THE WHISKEY GENTRY

  • Current Release:

    • Release
      DEAD RINGER
      April 7, 2017
      BUY

  • Upcoming shows

    No shows booked at the moment.

    • CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HI-RES BAND PHOTO OF THE WHISKEY GENTRY (CREDIT: MATT ODOM) AND “DEAD RINGER” COVER ART

    THE WHISKEY GENTRY TO RELEASE THEIR NEW ALBUM DEAD RINGER APRIL 7, 2017 ON VINYL, CD AND DIGITAL FORMATS VIA PITCH-A-TENT RECORDS!

    Following the release of their first two acclaimed albums, Please Make Welcome (2011) and Holly Grove (2013), the Atlanta-based band The Whiskey Gentry are set to release their third full-length studio album entitled Dead Ringer this spring. On it, the husband and wife duo of Lauren Staley & Jason Morrow and bandmates have created an effort that builds on many of the sounds of their previous albums – incorporating deep country, Americana, honky-tonk, bluegrass and a stiff shot of gritty rock ’n’ roll, yet it also finds the band testing themselves and pushing beyond their own boundaries.

    Dead Ringer deals with growing up, and how that’s affected the band’s relationships, and the places they’ve gone and people they’ve met in the process. As singer/songwriter Lauren Staley puts it, “There’s also a lot of questioning where you are in your life: are you going to follow your dream, or are you going to do what society thinks you should do?”

    It’s apparent with this effort that Staley & Co. have opted for the former. “A common lyrical thread throughout this album are stories about being on the road,” Lauren admits, “and chasing your dreams and the outcomes – either good or bad – in doing that.”

    Stepping outside of the comfort zone of their previous recordings, the band has moved in a different direction musically. “Sonically, the biggest difference of this record is that we recorded it live together in the same room at Echo Mountain Recording Studio (Asheville, NC),” Lauren explains. “There are less overdubs, which makes it sound more like how it would if you were to see us in person – it’s raw, it’s not perfect. We worked with a producer for the first time (Les Hall), and he had so many amazing ideas we’d never thought of and really pushed us to think outside of our box. There’s an energy on this record that we’ve never captured before, and I think it was a complete game changer for our sound.”

    Dead Ringer has more guitars, more attitude and more of an edge than anything the band has done before. It’s not such a massive departure in sound that fans won’t understand it, but they will notice. “We are not a different band,” Lauren explains, “but we’ve definitely grown up and are changed people from the time we started this band. I think we’re better musicians, better songwriters. We’ve learned lessons and we’ve worked hard, and we want to tell our current fans and new fans the stories of what we’ve experienced on this journey. Musically, there are still elements of bluegrass and honky-tonk in our sound, and there always will be. However, I think we’ve expanded the scope of what we can offer people – there’s something for everyone on this record.”

    The Whiskey Gentry has been tearing up the road for the better half of the last decade, logging over 150 shows each year, and winning over crowds at major festivals such as Shaky Knees, Shaky Boots, Merlefest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, FloydFest and many others. With the release of Dead Ringer they’ll continue this trend, bringing their raucous, high-energy shows to audiences from coast-to-coast.

    The Whiskey Gentry’s Dead Ringer will be available on limited vinyl, CD and digital formats on April 7th via Pitch-A-Tent Records.

    The Whiskey Gentry are:
    Lauren Staley – vocals, acoustic guitar
    Jason Morrow – electric guitar, vocals
    Sam Griffin – bass
    Carlton Owens – drums (Nico Lembo – touring drummer)
    Rurik Nunan – fiddle, vocals
    Michael Smith – mandolin
    Chesley Lowe – banjo
    Les Hall – piano, hammond

    THE WHISKEY GENTRY VIDEOS: 

    “DEAD RINGER” VIDEO:

    “IF YOU WERE AN ASTRONAUT” VIDEO:

    “FOLLOWING YOU” VIDEO:

    “THE MAKING OF DEAD RINGER ALBUM” VIDEO:

    FOR MORE INFO ON THE WHISKEY GENTRY:
    www.thewhiskeygentry.com
    https://www.facebook.com/thewhiskeygentry
    https://twitter.com/whiskeygentry

    FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
    Tony Bonyata
    Pavement PR
    p: 262.903.7775
    e: tony[AT]pavementpr.com
    https://pavementpr.com

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  • HERE’S WHAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT THE WHISKEY GENTRY’S “DEAD RINGER”

