The third weekend in May, Gulf Shores will host the seventh installment of one of the world’s most epic beach parties, the Hangout Music, Beach & Arts Festival. A multitude of festival-goers will travel to the Alabama Gulf Coast to meet a legion of the world’s hottest music acts. Along with them, The Record Company from Los Angeles will make its Hangout Fest debut. The band’s latest release, “Give It Back to You,” has been gathering new listeners with each passing day.
Tracks on their new album showcase many musical faces frontman Chris Vos says are shaped by diverse influences ranging from Howlin’ Wolf to The Stooges. The listener never knows what to expect. Vos describes their rock ‘n’ roll sound as leaning heavily into “the roll” with a firm footing in “the rock.”
“The roll is the soul. It’s where all the blues is. It’s where all the gospel is, and all the swing and all the sway comes from the roll,” Vos said.
(Photo | facebook.com/therecordcompany) The Record Company write and play raw, sincere rock ‘n’ roll influenced by the rough honesty of bluesmen like John Lee Hooker, early punk bands like The Stooges and rock greats like The Rolling Stones.
The Record Company has created a sound Vos says comes from the heart, honestly, which was its goal from the beginning. When the band was starting out in Los Angeles, he says, they had no high expectations for success. When The Record Company began to make its way through the scene, it found Los Angeles was ready for its raw, gritty form of rock. In addition to concert-goers, Vos says local music critics and radio also began to take notice of the band’s sound, which kindled its reputation.
“We actually got support pretty fast, and we were very thankful for that,” Vos said. “We were a little surprised by it, but we were never one to question, just move forward. It’s good to stick out like a sore thumb, I think.”
With its heavy radio rotation and chart success, The Record Company’s latest, Morphine-esque single, “Off the Ground,” has helped propel the band into new territory with its slide-heavy groove. Vos says this is a song about pushing on and moving forward and not letting things get you down. “Off the Ground” begins with bassist Alex Stiff’s slide work on the bass, joined by Vos’ lap-steel track. While Stiff grooved, Vos organically fell into the lyrics.
“I started singing and wanted to go for something more of a John Lee Hooker influence, where you sing lower instead of going to the top of your range and sit lower in your register and let it go that way,” Vos said.
The Record Company’s live show is based on a vital philosophy, Vos said, which bleeds into the performance. The group must see every show as their last; with this in mind, Vos said, the crowd can expect a high-energy rock ‘n’ roll show. The band’s goal in the live setting is to “elevate the spirit” of their audience.
General admission tickets, VIP passes and Super VIP passes for Hangout Fest 2016 are currently available at www.hangoutmusicfest.com.
