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| Robert Jon, Photo credit: Keith Langerman |
Hailing from Southern California, Robert Jon & The Wreck brings their own unique twist to the Southern rock sound that originated on the east coast. Since forming in 2011, this group of talented musicians, consisting of Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums, background vocals), Henry James Schneekluth (lead guitar, background vocals), Warren Murrel (bass), and Jake Abernathie (keyboards), has been captivating audiences worldwide with their electrifying performances featuring stunning dual unison guitar work reminiscent of The Allman Brothers, The Outlaws, and The Eagles circa 'Hotel California'.
With soaring guitar leads, rich vocal harmonies, and unforgettable melodies, it's hard to ignore the incredible presence of Robert Jon & The Wreck when they take the stage. Their impact on audiences across the globe is evident as they have sold out numerous shows and proudly shared the bill with acclaimed artists such as Joe Bonamassa, Blackberry Smoke, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, and Rival Sons.
In 2020, their album 'Last Light On The Highway' received widespread acclaim, solidifying their reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Continuing their upward trajectory, their 2021 release, 'Shine A Light On Me Brother,' propelled them to even greater heights and led to a collaboration with Joe Bonamassa's Journeyman Records, opening doors for exciting new music opportunities.
Most recently, they unveiled 'One Of A Kind,' a dynamic and multifaceted EP featuring production by GRAMMY-Award winners Don Was and Dave Cobb. This year also marked the debut of their first official live concert film, 'Live At The Ancienne Belgique,' showcasing the highlights of their exceptional career over the past decade, which has been praised by Music News as "one of the best live albums in years."
Robert Jon & The Wreck are currently embarking on an extensive European tour, thrilling their rapidly growing fanbase, which will see them playing dates in the UK, Germany, Holland, and France. They are also diligently working on recording fresh material to further delight their dedicated supporters, the results of which are due to be released on August 4th via Journeyman Records.
Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with Robert Jon for a quick Q&A on the eve of their performance on June 21st at The Launchpad in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Thanks, Robert Jon for taking the time to sit down with me, it's truly appreciated!
Interview and text © 2023 Keith Langerman for NM Museart
NM Museart: You have a new album coming out on August 4th, 'Ride Into The Light' via Joe Bonamassa's new label Journeyman Records, which was co-produced by Joe and Josh Smith. How did you end up meeting Joe?
Robert Jon: We met Joe and his team on Keeping the Blues Alive Cruise the first year they did a Mediterranean edition. We kept our relationships going after that as well as joining his next cruise out of Miami.
NM Museart: What was it like working with him?
RJ: It was an honor, to say the least. It was a great experience all around. It was a pleasure to see the insight of how he works and very glad how the tracks we did together came out.
NM Museart: I can imagine, given his track record working with Kevin Shirley throughout the years, he didn't waste much time in the studio...
RJ: That’s true.
NM Museart: Did Joe impart any words of wisdom that he's learned along the way to his massive success?
RJ: Not too much, we learn from everyone we work with and I’m sure we learned a lot getting to work with him.
NM Museart: Did Joe show you his massive vintage guitar collection? Was that where it was recorded? In 'Nerdville'?
RJ: It was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, Joe brought in some amazing guitars and amps to use on the recording, but we didn’t get to see the whole collection or anything, just some rarities that would make the recording even better.
NM Museart: 'Ride Into The Light' includes the four tracks from the band’s very recent dynamic EP release One Of A Kind, which received rave reviews from all over the world and helped catapult the band’s awareness to new heights. These tracks were produced by GRAMMY-Award winners Don Was and Dave Cobb. The rest of the album contains contributions from Tom Hambridge, who has written with Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, and Susan Tedeschi...Lynyrd Skynyrd.. Joe.. the list goes on and on...Buddy's called Tom, "The White Willie Dixon", which is quite an honor indeed...How did that whole situation come about?
