followed by the 29.5″ model, the Fastback LT. For more information on Fastback pedalboards, visit www.ideabench.com.
Christopher Shayne states, “Myself and the band are ready to get down to business at NAMM! We are looking forward to performing at the ideaBench booth, as this is our first time performing at NAMM. We will perform on Friday and Saturday at 3:00pm and play some songs off the album and a few favorite tunes we grew up loving. We hope to meet a lot of new people and kick off 2017 with a bang!”
ideaBench President Rick Kreifeldt adds, “At ideaBench, we value working closely with artists and we couldn’t be more excited about Christopher Shayne. It has been fun to work with them to customize their pedalboards to show their own unique style. We are excited to bring the energy and music of Christopher Shayne to our booth at NAMM 2017 and are certain that you will “Give A Damn” after hearing them rock.”
Also coming up soon is Christopher Shayne‘s February 1 performance with outlaw country torchbearer Shooter Jennings, taking place at Livewire in Scottsdale, AZ (7320 E. Indian Plaza). Doors open at 7pm and the event is 18+ only. Visit www.livewire.com for more information.
Christopher Shayne‘s new album, Turning Stones (available via iTunes, Amazon and Spotify), was produced by renowned producer/engineer Chuck Alkazian (Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger) at Pearl Sound Studios in Detroit. Staying loyal to his band when a Whiskey Six label offer required he leave them behind, Christopher crafted the twelve tracks with his lead guitarist Dave Lansing, also of Arizona. The debut single and video “Give A Damn” (view above) is a fierce anthem to Shayne’s rebellious side. “When I Come Down”, a song that “wrote itself” according to Lansing, brings down-home country harmonies and a grabbing hook. The self-reflective “Take Your Time” and “The River Revival” are tributes to American gospel influences in modern blues music. Title track “Turning Stones” asks “where is my American dream/ It looks so much better on TV”, with toe-tapping storytelling and Americana twang.
It is rare to find a ‘start-to-finish’ album these days, as it is to find a natural powerhouse like Shayne, who is beloved for his long red locks and bluesy growl. Along with his bandmates, Christopher Shayne is also a force to be reckoned with in concert. This past year, the band headlined the NASCAR races in Phoenix, performed at Country Thunder Music Festival and the PBR Finals in Las Vegas, among other high profile shows.
“We’re coming at it with the straight up rock, then adding country to it,” says Shayne. “We’re riding the edge between genres – it feels a little bit dangerous.”
