JD Simo

On the Joys of Fuzz and Recording Direct

- Michael Ross

AFTER THE THOUSANDS OF BLAZING COUNTRY SOLOS

JD Simo played for Nashville honky-tonkers and YouTube viewers before leaving the Don Kelly’ group in 2013, guitar enthusiasts were seriously surprised by the sound of his own band. Hell, no one even knew the guy could sing. When Simo, the record, turned out to be something of an homage to the great British power trios of the ’60s, complete with the guitarist’s Paul Rodgers-style vocals, fans were gob-smacked. Simo, the band, followed up their first outing with Let Love Show The Way, bringing the music back home with a Southern-rock vibe enhanced by the use of Duane Allman’s actual guitar.

Both records revealed a band that could evoke the spirit of a bygone era while adding its own distinctive stamp. But Simo’s love of classic rock extends beyond the music to the attitude of continual searching that was a hallmark of that time. The Beatles, the Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, et al, evolved from record to record, and their fans went with them, open to any avenue they chose to explore. With Rise and Shine [Mascot Records], JD Simo, drummer Adam Abrashoff, and bassist Elad Shapiro have jumped into new territory, not by abandoning the guitar-based rock that has built them an impressive following over the last four years, but through adding a fresh layer of funk. While this new texture too is derived from the past, its melding of ’70s soul music with hard rock (like the Chi-Lites meets Zep mashup “I Want Love”) also creates an original soundtrack for the future.

The band’s label took a page from history as well, offering them enough studio time to do the kind of sonic experimentation that made every new release back in the day an earphone extravaganza. Simo, the man, sat in his living room and walked GP through some of the record’s fantastic sounds.