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| Steve Kidwiler: Lead Guitar, Patrick Dennis: Bass, Timbo: Vocals & Guitar, Mike McNamara: Drums (not pictured: Greg McMullen: Pedal Steel) |
The sound that Speedbuggy USA offers is direct, almost unstoppable. It’s the musical equivalent of a juggernaut rampaging its way across the Southern states, its precious cargo rocking and rolling in the vast space behind the driver, and with no stop sign capable of putting a halt to the speeding behemoth. — Liverpool Sound Magazine (UK)
Speedbuggy USA is one of the hardest playing bands in rock music, putting their nitro-fueled swampbilly, soul, cow-punk brand on the soundtrack of our lives… And the style? That’s theirs, too. Thundering razor-sharp guitars, rumbling bass, and infectious drum grooves with howling dark vocals.
Arriving at their unique sound through the prism of experience, Speedbuggy USA’s persistence and love is for some of the greatest music of the past. Inspired by rock and roll sounds of The Clash, The Who, Johnny Thunders, and The Rolling Stones, along with roots of Little Richard, Elvis, and Johnny Cash, as well as the hard twangin’ Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens. There’s also plenty of Los Angeles history in there, including influences from Rank and File, X, The Cramps, and Tex & the Horseheads thrown into the mix as well.
So many influences, it’s impossible to peg just one. A style loud and proud enough to cut through the noise of clubs, festivals, and roadhouses across the globe packed with crowds looking for something different but familiar.
“It’s honest heartfelt music,” says Speedbuggy USA’s lyricist and front man, Timbo. “We write songs about hard jobs, rough life, bad breaks, drinking, and loving. Real stories about real people that seem to be lacking in songs these days. On stage, Speedbuggy USA delivers an explosion of raw energy with true passion and plenty of grit. We give nothing less than our all and shake the stage like an earthquake.”
Prior to the release of “Sonic West” the band sat down with seasoned journalist Janiss Garza for a quick chat:
“Sonic West”, the latest release from Speedbuggy USA, shows a band comfortably in their prime. Effortlessly showcasing their rock and roll chops, the band weaves between swamp billy blues and cow punk twang. With a refreshing hint of deadly soul, Speedbuggy is a force to be reckoned with as they stand alone among the imitators.
Timbo:
Our new album is a journey, not just back to the early days of the band in the 1990s, but also to my own musical beginnings — bands from the 80s, bands from the 50s, everything from the Cure to Little Richard and Elvis. We’re still doing the American roots stuff, mixed with a little Crampsey vibe, but it’s so much more this time around. It’s closer to what we were doing at the beginning, 20-odd years ago, but it’s also so much more.
I think the beginnings of this direction, for me, go back as far as 10 years ago, when I had a brain aneurysm. I went blind for awhile,I couldn’t walk. It took years to recover. When something like that happens to you it shakes and rattles you. You can’t have the same priorities you did before. Then I met Mike in 2017, when I was starting to come back to life and music again.
Mikerz:
I met Timbo at a spot in my life where I was looking for a fresh start. I’d all but given up playing music completely, my heart just wasn’t in it. But through our friendship and after some gentle goading, I found myself behind the drum kit again and just remember the feeling of pure joy when my sticks hit the drums again for the first time. I fell in love all over again at that instant. I dunno…. We BOTH were just having so much fun, that it just naturally developed into playing music and writing songs together as often as we could. We practiced constantly. We became obsessed.
Timbo:
We were offered us a support role in an upcoming tour. Patrick suggested, albeit, insisted that I contacted Steve and see if he would be interested in the tour. I figured what the hell and called him. Surprisingly he was all in and we started discussing the tour and having him play on the Sonic West album. Not long after, we started writing together, and then Covid hit. Everything got cancelled, so we thought, ok, let’s concentrate on writing and recording, since there was nothing else we could do with all of the lock downs and restrictions on travel. Mike inspired and fueled me. I started listening again to those iconic L.A. bands I loved — X, Gun Club, Tex and the Horseheads & Rank and File. I think it brought me back to a place and a sound that’s more true to who I am as a musician. We sent Steve the tracks for Sonic, and eventually some rough demos for the next album. Mikers and I decided to travel out Arizona (where Steve lives now) and jammed in his garage. We were immediately stoked to hear his punk roots were still alive in the way he played from his early days with NoFx, and from the first inception of Speedbuggy. Steve had been on a long hiatus from both music and art for quite a while; working a manual labor gig to help bring in cash. But you would never have guessed. His playing is like a lightning bolt and his art is still amazing.
Steve:
Yeah, I was pretty stoked to get the call from Timbo, not just for the band thing but, to just reconnect with a long lost brother. I think I agreed to return to the band without giving it much thought. I mean I really missed playing, but figured that train had pulled out of the station. So I went out to the garage and dusted off the guitars, and gave the album tracks a listen. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it sounded and the new direction of the band… and fueled me even more.
Timbo:
I decided to call the album Sonic West because for me, Los Angeles has always had this sonic appeal, this raw energy. Growing up in Louisiana, I was fascinated by L.A. and I always wanted to come out here. It’s got a California sound, but underneath it all is a small town Southern feel. All these years later, I still relate to the vibe of the Louisiana kid I was when I first arrived here in the big city, and these songs, I think, really capture that.
Patrick:
From label mates 20 years ago to working on this record together, all it took was a conversation with over a pint, and my evil plan was set in motion. First I surprised myself by suggesting that I join on bass since the post was vacant, and then I started planting seeds in Timbo’s mind and before long, founding member Steve Kidwiler was back in the band. It only took me two years, but my joy is that, at least on this record now, both Seth and Steve are playing guitars against each other in such beautiful ways. And Steve lifted our energy in the studio in such a profound way. It wasn’t to be continued live but it sure worked in the studio.
The record wouldn’t be near what it became without Seth Von Paulus’ production input and arranging. He truly laid the groundwork for Steve to shine in my humble opinion.
My favorite part of working with the unstoppable John X? Our shared sartorial fashion sense. He’s my fearless Studio Spirit Animal. As he is in fashion, so shall he be in sound. He brings that fearlessness to the records he works on. He definitely brought it on ours. And a lot of laughter.
It was a breath of fresh air for me to step out of my comfort zone and take on a different instrument playing bass with these guys. To step back from my own front man role and be a part of the support structure surrounding Timbo has, I like to think, dragged the rest of SB through my dirty pop mind just enough to add something to the resulting record that wasn’t there before. And it has inspired new approaches in my own music. So I’d say it’s been a win win for everyone in SB.
Musically Timbo and I meet in the middle at The Clash, so I decided to begin my bass approach to these songs with the inspiration of Paul Simonon. But where his grooves came from, the Jamaican music he was surrounded by and what influenced them. Motown. Anerican Soul. It was important to me that these songs swung and seduced, they didn’t just muscle their way in the front door. And that’s what informed my writing contribution to these songs as well. Pushing the hooks and progressions that Timbo and Michael were writing out of ordinary spaces into something that was their own, while still serving the songs themselves.
01 - Sonic West
02 - Let It Roll
03 - Bad Reaction
04 - Burn
05 - Run With The Wolves
06 - Just Give Me A Reason
07 - Left All Alone
08 - Don't
09 - (One Tough) Son Of A Bitch
10 - How Soon Is Now
11 - Hitch My Wagon
This is one great Cowpunk Americana album folks, all killa no filla and you'll be doing yourselves a huge dis-service if you don't purchase the Vinyl LP from here or digitally from here.
