“Since the mid-1990s, Bottle Rockets bard Brian Henneman and his shifting ensemble of compadres have been crafting heartland epics within a rock ‘n’ roll framework, that spill beer and stir the heart on impact.” —NPR MUSIC “Imagine for a moment that the survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash in 1977 had decided to keep going and had replaced Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines with The Clash’s Joe Strummer and Mick Jones.” —PASTE THE BOTTLE ROCKETS BIT LOGIC RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 12, 2018 Formed nearly 30 years ago, the Bottle Rockets helped forge a now- Other inspirations came from “off the beaten path Americana” popular subgenre—small-town, middle-class, Midwest American sources like Don Williams, Poco, Jackson Browne, Jerry roots rock—part right-to-the-gut poetry, part rock ‘n’ roll, all truth. Reed, and more, all of whom “showed up” in the music Bit Logic is a different sort of album for the St. Louis natives and shows during the sessions, audibly channeling themselves through them at their most self-aware, self-challenging, and socially alert. John Horton’s hot-shit, phase-shifted country-folk pickin’; Henneman’s penny philosopher, raspy drawl; or Mark Ortmann Recorded in St. Louis at Sawhorse Studios, engineered by Mario and Keith Voegele’s in-the-pocket, country-rock overdrive. Viele and produced by longtime studio collaborator Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (The Del-Lords, Steve Earle), the Bottle Rockets’ 13th album The title track and “Lo-Fi” are pointed laments of how the ever- has them looking at their unique stylistic blend through a different relevant topic of modernization affects the individual—how it can lens. While one of the group’s earmarks is constructing blue-collar be a marvelous dream, but also a dehumanizing reality. In “Bit Logic” anthems, Bit Logic has the quartet focusing outside themselves, Henneman and Ortmann team up to pen some of the band’s most at how change and adaptation affects the bigger picture. clever and conscious wordplay, “In my technicolor childhood / We burned incandescent dreams / Illuminatin’ on these future things / “We were not planning any kinda ‘theme’ to this album, but one kinda That didn’t turn out like we thought they would.” But there’s always the showed up,” said lead singer and guitarist Brian Henneman. “If it’s other side of the coin, as in “Lo-Fi”: “Al Green in the kitchen/ On the AM about anything at all, it’s an album about existing in this modern radio/ Best bad sound that I ever did know/ Scratchy and it’s muddy world. Trying to dodge depression and anger. These songs are views / But it carries me through/ Straight on down to Memphis in ‘72.” from the moments when you’re mostly succeeding at it.” Yet, to balance those times when success may seem just a breath out of reach, the It all funnels into the brilliant, poignant, quotable critique on the album includes the infectious pop masterpiece “Maybe Tomorrow” music industry, “Bad Time to Be an Outlaw.” In the bouncy, meta, which offers an optimistic and buoyant outlook on momentary failure. swampy country number Henneman takes stock, rethinks his choices in life, but still ends up at the same outcome. The lyrics are pure The band returned to its more democratic songwriting approach this Prine, the music wonderfully reminiscent of Waylon and Reed. time, which generated four co-written songs, in contrast to their previous and critically acclaimed album, South Broadway Athletic That Nashville Pop it ain’t my deal Club, which Henneman primarily wrote. Leading up to their time in Even though that cash flow’s real the studio, Henneman sent around some bare-bones acoustic iPhone But these days “What Would Waylon Do?” recordings that would serve as the album’s blueprint, and the group Don’t make much money sad but true fleshed out one song a day by means of three 4-day studio sessions. It’s a bad time to be an outlaw The group went into the recording sessions with a fresh Don’t get me wrong I love what I do outlook—to bring out more of their Americana influences and Couldn’t even change it if I wanted to to write a record that more accurately reflected their collective But random selection of the universe approach. What they found while doing so surprised them. Is makin’ me think my job’s a curse It’s a bad time to be an outlaw “The past provided touchstones,” said Ambel. “Times when you could hear Merle Haggard and the Grateful Dead on the Through it all, the album is the simple meeting the complex, same radio station. The country vibe came from the sounds traditional meeting modern, stick-to-your-guns resoluteness meeting that inspired us in the studio. Sounds from the more adaptation. It’s what Bottle Rockets have always done, but with a fresh experimental times of country. Post Hank, post George.” take. Bit Logic breaks new artistic ground but remains in character. For press needs, contact: Josh Zanger at [email protected] Bloodshot Records 3039 W. Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618 Ph: 773-604-5300 Fax: 773-604-5019 Web: www.bloodshotrecords.com .