Neilsen's Obsession Good For Fans
June 16 2009, 04:33 PM
Filed in: Music News
Ross Neilsen continues to generate lots of press across the country, thanks in large part to his non-stop touring from coast to coast, and to his relentless work ethic.
Today's latest press on Neilsen rolls in from New Brunswick, care of The Daily Gleaner. I've reprinted the article below, as it originally appeared at this link.
Published Tuesday June 16th, 2009
A big part of Ross Neilsen's music involves paying dues to his fans and fellow troubadours in every rough and rugged note.
And one of his biggest audiences will hear that sentiment loud and clear at this year's FredRock festival. He and his band, the Sufferin' Bastards, will open for The Black Crowes.
Take the black star inked on his right arm. It wasn't wishful thinking that inspired him to get the tattoo. In fact, the local blue-collar bluesman couldn't care less about glitz, glamour or superstardom.
It's a tribute to a lost friend, singer-songwriter and former bandmate Randy Cable who died in 2005.
"The star is a symbol of the human spirit, and also it was part of the logo of our band (at the time) Naked Days," Neilsen said, adding that Cable recorded his debut album while undergoing cancer treatments in the hospital. "Having the tattoo right there on my wrist is just a little memorial to him, to keep him in mind."
A big part of Neilsen's inspiration is staying close to his roots - be it as recent as his fellow band mates, or as far back as the blues songs from generations gone by, what he sees as the beginning of it all.
"I personally believe that the blues is the root of all modern music," he said. "Everything came from it, country, rap, rock. I don't care what genre it is and I don't care if you agree with me or not, my opinion is that's the root of it all."
One of his favourite genres to grow from that root is southern rock, and Neilsen said he's honoured to share the same stage with the Crowes, a band he believes are the forerunners of that form.
"Lyrically and stylistically, they're a big influence," he said. "They don't write your typical radio rock or pop songs. They write music to get your brain to work and your ass to shake.
"In the end, we love opening for our heroes. It shows we're going in the right direction, otherwise we wouldn't be getting those gigs."
But those gigs came gradually. Neilsen started playing around his hometown of Fredericton when he was 19, but it took another decade of delivering his special brand of blues-rock to audiences across the Maritimes before his songs started to catch on.
"When I decided it was possible, I just put my head down and started working at it like it was a job. As soon as I started treating it like a career, it started working like a career."
Since then, he's garnered two East Coast Music Awards nominations and two CBC Rising Star Award wins. In 2007, he released his second album, Early Grave, and he and the Sufferin' Bastards have been touring steadily across Canada since.
By Kyle Mullin
mullin.kyle@dailygleaner.com
