The Old Country Crows still flying a decade on

The Old Country Crows are Gary, Mark, Ian and Craig, a local band who are celebrating their 10-year anniversary as well as a brand-new album Behind The Rain. On April 4th the band are launching the record in style at The New Inn with a host of special guests, it is a venue the seasoned musicians are no strangers to annually receiving a ‘great response’ from audiences. CommunityAd had a chin-wag with Crows frontman Gary.

Firstly Gary, very apt that the album is called ‘Behind The Rain’ as I’m listening to it with a backdrop of Storm Ciara. Can you tell our readers a little about it?

Yes, Storm Ciara certainly produced some menacing looking clouds similar to the album cover for Behind The Rain. However, in this instance we are maybe promising that Behind The Rain is a new world where there is everything to live for. The album contains 14 original songs and is a follow up to our self-titled debut album from 2013. There is a dose of country, folk, pop and rock mixed into a bowl of Americana. There is something for everyone.

‘My Head is Alright’ intro is a cinematic Tarantino-esque sound, a Western feel, was that a conscious decision?

That’s a good assumption particularly as I love Tarantino and the music he incorporates into his movies. We just love the sound of that big, heavy, country-twang lick and we built the song around that. Probably our most popular song, Dreamland, from our first album has a very similar sounding riff.

“Sunday ain’t nothing without beer and stuffing” is no doubt my favourite lyric on the album; where’s your favourite place to eat such ingredients in Sandwich?

My family celebrated two very special occasions in recent months at the Bell Hotel in Sandwich where we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and the food and service were excellent. However, I have some wonderful memories of the Barbican Restaurant down on the Quay way back in the 1980’s. They served wonderful steaks back then and it was always extremely busy. Regarding ‘Beer and Stuffing’ the thought behind the song is that every week you read that “this is not good for you or that is bad for you”, “you cannot eat this and you cannot eat that”. And someone is getting paid to provide us with this information. We say that when “Friday night arrives, my world comes alive” and “Saturday I’m lost and found” and “Sunday ain’t nothing without beer and stuffing and Monday lay me in the ground.” Oh yes, you must have your beer and stuffing on a Sunday.

If you could have anyone else join the band who would you recruit (dead or alive) and why?

I am sure we could find room for Elvis and John Lennon really just to help sell a few more tickets.

Desert Island Discs time, if you could pick three singles to take with you on a desert island?

John Lennon -’Imagine’

Hank Williams – ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’

The Beatles – ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’

Album is available on all the usual downloading sites, as well as www.theoldcountrycrows.co.uk

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