CD Release - The Love Drunks remain rooted in rock

For many artists, rock ‘n’ roll is a means to an end (aka money, women, fame). But for a dedicated few, rock is a good-time party whose roots dig deep, drawing on a history of juke joints, hootenannys and old-fashioned blow outs. The Love Drunks are a fairly new band, working on only their second year of existence, but their sound extends back through time to the genre’s roots in the blues, rockabilly and ’60s garage rock.

“I think, in a sense, we want to rebel against a lot of what Atlanta music has been, which is just stand around and act like you’re uncomfortable and watch a band do feedback for 30 minutes. We just wanted to make people dance and have a good time. Life is way too serious to go to a rock show and pay 15 bucks to get depressed,” says singer Patrick A.

Good friends of the Cogburns and spiritual brothers of the Woggles, the Love Drunks are all about the performance. Patrick moans, writhes and roars behind his now-trademark oversized sunglasses, while the band delivers rocking, punkish blues blasts.

“We were all influenced by crazy blues guys like John Spencer, Muddy Waters, Son House. That wild aspect is a big part of it,” Patrick says.

Cogburns’ singer/guitarist Glenn Cogburn is producing the Love Drunks’ first album in his home studio. They originally only planned to record an EP, but they were so happy with the first five songs, they decided to go back in and record a full-length album instead for release in January.

The album will feature a number of controversial are songs such as “Riot in Haymarket Square,” and “John Hutcherson Rag,” whose content harks back to Patrick’s days in the political band, the Agitators. The latter concerns Hutcherson’s vehicular homicide conviction for killing his friend when he hit a telephone pole driving home drunk one night. Patrick feels the sentence was excessive.

“It sounds like something that’s going to be funny, but it’s not. It’s a very serious song that talks about how people tend to be overzealous in wanting revenge,” says Patrick.

As for the future, Patrick promises some big news for the album’s release, but until then, they’ll focus is on making “really fun, entertaining rock ‘n’ roll music.”