Naked Gypsy Queens
By Martine Ehrenclou
Every now and then a young band with rock & roll sparkle makes you sit up and listen. With blues-based rock swagger, Naked Gypsy Queens is that band. Their debut EP Georgiana, out February 11 via Mascot Label Group, is six tracks of jet-fueled rock with vintage influences.
Now based in Nashville, Naked Gypsy Queens formed while the four members were in high school and they grew their audience the old fashioned way—by hitting the road and dazzling fans with kinetic performances similar to their musical heroes (Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, MC5.) The band built their local following in their hometown of Franklin, TN and quickly became a premiere rock band before any of them turned 20 years old. That in itself is impressive.
“Our goal was to become the baddest live band around,” says frontman Chris Attigliato, who shares guitar duties with Cade Pickering. “We were loud. We were a band you had to see onstage. It started to become a cult thing, with lines forming around the block at some venues. We weren’t trying to achieve the highest number of digital streams; we were just doing what we wanted to do, and making the music we wanted to make.”
Chris Attigliato (lead vocals, guitar), Cade Pickering (guitar), Bo Howard (bass), and Landon Herring (drums) have created an aggressive rock sound with colossal hooks, dual lead guitars and a tight rhythm section. The band makes no excuses for drawing from some of the rock greats of the 60s and 70s. In the hands of these talented musicians, their music is fresh, original.
At the heart of Naked Gypsy Queens is tremendous passion for rock and roll and a distinct feel for how to make it sound not just good but great. Taking the traditional path of their musical forefathers is refreshing; the art of working hard and building a following with live performances.
You can hear the band’s love for Led Zeppelin on album opener “Georgiana,” a blistering track with soaring rock vocals, fast fretwork and solid drums that lay groundwork for the slide guitar hook. There’s chemistry between the members and there’s no substitute for that.
Rock’s renaissance from the South is alive and well and the Naked Gypsy Queens hurl it into the present with blues rocker, “Down To The Devil,” a fresh groove with stomping drums and memorable hooks. A standout, this riff-based track reveals the potential of this quintet—not just loud but loud with feeling, accompanied by ripping guitars and a rhythm section that just won’t quit.
The band recorded Georgiana in Detroit, working with studio veterans Marlon Young, Al Sutton, and Herschel Boone (Greta Van Fleet’s Anthem of the Peaceful Army.) The aim was to capture the high energy of the band’s lauded concerts and each track was captured in live takes.
“Wolves,” a fiery mid-tempo rocker is another standout, allowing space for Attigliato’s vocals to spread out and show nuances. With catchy guitar riffs, this track digs a bit deeper. He sings, “I was raised by wolves in the den, I learned to take what’s mine.” With a haunting feel, the song is authentic.
Rounding out the EP before a live version of the opening tack is “If Your Name Is New York (Then Mine’s Amsterdam),” a rock ballad of heartbreak punctuated by six-string shredding, acoustic guitar and groove.
Georgiana is an impressive debut from a young band with a bright future.
Watch “Down To The Devil”
Pre-order link for Georgiana
Naked Gypsy Queens website
I saw some of their other videos on their website good rocking stuff, I’m close to where they’re from but there’s really no rock bars to speak of in Johnson City unfortunately.