The Georgia Thunderbolts are set to release their sophomore album, Rise Above It All, on August 23rd via Mascot Records. The album features their signature blend of Southern rock, blues, and heartfelt Americana, showcasing the band’s profound emotional and artistic growth fostered by their years on the road.
Today, the band has released the album’s latest single, “Crawling My Way Back To You”. This Americana, blues-based ballad showcases sophisticated musicality, with a fat-back drumbeat, Motown bass guitar, a bluesy rhythm shuffle, and a baritone guitar reminiscent of Aretha Franklin and other soul music greats from the Muscle Shoals recordings. The song has a hard-luck poetic sentimentality that invites comparisons to Frankie Miller, the late Chris Cornell, and newcomers like Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, and Tyler Childers.
“That one is pretty emotional—it could be about a breakup, or maybe it’s about losing yourself,” shares vocalist TJ Lyle. The song features some of TJ’s most achingly beautiful lyrics. One choice passage is: “Won’t you make it easy, and tell me how you feel. Don’t take the long road, play around, play around, too long cause it kills.”
The road to being hailed as the new torchbearers of Southern rock hasn’t been as glamorous as you might imagine for The Georgia Thunderbolts. It wasn’t many years ago that the guys busked at gas stations, fumbled through covers, and drove four hours to Alabama to play to a bartender and a three-legged dog sitting on a barstool.
These days, however, the Rome, Georgia-based quintet is a critically acclaimed and internationally touring band fending off the sophomore slump with its latest release. The Georgia Thunderbolts are rounded out by Zach Everett, bass, classical guitar, harmony vocals; Bristol Perry, drums; Logan Tolbert, guitar; and Riley Couzzourt, guitar. The quintet’s earthy and emotive aesthetic spans late 1960s singer-songwriter intimacy, the yearning of the blues, the mythological stories of country, and a bracing dose of arena-ready classic hard rock.
“I was raised by my dad and my grandma. He loved 1980s rock, and my grandma loved classic country, like Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard,” Riley says. “As soon as TJ opens his mouth you know we’re from the South.”
Previously, the band released its debut album, Can We Get A Witness, smack in the middle of the pandemic. Despite not having the opportunity to tour, the album amassed over six million streams across digital platforms, and earned critical acclaim.
Raring out of lockdown, the guys made up for lost time, performing alongside a who’s who of rock icons. Select live performance highlights include sharing stages with Black Stone Cherry, Deep Purple, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Betts Band, Blackberry Smoke, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Steel Woods and The Outlaws.
“We’ve learned a lot from our heroes. Playing with these bands made us better musicians,” TJ says. “Also, seeing the world opens up your perspective as a songwriter—you encounter people from all walks of life.”
However, the most transformative experience for the band has been the month back in 2022, The Georgia Thunderbolts spent touring Europe with Black Stone Cherry. None of them had been across the pond before, and it was the longest they had been away from home.
Playing historical European theaters and seeing firsthand how their music translated overseas was eye opening. “Hearing people sing our songs back to us felt like we were in the Twilight Zone. We never thought this was possible—it’s a long way from getting beer bottles thrown at us,” TJ says laughing. All the growth and maturation over the past two and half years can be heard on Rise Above It All. The 13-song collection is a flag-planting album, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter as The Georgia Thunderbolts continue to rise and resonate with audiences worldwide.
Rise Above It All artwork and tracklisting:
Gonna Shine
Rock And Roll Record
Rise Above It All
Moonlight Play
Ain’t Got No Money
Wait
Crawling My Way Back To You
She’s Gonna Get It
Little Jim
It Ain’t Easy
Stand Up
Whiskey Talkin’
Pricetag
Catch The Georgia Thunderbolts live at the following shows:
June
27 – Dosey Doe Big Barn – The Woodlands, TX
28 – Forest Park – Denison, TX
29 – High Horse Saloon – Texas City, TX
July
5 – First Fridays – Rome, GA
25 – Eastside Bowl – Nashville, TN
26 – Trainwreck Saloon Westport – St. Louis, MO
27 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO
31 – Marquis Theater – Denver, CO
August
1 – Oskar Blues Grill & Brew – Colorado Springs, CO
3 – Kickstands Campground & Venue – Sturgis, SD
10 – Beaver Dam Amphitheatre – Beaver Dam, KY (with Ace Frehley and Foghat)
23 – Blues Garage – Hannover, Germany
27 – Colos-Saal – Aschaffenburg, Germany
30 – Karosserifabrikken – Helsingør, Denmark
31 – Sønderborghus – Sønderborg, Denmark
September
3 – Hafenbar Tegel – Berlin, Germany
4 – Gaststätte Stock – Hagen Am Teutoburger Wald, Germany
6 – L.A. Live Style Cafe – Cham, Germany
7 – WaldHaus eV Heilbronn – Heilbronn, Germany
8 – Raismes Fest 2024 – Raismes, France
14 – Zydeco – Birmingham, AL
19 – The Barrelhouse Ballroom – Chattanooga, TN
20 – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
21 – The Grand Theatre – Cartersville, GA
October
25 – Bird’s Nest – Dunn, NC
26 – Bird’s Nest – Dunn, NC
December
14 – Pillars Pub – Fitzgerald, GA
(Photo credit: Jim Arbogsast)