The Weeks are staking a claim as heirs to the timeless tradition of Southern rock. In 2013, they released their label debut album, ‘Dear Bo Jackson’, on Serpents and Snakes Records, spent the year on their ‘Thick As Thieves Tour’ and were included in Rolling Stone magazine’s ‘Hottest Live Photos of 2013’ feature after a raucous set at NYC’s Mercury Lounge.
Since then, the band headlined the Communion Tour, which was handpicked by Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett, played direct support to Jake Bugg at The Ryman, sold out the Mercy Lounge in Nashville twice, and have barely left the road with no plans to do so soon. Headed now into the festival circuit, they have already confirmed Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees, Mountain Jam, Wakarusa, Firefly, Spring Jam and Middle of the Map.
Now The Weeks will release their four track’ Buttons’ EP on Jan 26th 2015 via Caroline / Serpents and Snakes. The EP is already out in the US, just in time to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the band and saw heavy radio support from Nashville, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Peoria, Burlington, Auburn, Albany, Ocean City and more.
The EP includes two revisited songs from their original release and two brand new compositions. The highlight is a re-recording of the first song they ever wrote (at 15 years of age), “Buttons.” It is a fan favourite and their most requested song, and was never properly captured on tape until now.
This UK Tour sees The Weeks back on the road after winding down from a busy tour schedule in support of their last LP release “Dear Bo Jackson”, which saw acclaim from The Guardian, Music Week, Glamour Magazine and more. The Band played over 175 shows in six different countries and wrapped up with 2014 Summer Festival dates that included Bonnaroo, Firefly, Forecastle, Wakurusa, Mountain Jam, Shaky Knees, and the Turf Festival in Toronto. The full-length follow up to Dear Bo Jackson is currently being recorded for an early Spring 2015 release.
Much of Dear Bo Jackson’s all-inclusive sound can be credited to The Weeks’ very own Garth Hudson, Collier, whose compositional background and proficiency on an array of instruments enabled the band to build their inventive arrangements from within. Adding color to such standouts as ‘King Sized Death Bed’ and ‘Gobi Blues’ are legendary pedal steel guitarist Bucky Baxter – “the most unbelievable musician I’ve ever seen in person,” says Williams – as well as their buddy Carl Gatti on trombone and faux French Horn. What’s more, friends from throughout the new Nashville rock scene – including Jonny “Corndawg” Fritz – dropped into The Smoakstack to lend backing vocals and a collective stamp to the proceedings.
The album saw The Weeks enriched their already well-seasoned sonic stew with the classic flavors of soul, R&B, funk, and heavy boogie to fashion a forward-facing sound all their own. Big brass, lush strings, and twangy pedal steel fused into their distinctive sludge pop, with Williams’ greasy guitars and the highly charged engine room of Bone and Cain as well as the ever-distinctive Collier. Throughout the album, Cyle rends his throat raw as he testifies dramatic and truthful tales of modern Southern lives, always full of hope despite often punishing circumstances.
As The Weeks barrel into the future without a net or a rulebook, they are not looking backwards for a second as they continue to explore their Mississippi roots and current place in the world, with all the profound joy and unfathomable sadness that entails.
The Waves come to Green Door Store Brighton, on Wed 18 Jan, 2015
