New Orleans soul/rock project Roadside Glorious is releasing a brand new song titled “Lay Your Weapons Down.” The track will be the lead single on their upcoming debut LP, Brawn and Bone, recorded at the historic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL by Grammy-nominated engineers John Gifford III and Don Syrgley. “Lay Your Weapons Down” is an upbeat, horn-heavy jam featuring Ian Bowman (Naughty Professor) on sax, Cyrus Nabipoor (Sexual Thunder) on trumpet and Jordan Anderson (Jordan Anderson and the Causeways) on keys.
“The song and title itself is a metaphorical plea for everyone to be kinder to one another,” Roadside Glorious told OffBeat.com. “We wrote the lyrics hoping that people could be more open minded about those around them who they can’t relate to, and to consider how their views might change if they were in a different position. It’s a really simple message, but one we feel is always relevant and important, especially considering everything that is happening in our world currently.”
“Lay Your Weapons Down” feels hopeful, with a driving rhythm and a catchy major melody that sticks in your head. “The songwriting process came quickly. The melody, chord progression and idea for the chorus hit [guitarist and founding member] Basch [Jernigan] while he was opening the restaurant he works at one morning,” the band said. “He introduced the idea to the rest of the band and everyone added their parts and helped build the song together. It reached a new level when Ian, Cyrus and Jordan joined the mix. Ian and Cyrus–the incredibly talented musicians and horn players they are–wrote a great horn part for the song and Jordan added a whole new element with his piano and organ playing.”
Recording at FAME was a dream come true for Roadside Glorious. “The recording process was really special and probably our favorite part of this entire project,” the band siad. “‘Spending five days recording music in the same studio where countless legends, such as Wilson Pickett, Duane Allman, Etta James, and Percy Sledge, have recorded timeless hits was magical to say the least. We couldn’t believe we were there, much less recording our own music. We worked with 2018 Grammy nominated engineer John Gifford III, who has worked with iconic bands/musicians such as Greg Allman, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Alicia Keys, and Phish. We finished “Lay Your Weapons Down” in three to four takes, and – as was the case with the other nine songs – it was an inspired recording session.”
The band is heavily influenced by the New Orleans music of the past. “We describe our music as rock ‘n’ roll and soul, but it’s easy to detect how heavily the blues and gospel, and New Orleans as a whole, has influenced our band,” the group said. “Legendary New Orleans musicians such as Dr. John, Tab Benoit, Mike Zito, Johnny Sansone, the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Fats Domino, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Mahalia Jackson, all unquestionably have inspired us and influenced us both as a band and individuals musically. But at the surface level we’re definitely a rock ‘n’ roll band. It’s pretty special to be releasing a song like “Lay Your Weapons Down,” which was inspired by early rock ‘n’ roll from the ‘50s and ‘60s, in the same city that one of rock ‘n’ roll’s pioneers Fats Domino was born and raised.”
Roadside Glorious has a busy 2018 planned out. They’ll continue gigging regularly in New Orleans, release a music video and a second single, and tour the southeast before releasing Brawn and Bone in September. On May 30, the group will be featured at Maple Leaf Bar, sitting in with their good friend Jordan Anderson, who has a residency there in late May and early June. They will also open for Dave Jordan and the NIA at d.b.a. on June 30 and play several shows at BMC and Old Point Bar in between. For more information, visit RoadsideGlorious.com.
