The Karma Effect

Meet the young classic rock revivalists with a stadium-style approach to shows and songs.

Henry Gottelier’s “type-A personality” is easy to spot. It’s there in his vocals (like a young, slightly hyperactive Steven Tyler). It’s embedded in his band’s second record, Promised Land, a swaggeringly confident set packed with meaty grooves, suntanned melodies and Black Crowes-esque southern fringes. And it’s written into their performances, which have blossomed since their first gig, a sit-down affair at Leo’s Red Lion in Gravesend, mid-pandemic.

“People are paying a lot of money, up and down the country, to come see us play now,” the frontman enthuses. “And you can get up there and wear whatever you want, as long as you own it. I mean, Tommy Lee wore a leopard print thong for four years. You build your identity around that.”