© Dhruv Kumar
Photos by Dhruv Kumar
Louisiana Rockers Lillian Axe made their much awaited return to NYC on June 30th as they headlined a small but intimate venue at Tobacco Road. The band is hitting a streak of summer dates for June and July as they knock back a set list featuring songs from their recent album “Days Before Tomorrow’ all the way back to their back catalog material
“This is the best record I have ever written for Lillian Axe,” says lead guitarist Steve Blaze. That’s a bold statement considering the amount of music Lillian Axe has produced during its eventful career.
XI:The Days before Tomorrow is the eleventh release from Louisiana Music Hall of Fame members, Lillian Axe and marks the debut of new lead vocalist Brian Jones of Jackson, Mississippi. Lillian Axe has recorded an impressive amount of songs, earned the loyalty of a devout fan base worldwide and amassed an extensive amount of effusive critical acclaim from their peers. Brian Jones brings an amazing new voice and incredible vocal range to Lillian Axe. His vocal style compliments Steve Blaze’s songwriting and in turn has inspired Steve to write some of his most passionate, deep and soulful new songs to date.
The songs on XI:The Days before Tomorrow reflect Steve Blaze’s passionate beliefs in the power of music. Steve’s compositions are as emotional as they are infectious. They are in your face songs of truth, war, neglect, Mother Nature, the innocent victim, the state of the world, current issues and spirituality. Personally charged rock ‘n’ roll is what makes Steve’s songwriting so melodic and drenched with deep lyrical insight.
The album, recorded in Covington, LA at Sound Landing Studios with longtime cohorts, Rob Hovey and David Heintz demonstrates why Lillian Axe is at the top of their game. Produced by Steve Blaze and mixed by platinum producer, Sylvia Massy (Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sevendust, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and Prince), XI:The Days Before Tomorrow, deals with heavy issues of the outcasts, the innocent, the hopeless and the true believers.
With the creative momentum in the studio, Lillian Axe took seven months to write and record the new album. Steve Blaze recounts, “I had so many ideas and we experimented with a lot of sounds, we took our time to make the album we wanted to for ourselves and the fans. We took no shortcuts recording this album.”
Platinum producer Sylvia Massy had this to say about the songs on XI:The Days before Tomorrow, “Damn! These guys know how to write! I love the new songs!” Sylvia is no stranger to Lillian Axe. In 2010, Sylvia mixed the song, “47 Ways to Die” off of their Deep Red Shadows album which was the featured song in the opening credits of the 2011 Cuba Gooding Jr. movie, The Hit List.
Although Lillian Axe has been through some tough times and taken the long road; they still create new music that is both relevant and exciting and continue to tour while others have forsaken the live performances. Lillian Axe respects its past but looks forward to the future by reinventing themselves with the current times. Steve Blaze reflects, “I continue to learn about writing songs, recording, performing and growing as a complete human being. My life experiences are those that make its way into the songs I write for Lillian Axe.”
The fire and passion still burns in Lillian Axe and maybe even brighter today as their eleventh album, XI: The Days before Tomorrow makes its way out to the world. Brian Jones states, “I’m just getting started and I look forward to the days ahead and the adventures that are coming our way.”
The Days before Tomorrow:
Take the Bullet / the Great Divide / Caged In / Lava on My Tongue / Babylon
Bow Your Head / Soul Disease / Gather up The Snow / Death Comes Tomorrow
My Apologies
Source: http://www.lillianaxe.com/
© Dhruv Kumar
Lillian Axe
UPDATED TOUR DATES:
06/26 Columbus, OH O’Shecky’s Live
06/27 Akron, OH The Tap House
06/28 Springfield, VA The Empire
06/29 Baltimore, MD Voltage Nightclub
06/30 New York, NY Tobacco Road
07/04 Marksville, LA Paragon Casino & Resort
08/08 Dallas, TX Trees
08/09 Houston, TX The Scout Bar
More dates to be announced.
Checkout our new stage show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-1nAo9rcho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jMF5rC4MVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGJYtjvyMEU
http://www.lillianaxe.com
http://twitter.com/#!/BlazeSteve
http://twitter.com/#!/LillianAxeVox