Not all love songs are ballads, and the Road Hammers are proving it.
On March 3, the Road Hammers released their latest single, Crazy About You, an edgy love song born from the relationship between Jason McCoy and his wife.
“It was a saying that Jason used a lot with his wife, and we just kind of took that and ran with it… it just steam rolled into a song,” explained Bonnyville native and band member Clayton Bellamy.
Over the course of a few hours, the band had mapped out their latest hit, which will be featured on their upcoming album.
“This album and this song is really about the girl,” Bellamy said. “It's a fun song that is about a fella who is just crazy about his gal. No matter what stages of life they are in, he is still crazy about her.”
Bellamy added anyone who has ever been in love, whether it was short term or long, can relate to the single, something he tries to do with all of his work.
“I want to connect with people on a level that makes them want to reach for that dial, and turn it up. I want them to feel an emotion that I am trying to convey. Whether it's happiness, sadness, frustration, whatever it is, I want to connect with people and that is why I started writing music in the first place.”
In the spring, the Road Hammers will be releasing a new album that didn't come easy to the band, who were hoping to release something innovative. It was because of their struggles that they named the album, The Squeeze.
Bellamy said, “I think we really felt like we were under the gun to do something… to deliver something that was a little bit different, a little more fresh.”
Regardless of its label as an album ‘about the girl', Bellamy promises it still possesses the same Road Hammer upbeat country-rock and roll feel their fans are expecting.
“Our main focus is fun, first and foremost. If we aren't having it, then we feel like our fans aren't having it either. We always want to have fun and have songs that you want to crank up in your car while you're driving down the highway.”
What stands out about this album is the number of original songs that they have included. In the past, the band has featured cover songs re-vamped, but this time around fans will only see one cover song on The Squeeze.
On April 22, Bellamy will be playing an acoustic show in Bonnyville at the Lyle Victor Albert Centre. The show, Storytellers, will feature songs he has written himself, among others.
