Black Stone Cherry
Jul 8, 2021
Last year, as the world plummeted into the COVID-19 pandemic, the four members of Black Stone Cherry were deep in the woods of Kentucky, scrambling to complete their 7th album. It was finished just before the global lockdown was imposed, and it’s aptly titled, "The Human Condition."
“There was a real urgency and fear of the unknown during those sessions—it was a scary time,” recalls drummer, John Fred Young. “Every song on this album tells a story of the experiences we all go through—our happiness, our struggles, and how we have to adapt.” Guitarist/vocalist Ben Wells said, “With this one, we cranked up the amps, the drums are in your face, and there are some really heavy riffs. After 19 years and 7 albums, we wanted to prove that we still kick ass. This album feels like a rebirth.”
Since their formation in 2001, the four-piece brotherhood has remained Chris Robertson, vocals/guitar; Ben Wells, guitar/vocals; Jon Lawhon, bass/vocals; and John Fred Young, drums. Though not blood relatives, the guys grew up together. Young's dad Richard, and his Uncle Fred, are two founding members of the iconic country- roots band The Kentucky HeadHunters, and the high school-aged boys came up playing their instruments in the group’s notorious Practice House, a 1940s bungalow.
In the U.S., BSC’s last album, "Family Tree" debuted at #8 in the Current Rock Albums, #4 at Current Hard Music, and #21 Top Current Album. The band’s three previous studio albums have cracked the Top 10 in the UK. Onstage, Black Stone Cherry has both headlined and rocked 12,000-cap arena shows and shared the stage with the likes of Alter Bridge, Theory of a Deadman, Def Leppard, Gov’t Mule, Nickelback, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Mötorhead, and ZZ Top. In 2018, BSC performed in front of 100,000 people at Download Festival as main support to Guns N’ Roses.
"The Human Condition" was self-produced and tracked in bassist Jon Lawhon's recording facility, Monocle Studios, in March 2020. “When I listen back to this record, I feel all these different emotions,” Lawhon says. “We started when we were teens, and life has taken its course, especially now. Through it all, your heart and your perspectives change, but one thing that hasn’t changed is our connection as friends.”
"The Human Condition" also includes the Top 15 rock single "Again" and the band's latest single is a remake of the classic Tracy Chapman song "Give Me One Reason" which will be on a forthcoming digital deluxe version and on DSPs, which will include other live outakes.