Photo: GA-20 by Jon Medina, ATL
Hot on the heels of their Billboard Chart-Topping album Crackdown, blues trio GA-20 releases their stand-alone single “ATL.” The trio is set to kick off their 2023 U.S. Winter tour in Houston on January 6th.
Recorded late night after a show in Atlanta, GA-20’s new instrumental single “ATL” is inspired by the legendary Muddy Water’s album Electric Mud, the landmark musical foray of traditional Chicago blues colliding with psychedelic music.
“ATL” is primal, hypnotic blues rammed headlong into a psychedelic mind-grinder. GA-20 uses their absolute mastery of musical intangibles like mood and groove to take listeners on an excursion into and through undulating waves of sonic inspiration. As a band, GA-20 feeds on the often-overlooked fringes of American music and turns those sounds into raw, noisy genius. “ATL” is a prime example of why they matter, now more than ever.
“ATL”
Download/Stream “ATL” Here
GA-20 clearly is on to something big. It’s a movement, a new traditional blues revival. The dynamic, throwback blues trio are disciples of the place where traditional blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll intersect. “We make records that we would want to listen to,” says guitarist Matt Stubbs. “It’s our take on the song-based traditional electric blues we love.” Stubbs, guitarist/vocalist Pat Faherty, and drummer Tim Carman have been at the forefront of this traditional blues revival since they first formed in 2018. It’s no wonder they skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart.
According to Stubbs, “Since we started the band we’ve focused on the story, the melody, and on creating a mood. Playing live as much as we do, we’re finding more and more that people are discovering how cool it all is. Traditional country, soul and funk music have all had these massive recent revivals, but traditional blues so far has not.” With their new Colemine album, Crackdown, and an intensive tour schedule, that’s all about to change.
On Crackdown, GA-20’s third full-length release, the band creates an unvarnished, ramshackle blues that is at once traditional and refreshingly modern. Expanding on their previous releases (2019’s Lonely Soul and 2021’s Try It…You Might Like It! GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor) GA-20 finds inspiration on the edges of the genre, where early electric blues first converged with country and rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s nine original songs include the loping, Louisiana-flavored “Dry Run,” the dirty, and bare-bones “Easy On The Eyes” and the melodic, garage-tinged “Fairweather Friend.” With tight, propulsive performances and a brevity and punk energy reminiscent of The Ramones, Crackdown is rowdy and fun, filled with instantly memorable, and well-crafted songs.
GA-20 2023 Tour Dates See Here
GA-20 website
Interesting articles. I really didn’t know a lot about GA 20 except that I liked them. Love the instrumental, ATL, in all its rawness!