Hank3 Says “Brothers of the 4×4” is a Traditional Country Record

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hank-3Hank Williams III struck out today for Texas on a 2 week tour that will take him through the Midwest and parts of the South ahead of the release of 2 new albums on October 1st: the double CD Brothers of the 4×4, and the punk-infused A Fiendish Threat. Over the last few years, country fans have come to expect a mixed bag from Hank3, whose veered more towards punk and heavy metal as time has gone on. His first two albums Risin’ Outlaw and Lovesick, Broke, & Driftin’ became staples of the early 2000’s neo-traditionalist movement, while 2006’s Straight to Hell is considered his opus, and the beginning of his move to a much harder sound.

His last “country” album Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown had a decidedly Cajun flavor to it, but ahead of the release, Hank3 was warning people not to expect a tear jerking traditionalist country effort. “I’m just saying that out of respects to my fans. Some of the Cajun stuff has a country feel. But I at least have to say that to my fans, because it’s a new line for a Hank3 country record.”

While speaking to The Dallas Observer ahead of his show at the Rail Club in Ft. Worth, Hank3 struck a much different tone about what people could expect from the upcoming Brothers of the 4×4:

hank3-brothers-of-the-4x4It’s a traditional country record. It’s got your slow country songs if you need to get some bad emotions out. It’s got a couple of, you know, the not as sad kind of songs and a couple of songs that just aren’t really country but they’re kind of folky soundin’. When I make a country record, it’s always very important for me to have a banjo, steel and acoustic guitar, fiddle and a chicken pickin’ guitar on it. Those are really the deep roots of country music for me.

Hank3 wrote, recorded, produced, and played all of the drums and acoustic guitar on the new record, while using his stable of superpicking friends for all of the lead parts, including Andy Gibson, Zach Shedd, Billy Contreras, David McElfish, Daniel Mason, and a guest appearance by banjo champion Leroy Troy.

And for those wondering what they may get from the country punk A Fiendish Threat:

It’s done on an acoustic guitar with a little bit of fuzz on it and a stand-up basss beatin’ it down. It’s a different singin’ voice for me. A lot of people who’ve known me for 10 years say, ‘Man, if you hadn’t told me it was you, I wouldn’t have guessed. It just doesn’t sound like you.’ That’s a good thing for me. That just means I’m changin’ it up. Not everybody will get it, but some people will understand the creative process that’s going on.

Hank3 Tour Dates:

8/24 Austin, TX @ The Austin Bat Fest
8/25 Ft. Worth, TX @ Rail Club
8/26 Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
8/27 Lawrence (KC), MO @ Granada
8/29 Sauget, IL @ Pops
8/30 Ft. Wayne, IN @ Pierre’s
8/31 Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
9/1 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
9/2 Pittsburgh, PA @ Alter
9/4 Lancaster, PA @ The Chameleon
9/5 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
9/6 Richmond, VA @ National
9/7 Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
9/8 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

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