“Don’t give up on me tonight,” a hopeful voice implores, “We’ve come this far we've made good time.”
This simple but expressive sentiment comes from "Don’t Give Up On Me," the first single and opening track on "Drive," Graham Colton Band's debut on Universal Records. Due in stores May 25, the album takes only seconds to show that the ride – both the band’s and the listener’s – has just begun. The album's eleven tracks demonstrate this band's classic approach to music with undeniable rock and roll appeal.
But to call Graham Colton Band mere pop would be to dismiss the below-the surface savvy and layers of talent this young Dallas quintet possesses. To label them rock would mean neglecting the memorable melodies and earnest lyrics.
And so we have come to an impasse -- which is fine. This band has no interest in labels beyond the oft forgotten, good old "rock and roll." Says the group's front man and one of its three guitarists, Graham Colton, "When I think of rock and roll, I think of a lifestyle -- gritty, hard-working, long-touring, dirt-beneath-their-fingernails bands." It’s a work ethic Graham Colton Band has taken to heart.
A natural solo acoustic artist, Colton left his hometown of Oklahoma City for Texas to attend Southern Methodist University. After almost a year of playing local acoustic gigs, a tape of Colton's ended up in the hands of local guitarist "Turtle." The two clicked immediately. Colton was ready to record an album. "I knew I wanted it to be bigger than just a solo acoustic CD," he says of his independent first release. Naturally he turned first to Turtle.
“The thing that flipped me and Graham on when it comes to writing is that it was easy,” Turtle says, emphasizing the songwriting team’s shared love of rock based on melody rather than riffs. “I could reference things that I couldn’t even articulate. He just knew what I was saying.”
Colton says of Turtle in return, "He's got a Keith Richards/Mike Campbell style that just complements a song."
So the two wrote some tunes, then enlisted Drew Nichols, another guitarist on the local scene.
"He's beyond being an amazing guitarist. He's a multi instrumentalist," Colton says, rattling off instruments Nichols has mastered -- bass, piano, mandolin, lap steel. "He's a technical player and provides a lot of the glue that holds the whole band together. Whatever needs to be done, Drew can play it."
After the triple assault guitar team gelled, they bumped into 17-year-old drummer Jordan Elder. “The first day I met him, I told him I wanted him to hit the drums so hard his sticks should break," Colton says of his beat-keeper. "I've had sticks flying at my head ever since." Elder hooked them up with bassist Ryan Tallent.
"Ryan is wonderful arranger with a wide musical background. He's a fantastic piano player, which gives his bass playing a unique feel. He and Drew can switch instruments and give the band a different dynamic on stage," says Colton. "Ryan doesn't overplay. He makes everything settle live. He holds it down."
By the end of the recording process, Graham Colton Band was firmly in place and so was its fan base. The group had formed an impressive grassroots following; the word was spreading, quickly. When the call came from the Counting Crows to fill an opening slot on tour, the decision was a no-brainer.
“Counting Crows took us under their wing,” Nichols says. “Every night was an experience. We got to see how they react with the audience, come up with segues between tunes and how they use dynamics. Our live show is developing because of those experiences.”
A stint with Wallflowers followed. Then John Mayer. Then Guster. For two years Colton, Turtle, Nichols, Elder and Tallent remained on the road, writing songs and discovering influences new and old.
Due to this diligence, they've not only garnered an ever-growing national audience, but they’ve gained the respect of fellow musicians who keep requesting the band as an opener. As a result, Graham Colton Band will be on the road for the next 18 months headlining tours and supporting other acts.
“Working with experienced bands made us realize it takes a lot of rehearsals, ideas, and being open,” Nichols says. “It's all about trial and error. I like the fact that we’re growing, knowing we have that potential.”
With more than three hundred shows under their belts, the effort has more than paid off. By the time the five-some entered Atlanta-based Southern Tracks studio in July 2003, they were already armed with a distinct idea of who they wanted to be as a group, nearly 25 songs (most co-written by Colton and Turtle), and an almost star-struck excitement to work with producer Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Stone Temple Pilots, Black Crowes). "Universal asked us our dream producer and we said Brendan. He's famous for making a band sound on tape the way they do live,” Colton says. “And we did achieve that.”
They also achieved a new sense of collaboration. “In the studio, we disected and rearranged every song, as a band we did whatever it took to make the song right," says Nichols. "There were always ideas flowing.”
Half-way through recording "Drive," the guys were thrilled to learn that one of their major influences, Tom Petty, was coming to town. They took time off to catch the show.
"It was such a jolt of energy that we wrote three more songs that ended up on the record," Colton says. The lilting head-bobber "Since You Broke It," the more dramatic "All the World Tonight" and mildly melancholy "Sending You a Note" all made the cut.
Taken together, the songs are a collection of musical missives, a series of love and loss notes from the road. They're moments captured in down time between gigs and channeled through songs written backstage, during sound checks, in hotel rooms and the van. They're honest tunes from an honest band, songs that anyone can relate to and everyone can dig. But they’re far from the end of the ride.
“This band is going to be touring from now until... Hopefully we'll keep touring like Petty,” Colton says. “That’s our specialty -- being around the fans, knowing that they get what they came out for. As long as we keep touring, writing and recording, I don't think there's anything more exciting.”