    • “Lauren Staley's vocals fit nicely into the Kacey Musgraves/Maren Morris gallactic country orbit. This gentry, however, has a whole lot of Western influences and a trunk full of guitar tremelo that makes their track ‘Looking for Trouble’ feel like an authentic ride through the desert. After the second chorus, the song really does venture into psychedelic territory with phasers set to kill. It's an interesting coda, capping off a great straight-forward twang rocker with drama.” - NO DEPRESSION
    • “Dead Ringer is another fine collection of modern honky-tonk, led by the delightful tang and twang of Lauren Staley’s singing voice; try playing its hookiest track, “Say It Anyway,” without hitting repeat.” - BOSTON GLOBE
    • “One of this year's best country albums... Dead Ringer's runaway rock and blazing bluegrass bristle with the same fire and brimstone as albums by some of country's hottest acts, from stars like Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert to newbies like Jon Pardi and Margo Price.” - TAMPA BAY TIMES
    • “Blending traditional bluegrass instrumentation with the energy of punk and the songwriting depth of country, Atlanta’s Whiskey Gentry whips the diverse audience of liquored up frat boys, hardcore country fans and local scenesters into a frenzy, mixing frantic instrumentals with edgy rockers and neo-honky-tonk weepers, and they don’t let up until the last note rings loud and clear above the cacophonous applause.” – GEORGIA MUSIC MAGAZINE [9/10 stars!]” The Whiskey Gentry have got a real dead ringer you’ll love.” - MAXIMUM VOLUME MUSIC
    • “On Dead Ringer, the Whiskey Gentry's third studio album, the group turns most of its attention away from the good-time party mentality of previous releases and writes about itself, its members’ lives and what matters to them. It is a bold step for a band that has a devoted following of loyal fans who expect the high energy acoustic-based “yeehah!” of the past. And while there is still plenty of that vitality in the music, the words are a bit more introspective and the electric guitars are a little bit louder. With the ever-present feistiness in singer Lauren Staley Morrow’s rich, clear voice, the delivery of a more autobiographical narrative is as entertaining as always and the live in-studio recording retains the band’s musical intensity. All in all, Dead Ringer is a fine effort by a band that is not afraid to grow up.” ★★★★☆ - CREATIVE LOAFING ATLANTA
    • “Named after a memorable line in Hunter S. Thompson’s iconic missive from the 1970 Kentucky Derby, Atlanta-based country-rock crew The Whiskey Gentry operates with appropriate levels of decadence and depravity. The group’s new record, Dead Ringer, out this Friday via local label Pitch-a-Tent, showcases a punked-up version of its bluegrass- (and whiskey-) soaked Americana sound. Like Lydia Loveless or the Drive-By Truckers, The Whiskey Gentry uses traditional Southern music as a base for a sneakily innovative and contemporary sound.” - FLAGPOLE
    • “It's hard not to love Lauren Staley's voice, which is not only powerful but definitely sounds like it was influenced by listening to a lot of country music. This album is a real testament to the songwriting of this band. Whether it's an uptempo song or a ballad, this band creates songs that are a good blend of rock and country and will have you singing along. If you're a fan of alt-country, this is a band you'll want to get to know.” – AXS
    • “For those curious about the next Miranda Lambert or Kacey Musgraves, the Whiskey Gentry’s Lauren Staley might be her, and in any event her band the Whiskey Gentry’s third album is more of a boot-stomping ‘Ringer’ than its predecessors.” - MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL
    • “They are so fantastic. I love The Whiskey Gentry!” - Mara Davis / WABE 90.1 RADIO
    • “There’s something joyous and revelatory about the mix of honky-tonk swagger and DIY rebelliousness that feels truer to its influences than slicker, more polished groups, and lead singer Lauren Staley will always have one of those classic country voices that can knock you back flat-footed.” - COLUMBIA FREE TIMES
    • Dead Ringer is an album of an honest human experience, replete with all the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that unite people across the South, the country, and the world. In a world where the most powerful people win the tympanic real estate of the masses with disingenuous lyrics, the Whiskey Gentry can provide solace to anyone with a beating heart and open ears. The Whiskey Gentry sing tales of woe and emotional tangles that are relatable, honest, and beautiful. This is the essence of music: preservation of the stories that bring people together, an expression of the shared human experience. – LIBRO MUSICA
    • “The latest release from Atlanta-based The Whiskey Gentry offers a tour of modern and old-school country.” - TWANGVILLE
    • “Led by the wife-husband duo of Staley and Jason Morrow, Whiskey Gentry’s engaging blending of elements of hard country, honky tonk, bluegrass and rock & roll as found on third long-player Dead Ringer gives way to a sound that seems radio ready. It is an album at its best when the mix of electric guitar, banjo, and fiddle behind Staley’s fetching voice is swirling.” - SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND NEWSPAPER