Trevor MacGregor: Drums Rosie Martin: Bass Greig Nori: Guitar/vocals Bill Priddle: Guitar/vocals
Welcome back to music that matters. Music that entertains. Music that kicks your ass, kisses your cheek and sends you home with that happy just-been-rocked glow.
Quite simply, Wide Awake Bored is the work of a quartet at its creative peak —Treble Charger's gift of sonic bliss to fans who have waited far too long for something with all the right rock 'n' roll stuff."
I think the band is better now than it ever has been," says treble charger's cute-but-deadly beatmaster Trevor MacGregor. "We just keep it simple and rock out. Just really good songs and no crap. No candy, just meat. Or tofu, if that's what you're into. Playing this stuff is incredible -- we're really eager to get at it."
And you should be, too.
Wide Awake Bored is the follow-up to treble charger's major label debut Maybe It's Me, which proved their solid gold songwriting skills with great tracks like "Red" and "Friend Of Mine."
That, say the boys, was just a taste of things to come. It's time for a massive, loud second helping."
This is the most exciting album we've done," says axe-wielding singer Greig Nori.
"For the first time I feel like we've written an album that truly reflects a lot of what I've always wanted to see in a band. It's a nice balance of the aggressive, mid-to-fast tempo music that we've always loved to play live. I can't believe how good it is to play theses songs live."
Take the absolutely irresistible leadoff single "American Psycho," a dangerous, butt-whomping party anthem for the serial rocker in every girl and boy.
"On the last album we had good songs but we didn't have any that had all the elements of a great song," says Bill Priddle, singer and unabashed guru of the '70s lead-guitar wank.
"'American Psycho' has them all together. And I think we've accomplished that on more than one of these songs.
"How 'bout all of them, Bill? Wide Awake Bored is a little treasure trove of powerpop goodies.
The undeniably sexy kiss-off groove of "Brand New Low." The aggressive harmony and driving backbeat of "Business." The brawny melodic swoop of "Funny."
"It's an L.A. rock piece," says bass guitar thundermaster Rosie Martin. It's a good one, this record, real rock 'n' roll. Everyone likes the rock. Rock is back. It has to be -- it can't be stopped."
Hot off a North American tour with the Foo Fighters and Talk Show (which Martin calls "an incredible, mind-altering experience") treble charger headed from Toronto to L.A. to record with producer Matt Hyde (Porno For Pyros, Honeyrods) at Sound City in Los Angeles.
"Matt completely understood where we were going," says Priddle. "We I were on the same wavelength so often. We were completely in synch."
"Matt's always positive, and it's unbelievable what that does for creativity," adds Nori."
The band and Matt got together and pooled all of our energies. What came out of that was the absolute belief in bringing back to music the core rock 'n' roll value it used to represent -- entertainment."
So Treble Charger were united with a singular vision: to follow in the footsteps of the old masters of the true rock song -- bands like Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, Todd Rundgren -- not forgetting to inject it liberally with the get-off-your-ass-and-enjoy spirit of the new century.
"The greatest bands were those who harnessed what rock 'n' roll is all about," says Nori. "Matt identified those characteristics in us. He brought amazing direction, pulled us all together."
"I think we've definitely achieved what we set out to do," says Priddle. "It's all about having great music and feeling really good."
Treble Charger's Wide Awake Bored: like dropping a big happy rocket in your ear.
