Page 36 - ISSUE 24

PAGE 36 ROCKNATION ISSUE 24
AMERICAN REBEL SOUL

Hello American Rebel Soul and welcome to Rocknation. Congrats to your
band on the release of your self-titled album on Perris Records. How long
has the band been together and how did you form the band?

Thank you! American Rebel Soul just formed back in August 2016. Sean and
Jimmie started the band then added Jay. Dave and Dawn joined right before
heading into the studio. Some of us have known each other for years, but this is
the first time all five of us have worked together.

Please name some of the tracks and what they are about.

“No Apologies” was inspired by a comment someone had written who was going
through some troubled times; whatever demon you are dealing with at the mo-
ment, no one can truly apologize for someone else’s actions nor should they feel
guilty. “Ready to Roll” might be about a woman (or maybe just a car?) either way
she is beautiful but requires a lot of maintenance. “Tattooed Romeo” was written
by Jimmie about another band member who has a lot of tattoos, we will let you
guess which one that is.

If you had to tell someone what your band sounded like, what bands
would you mention?

We were going for a little blues and a little southern rock, our sound comes from a little of both. We think each of our
songs have a different style to them. People have compared us to Badlands, Cry of Love, and Blackberry Smoke.

What bands have the biggest influence for song writing for your band?

Our writing is definitely a blend of a lot of different influences coming from each of the band members. Sean’s riffs have
elements of old Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Badlands. Jay’s drumming brings in hints of Rush with a flair of funk. Jimmie’s
melodic bass lines reflect his love of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple; and his vocal style is reminiscent of AC/DC.
Lyrically, Dave always liked the way old country songs tell a story; and Dawn often has lyrics running through her head
inspired by the music created by the guys in the band.

Who did the cover art for your CD?
And what was your
influence for the layout?

Jimmie created the cover art and
layout stemming from Sean’s idea
of displaying each of us on playing
cards. The rebel flag is a nod to our
southern rock roots; Sean had the
idea of morphing it with the
American flag.

Your band members live in
different cities how does that work
out for rehearsals and
performing?

Practice time together is limited, so we
all have to do our homework.