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Shattered Bliss -- lead singer/guitarist Mike Dodson, drummer Eric Kegley, bassist Denny Nickles, and lead guitarist Eric Ostrander -- like to call their music "Southern Grunge Metal." "We're not Southern Rock," explains Dodson, "and yet we're not only heavy metal. We blend different backgrounds and styles to come up with our sound. It's not necessarily new but it's definitely unique, not fitting into any certain category. We keep our lyrics clean, except live in a few places depending upon the crowd so that kids [of all ages] can listen and enjoy the music. We have kept that particular philosophy with all of our songwriting." The songs on the 12-track self titled Shattered Bliss sophomore effort -- which includes standout tracks like "Storms" and "Flashbacks" -- were all tested in front of audiences in their hometown Bristol, TN, as well as numerous other Tennessee and Georgia roadhouses.
"With the darkness comes a fear/
The Bliss pay a lot of attention to their music and lyrics. They struggle. They argue. And, in the end, it's all good. Once you understand their work habits, a fascinating collaborative craftsmanship takes shape. "Mike or Eric usually has a guitar riff that starts the process," explains Nickles. "Sometimes Jerry has a new drum beat that really clicks so we write guitars to it. If the music starts to come together as a unit, then we structure the song to the point to where Mike hunts down some fitting lyrics. We have a vast library of words we've written fitting any moods and tempo. If those lyrics work, then we keep hammering the song until it's refined enough to perfect and tweak it as necessary to improve even further. If something doesn't click right away but we like it, we'll put it on tape in rough form to remember and possibly come back to when we need something new to work on." "Audience response has been overwhelming," adds Dodson. "The fan base has grown considerably." The level of musical maturity has been the one constant since their self-released self-produced 2004 Picking Up The Pieces debut. "The new album has more of a raw life feel," enthuses Ostrander. Still, that initial project drew some heavy praise from local radio and several A&R departments at the major labels (especially a song called "Away From You"). In the end, though, it's all about the sound, and sound is born from influences. So what do you get when you get four kids with the following musical gurus?
Dodson: Chris Cornell, Phil
Anselmo, Bruce Dickinson, Stevie Ray Vaughan
"As you stare upon
my stone and ponder the apologies you own/
As far as advice to beginner musicians who may be reading this article and pondering a life in the music business, Dodson adds, "if you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will. You have to love yourself as you are and do what feels right." Nickles, the son of a preacher, adds "I'm very dedicated to what I do. If I can reach someone through my music, then I have reached one of my life goals." Worley, who dropped out of high school, only to earn his GED, and who spends much of his time outside the band fishing, says, "I've worked my ass off to learn music myself because I've always felt it's in my heart. I couldn't function without it." Ostrander, born on a Florida Air Force Base, and who had to drop out of high school to help support his family, is an accomplished tattoo designer, and student of fantasy myths. He concludes the quote - fest by giving props to the fans, "without them, we wouldn't have our music." Those interested in hearing the uniqueness of their music can log on to www.shatteredbliss.net. MIKE G ---- |
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