RJ: Some things happen in a way that at the moment you have no clue why or how you got there and you got to sit back to really understand it all. It was an awesome experience to work with Tom on a couple tunes. We went over to his house in Nashville, sipped some coffee, and sat with each other working on ideas.
Our “band mom”, as we like to call her, Sharon Corbitt was hands-on in helping us get with some of the best songwriters she knows while we were in Nashville, and the rest is history.
NM Museart: What do you feel that having Tom involved brought to the project that you hadn't had previously?
RJ : Having a new set of ears and thoughts brought to the table is always something that can add so much. Someone hearing something different or writing in different ways just makes anyone a better songwriter.
NM Museart: Are you satisfied with the results this time around?
RJ : Yea, definitely really excited for all the new music to be able to be heard by everyone.
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NM Museart:: Your music has a distinct blend of rock, blues, and soul. How would you describe your sound and what artists have influenced your musical style?
RJ : We are Southern California Rock, we have a lot of elements in our music from Southern Rock so people tend to think we are from the “South” which is an honor. We truly just set out to play and write the music that we love and want to.
Everyone that we have ever listened to has influenced our music, but the obvious ones may be The Black Crowes, The Eagles, and The Allman Brothers.
NM Museart: Do you recall what the first album you ever bought was?
RJ: The first album I ever bought with my own money was Deep Purple's Greatest Hits.
NM Museart: Are there any dream collaborations or venues that you hope to work with or perform at in the future? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 years?
RJ: Of course, the list is too long, so off the top of my head it be great to work with Nathaniel Rateliff, Zac Brown... Like I said the list is so long that we’d love to collaborate with anyone that we look up to and already love to listen to, venues are really about the people that come to them, so in 5 years I just hope to be playing venues with a crowd of people who are excited to be there people who have been on the journey with us for years, and to feel the love and energy every night from the stage.
NM Museart: What is your songwriting process like? Do you collaborate as a band, or does each member contribute individually?
RJ: It’s very cohesive. We as a band are in the room together, working on ideas, riffs, and lyrics, we all have a part in these songs that we record and play. We all have stuff we may work on, on our own before we bring it in, but the majority of the work gets done together.
NM Museart: Live performances are a significant part of your identity as a band. In fact, you're going on an extensive European tour next month to support the new album. What is your favorite aspect of performing live, and how do you engage with your audience during shows?
RJ: The best part is the energy we feel from the crowd. That truly is what keeps us going night after night. We hope to be giving that energy back to them, to create a time remembered and worth coming back for.
NM Museart: Could you share any memorable or funny moments from your time on tour or performing at festivals?
RJ: I’m not sure I have the time to tell or even think of them cause there are so many but one thing we really enjoy especially at festivals is to walk out and experience them from the crowd we don’t often just sit backstage awaiting our show time, we like to get out there and get a drink and meet people that out there!
NM Museart:: During your time on the road, you've appeared with some really heavyweight performers in the music world, like Joe Bonamassa, Blackberry Smoke, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, and Rival Sons. Are there any artists that you've been listening to recently that you feel the world needs to know about?
RJ : We listen to a lot of old stuff and the current list of amazing artists who everyone already knows about, but we have some amazingly talented friends that play some great music. Bywater Call, The Silent Comedy, and Balto, to name a few.
NM Museart: What are your long-term goals and aspirations for Robert Jon & The Wreck? Are there any specific milestones or achievements you hope to reach?
RJ : We hope to keep doing what we love and be able to support our families as they grow while we do.
NM Museart:: Before we go is there anything that you'd like to say to all your fans out there?
RJ : We hope to see you all at a show near you! It’s our highlight to see everyone at our shows and reconnect so we can continue to write, record, release, and perform.
For further information on Robert Jon & The Wreck, to purchase merchandise, or to find out where they're playing next go to https://robertjonandthewreck.com/
From their recent performance in Albuquerque, New Mexico at The Launchpad here's an epic, nearly 20-minute version of "Cold Night".
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