Quality Americana

Classic pedal steel and lead guitar open this montage style video for “You’re so Right” by John Surge and the Haymakers. We see Surge writing and preparing for a concert. He stands on top of a building and strums his Gibson guitar and later meets up with the band.

The Los Angeles based artist worked with the legendary piano player Floyd Domino, drummer Tom Lewis, bassist Brad Fordham, guitarist Randy Volin and songwriter Brennen Leigh on vocals for the recording. The album appears on the Blackbird Record Label.

Surge met Volin through a Craigslist ad when he first decided to step out under his own name. “He’s my right hand man, arranger and co-writing partner with a strong musical track record,” Surge said. Volin appears in the current lineup of the Haymakers along with drummer Simon Runge, bassist and vocalist Teresa Cowles, who Surge met through former producer Kevin Jarvis, and Sin City All-Stars pedal steel guitarist Chris Lawrence. “I’ve had the same lineup for a number of years now,” Surge said. “We’ve become a very tight unit.”

Surge took many experiences from late nights in honkey tonks to his journey on the road for his latest release Almost Time.

“We play live a lot in spots that are, let’s say, colorful. I had my antenna up and many of the songs were inspired by conversations or overhearing conversations and making a mental note of that inspiration,” Surge said.

The album was produced by Tommy Detamore in Floresville, Texas. Surge said he and Volin wanted to make something different from their last record that focused on West Coast country sounds. They packed their car to the brim with equipment and set out for the Hill Country. Surge had heard Detamore’s work with Jesse Daniel, Sunny Sweeny and Jim Lauderdale. “Those songs would pop out of the speakers,” Surge said. “They really grabbed my attention, and I knew I wanted my band to sound like that.”

More information on John Surge and the Haymakers can be found here.

Photo distributed by John Surge.

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