- Music
- 23 Oct 13
With a new album on the way and an Irish visit imminent, White Denim talk to Hot Press about how a Thin Lizzy love affair served as inspiration for their sound.
White Denim are Dublin bound for the first time since 2009 – they think, though they say the memories from their last visit here are "slightly fuzzy".
But it's not just their legions of devoted Irish fans that get them excited, as they open up in the new issue of Hot Press about their deep connection to one of our finest musical exports.
"When we were planning the record we all thought ‘Man, we should make this more like Thin Lizzy,’" says singer and guitarist James Petralli. "They were definitely a big influence for this album."
And was there a particular Thin Lizzy LP that got the band's creative juices flowing during their writing and recording?
“Aw man....I think Vagabonds Of The Western World was the one we listened to the most. The guys had the whole catalogue constantly blasting out throughout the last year of touring that we did. I really like that song 'Gonna Creep Up On You' especially. That was a track that got played at least every other day. It's such a great riff. That band had such an awesome groove and that voice... they were such a great rock 'n' roll band.”
Since their debut onto the rock scene five years ago, White Denim have impressed fans and critics with their rough and tumble rhythms and tightly-wound art rock anthems. But now the Texan four-piece have decided to loosen their belts a little and get their groove on for their latest effort Corsicana Lemonade.
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A suitably sweet affair, the November 1 release is a heady brew of Canned Heat-inspired bluesy boogie and Thin Lizzy-esque melodic guitar leads.
“The whole experience was awesome. We found an almost-mansion on the lake in Austin and it was really great. We did all the sound proofing ourselves and turned an ageing house into a make-shift recording studio. I’d agree with the Canned Heat and Thin Lizzy references for sure-especially the Lizzy one".
And while their previous music has won them an abundance of worldwide followers, Petralli says that listening back to the band's earlier stuff only makes him wish they had unleashed this new-found musical freedom sooner
"Don’t get me wrong, I like our early recordings. Shit, there’s something about all of them I still like, but I wish I could take some of those tunes and track them the way we did this record for sure. I think with a more natural sound people might be able to connect to it easier. Those early records are like art projects though. I have to watch myself not to beat up on them too much.”
Check out the full interview in the new issue of Hot Press, out tomorrow (October 24).