Interviewing The Legends: The Georgia Thunderbolts

THE GEORGIA

THUNDERBOLTS

TRIUMPH WITH

RISE ABOVE IT ALL

INCREDIBLE NEW ROCK ROCK ALBUM

EXCLUSIVE ZOOM INTERVIEW

WITH LEAD SINGER

T J L Y L E

ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

WITH RAY SHASHO

The Georgia Thunderbolts have announced their highly anticipated sophomore album, 'Rise Above It All,' set for release on August 23rd via Mascot Records. Featuring the quintet's signature blend of Southern rock, blues, and heartfelt Americana, the 13-track album showcases the band's ability to navigate a vast array of musical terrains, while also capturing the profound emotional and artistic growth fostered by their years on the road. “When you cut back on being a tough guy, more emotions can come through, and you hear that on this record,” says TJ Lyle, lead vocalist, harmonica, and keyboards. “This album travels all musical genres,” he adds.

To celebrate the announcement, the band released the album’s latest single, "Stand Up," accompanied by a music video directed by Jim Arbogast. The video captures the band in their element, performing this powerful track that combines slithering guitar riffs and soaring vocals with a Southern rock flair.

The road to being hailed as the new torchbearers of Southern rock hasn’t been as glamorous as you might imagine for The Georgia Thunderbolts. It wasn’t many years ago that the guys busked at gas stations, fumbled through covers, and drove four hours to Alabama to play to a bartender and a three-legged dog sitting on a barstool.

These days, however, the Rome, Georgia-based quintet is a critically acclaimed and internationally touring band fending off the sophomore slump with its latest release. The Georgia Thunderbolts are rounded out by Zach Everett, bass, classical guitar, harmony vocals; Bristol Perry, drums; Logan Tolbert, guitar; and Riley Couzzourt, guitar. The quintet’s earthy and emotive aesthetic spans late 1960s singer-songwriter intimacy, the yearning for the blues, the mythological stories of country, and a bracing dose of arena-ready classic hard rock.

Previously, the band released its debut album, ‘Can We Get A Witness,’ smack in the middle of the pandemic. Despite not having the opportunity to tour, the album amassed over 6 million streams across digital platforms and earned critical acclaim.

Raring out of lockdown, the guys made up for lost time, performing alongside a who’s who of rock icons. Select live performance highlights include sharing stages with Black Stone Cherry, Deep Purple, The Marshall Tucker Band, the Allman Betts Band, Blackberry Smoke, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Steel Woods and The Outlaws.

However, the most transformative experience for the band has been the month back in 2022, The Georgia Thunderbolts spent touring Europe with Black Stone Cherry. None of them had been across the pond before, and it was the longest they had been away from home.

Playing historical European theaters and seeing firsthand how their music translated overseas was eye opening. “Hearing people sing our songs back to us felt like we were in the Twilight Zone. We never thought this was possible—it’s a long way from getting beer bottles thrown at us,” TJ says laughing. All the growth and maturation over the past two and half years can be heard on ‘Rise Above It All.’ The 13-song collection is a flag-planting album, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter as The Georgia Thunderbolts continue to rise and resonate with audiences worldwide.

PURCHASE

THE NEW ALBUM

THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS

entitled

RISE ABOVE IT ALL

Preorder at: https://lnk.to/TheGAThunderbolts

Officially released on August 23rd

via Mascot Records

Stream the latest single “Stand Up”

Watch the dynamic music video, directed by Jim Arbogast

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS

VISIT

https://www.georgiathunderbolts.com/

Official website

https://www.facebook.com/GAThunderbolts/

Facebook

https://twitter.com/GAThunderbolts

Twitter

https://www.instagram.com/gathunderbolts/

Instagram

https://www.tiktok.com/@gathunderbolts

Tiktok

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJf6atP6Z_MsR7rSBoKzXASIT

YouTube

THE GEORGIA

THUNDERBOLTS

TOUR DATES 2024

05 Jul

First Fridays

Rome, GA

25 Jul

Eastside Bowl

Nashville, TN

26 Jul

Trainwreck Saloon Westport

St. Louis, MO

27 Jul

Knuckleheads

Kansas City, MO

31 Jul

Marquis Theater

Denver, CO

01 Aug

Oskar Blues Grill & Brew

Colorado Springs, CO

03 Aug

Kickstands Campground & Venue

Sturgis, SD

10 Aug

Ace Frehley and Foghat with special guests The Georgia Thunderbolts

Beaver Dam, KY

23 Aug

Blues Garage

Hannover, Germany

27 Aug

Colos-Saal

Aschaffenburg, Germany

30 Aug

Karosserifabrikken

Helsingør, Denmark

31 Aug

Sønderborghus

Sønderborg, Denmark

03 Sep

Hafenbar Tegel

Berlin, Germany

04 Sep

Gaststätte Stock

Hagen Am Teutoburger Wald, Germany

06 Sep

L.A. Live Style Cafe

Cham, Germany

07 Sep

WaldHaus eV Heilbronn

Heilbronn, Germany

08 Sep

Raismes Fest 2024

Raismes, France

14 Sep

Zydeco

Birmingham, AL

19 Sep

The Barrelhouse Ballroom

Chattanooga, TN

20 Sep

Smith's Olde Bar

Atlanta, GA

21 Sep

The Grand Theatre

Cartersville, GA

26 Sep

Live at Hub City Vinyl

Hagerstown, MD

08 Oct

Sellersville Theater

Sellersville, PA

25 Oct

The Georgia Thunderbolts Night 1

Dunn, NC

26 Oct

The Georgia Thunderbolts - Night 2

Dunn, NC

14 Dec

Pillars Pub

Fitzgerald, GA

T J L Y L E

APPEARS

JULY 15TH 2024

ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

WITH RAY SHASHO

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/

Gold Award Winner