IF YOU’VE NEVER witnessed Jared James Nichols onstage, let us say right now: you’re missing out, big time. Usually armed with little more than the heavily customized, even-more-heavily-worn Gibson Les Paul he nicknamed “Old Glory” (or, just as likely, one of his single-pickup Epiphone “Old Glory” and “Gold Glory” Les Paul signature models), the singer and guitarist practically strangles his instrument into submission (sans pick, of course), unleashing torrents of incendiary riffs and licks and ripping out howling, hotwire solos jam-packed with blazing note bursts, screaming, vocal-like bends and tasty, blues-drenched phrases.
It’s a sight and sound to behold, and so when it came time to record his most, Nichols decided to bring that live vibe right into the studio. “I’ve always been told, ‘Man, you sound so much rawer in concert than on your records,’ ” Nichols tells. Upon entering Blackbird Studio in Nashville with his power trio, he continues, “We said, ‘Fuck it, let’s break some necks. Let’s play how we play. Let’s see what happens.’ We tracked everything live and straight to tape, including the solos — no click, no overdubs, except for my vocals. We turned everything up and left caution to the wind. It was like, ‘Okay guys, tape’s rolling, play one.’ Then we’d take a deep breath and just go for it.”
