December 17th, 2020 – Singapore – Now, three years after their lauded fifth effort, the Austin-by-way-of-Toronto duo Black Pistol Fire – Kevin McKeown (guitar/lead vocals) and Eric Owen (drums/bass synth) – are back with ‘Look Alive’, an album that sees them refining their singular two-man approach, outfitting their explosive, impassioned rock ‘n’ roll with a soundscape that is more expansive, ethereal and cinematic. The official pre-order for ‘Look Alive’ – slated for release January 29th, 2021 via the new indie label Black Hill Records – is available today at orcd.co/bpflookalive.
The duo teamed up with co-producer and engineer Jacob Sciba (Gary Clark Jr, Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes) and mixer Vance Powell (White Stripes, Raconteurs, Chris Stapleton). As a result, ‘Look Alive’ delivers their wild amalgam of southern rock and bluesy, garage punk through a handful of diverse singles, among them the coiled, psychedelia-laced “Level”, the R&B-inflected “Temper, Temper”, the doomy, stomping “Black Halo” and the slow-burner “Hope in Hell”.
‘Look Alive’ is a far-reaching sonic landscape, venturing out beyond traditional rock touchstones. Credit this in part to the band’s natural progression. “When we first started out a decade ago, I had one guitar and one guitar pedal, and Eric had his drums and a green Dodge Neon – that was it,” says guitarist/lead vocalist Kevin McKeown. “So, experimentation was just not an option.” Since then, things have changed. McKeown’s pedal collection – and the resulting range of sounds he’s capable of producing with it – is an awe-inspiring thing, for one, while drummer Eric Owen has moved beyond a mere acoustic kit to add bass synth, electronic drums and other colours to the mix.
Black Pistol Fire’s passion has dominated every move over the course of the past decade, an intensely creative period that produced five full-length albums, several EPs and numerous singles — one of which, “Lost Cause”, was the most-played track on rock radio in Canada in 2018 and spent 14 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Canadian charts — as well as music that has been featured in a variety of TV shows, films and commercials. Along the way, Black Pistol Fire have played everywhere from the smallest, sweatiest out-of-the-way holes to the massive stages of festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch and Austin City Limits, bringing their blistering, blues-rooted, brain-expanding rock ‘n’ roll to audiences both devoted and unsuspecting and laying it all on the line, every single time.
Why ‘Look Alive’? “That title just seemed to tie everything together as far as where the songs are coming from lyrically and thematically,” says McKeown, who composed all the new tracks on the album. “Because a lot of it seems pretty dark. But also, it’s like you’re pushing through that darkness.” And darkness, for better or worse, is front and centre in many people’s experiences right now. “It’s crazy,” McKeown continues, “a lot of these songs, people are saying they really ring true to what’s going on in our world right now. But in terms of timing, there’s something about it that seems to be hitting the nail on the head, so to speak.”
“Every time we hit the stage to play, no matter if it’s a sold-out show or not, we remember why we started doing this,” McKeown adds. And note that they’ve been doing this for a long time – McKeown and Owen first met in kindergarten in Toronto and have been making music together, with an almost telepathic connection, practically ever since. “And our live show is where we cut our teeth and where we honed our craft,” he continues. “It’s a rollercoaster ride, and the stage is where we come alive.”
‘Look Alive’ Track Listing
1. Look Alive
2. Pick Your Poison
3. Holdin’ Up
4. Never Enough
5. Wildfire
6. Hope in Hell
7. Black Halo
8. Temper, Temper
9. Level
10. Always On My Mind
11. Beyond the Blue
