RICKY WARWICK OF BLACK STAR RIDERS: INTERVIEW

Warwick discussed growing up in Belfast & the Northern Ireland music scene, his first meeting with guitarist & future band mate Scott Gorham in 1990...

“All Hell Breaks Loose is not only the best rock debut of 2013, it just might be the best rock record of the year.”

So states Jam Magazine writer & veteran journalist Vinny Cecolini, who had the opportunity to interview vocalist/lyricist Ricky Warwick of the hard rock super group BLACK STAR RIDERS about the band’s debut album, which was released last month in North America. Warwick discussed growing up in Belfast & the Northern Ireland music scene, his first meeting with guitarist & future band mate Scott Gorham in 1990, how he never entered the vocal booth during the recording sessions for All Hell Breaks Loose, and the Irish propensity for storytelling.

Warwick: We’re a country of dreamers, wanderers, travelers, and fighters. It’s engrained in our culture and our history. We’re proud of who we are and what we are. I’ve never tried to disguise that. I grew up idolizing Phil [Lynott of THIN LIZZY], Jake [Burns of Sticky Little Fingers], Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, and Joe Strummer. All are phenomenal storytellers. When I started writing songs, I wanted to have something to say. I wanted to be an entertainer more than anything else, but I wanted to tell stories; create songs that meant something and went somewhere.”

JAM: You never entered the vocal booth?

Warwick: No, and at first it was terrifying. I’ve never recorded an album that quickly [12 songs in 12 days]. We thought about each take, but Kevin [Shirley, album producer] said, “No. It’s done.” When we listened back, the recording just sounded so good. It gave us so much confidence. We said, “This is going to be great. We can do this.” And we flew through the recording process from there. Kevin only used Pro-Tools to remove a section of one take, then cut and paste it with another section of another take. It was the only modern indulgence we took advantage of. The is no auto-tune; none of that stuff on the record. It’s just five guys knowing the songs they’re going to record walking into the studio and playing their hearts out.”

Read the entire interview at:
http://www.jammagazineonline.com/mf201306-Black-Star-Riders-Interview-Ricky-Warwick-Bound-For-Glory-Writer-Vinny-Cecolini.aspx

All Hell Breaks Loose entered the Billboard Heatseekers chart at #5 & the Billboard Hard Music chart at #19 the week following its May 28th release. It has remained on the Billboard Heatseekers chart at the #19 position its second week.

Stream All Hell Breaks Loose in its entirety at this location: http://bit.ly/BSRAHBL

“Hey Judas” is BSR’s first music video: http://youtu.be/sUFhANBJPwY

Listen to the back-story and view the acoustic, two-man version of the track (in a New York City stairwell) here: http://youtu.be/8J0894DrTpg

Check out lyric videos for:

• “Kingdom Of The Lost” - http://youtu.be/OEWPbi3Jtm4
• “Bound For Glory” - http://youtu.be/kq6Z6C3ipMk

Visit the BLACK STAR RIDERS landing page for exclusive bundles and the iTunes purchase link: http://bit.ly/BSR-AHBL
ABOUT BLACK STAR RIDERS: In 2012, the touring members of THIN LIZZY began to seriously consider utilizing the vast songwriting talent within the band and spoke of it freely in the press. When THIN LIZZY drummer Brian Downey and keyboardist Darren Wharton bowed out of a new studio album and the subsequent tours to support it, the remaining members decided to continue under the BLACK STAR RIDERS name allowing the band to forge forward from - yet informed by - the historical legacy infused in the THIN LIZZY name.

BLACK STAR RIDERS features veteran musicians Ricky Warwick (THIN LIZZY / The Almighty) on vocals, Scott Gorham (THIN LIZZY / 21 Guns) on guitar, Damon Johnson (THIN LIZZY / Alice Cooper / Brother Cane) on guitar, Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY / Ted Nugent / Whitesnake / Blue Murder) on bass and Jimmy DeGrasso (Alice Cooper / Megadeth / Y&T) on drums.

All Hell Breaks Loose was produced & mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Mai