John Allen, vocalist, songwriter and founding member of Baltimore based rockers CHARM CITY DEVILS has checked in with BraveWords.com correspondent Deb Rao to discuss their Rock On The Range May 17th appearance and the upcoming release of Lets Rock ‘N’ Roll via Eleven Seven Music on May 26th.

Q: John, Are Charm City Devils looking forward to performing at Rock On The Range on May 17th?

A: "We are very excited to be included in the show this year. Last year I saw it on Pollstar and saw these great bands that were playing. I was sitting at home finishing up our record that comes out May 26th and it is called Lets Rock ‘N’ Roll. I was so envious that we couldn't be there last year. But when the label called and said we got you a slot on Rock On The Range, I flipped out. I was so stoked that we are playing that show.

This line-up has only been together for two years in August. I really kind of started the band in sort of my own little project recording the drums and demoing songs in my basement with the studio I built here. I played the drums and a lot of the bass tracks and most of the guitar tracks on the original stuff that I did. I didn't have a live band first then slowly as I put the band together I called up old friends and that is how it came up to the lineup of the band as it stands now."

Q: Actually you began your career as a drummer in the band SR - 71. Was it hard making the transition from drummer to singer?

A: "Well, I had always sung from behind the kit, most of the time in a back-up role. It definitely is a different experience. When you are back there behind the drums, you are in your little protected area there. Going out front, you have different amount of space to work with. Stages are different shapes and sizes in different venues that you play, so you have to contend with that. Frankly, you are a lot more naked when you are out there in front of the crowd. You are up close and personal with the audience. So it is a different thing. It was a challenge. It felt like it was something that I will learn how to do. I definitely have embraced it. I had a really great time on the last on the couple of years doing it now. Everybody in the band is pretty much from a blue collar background. I think that the music definitely identifies with the town and the nose to the grindstone sort of mentality."

Q: As you mentioned earlier, Charm City Devils are getting ready to release your debut album on Eleven Seven Music on May 26th. Tell us a little bit about the writing process for this album.

A: "A lot of the tunes like I said, when I started this project I was still the drummer in the band that you mentioned before SR - 71. The first song I wrote was ‘Burn Baby Burn'. That song is on the record. I made a little demo and played it for the singer in SR -71 and he said, 'This is good, this is really cool'. I thought maybe I was on to something. I wanted to get affirmation from somebody. He said 'yes, I played it for a couple of other people in town and they said it was cool'. This one song grew into three songs, and then three turned into six. I was like yeah know what? I almost have a record here. I am just going to keep going, and I just kept writing songs. Pretty soon, I had a record worth of material. A lot of it is about life experiences that I had. A lot of the songs on the record are autobiographical in some form of fashion. It has been a fun thing to learn how to use the studio thing as I was writing the record. Becoming a producer, singer and songwriter all at the same time."

Q: What can the fans expect to see from Charm City Devils at Crue Fest this summer?

A: "We are so excited about being included on Crue Fest. For the people coming out, I hope they come out early to check out the set. It is a high-energy rock and old school rock and roll show in your face. For the time we are allotted, we won't let up. It is a total high-energy Rockfest."