RICH MAHAN SAYS BLAME BOBBY BARE FOR HIS SOLO DEBUT

The Singer, Songwriter and Musician Attracts Legendary Session Players for a Freewheeling Country-Rock Album About Love and Liquor, Delivering a Saturday Night Record of Love Songs for The Barstool Impaired

NASHVILLE (12/21/12) — Nashville guitarist/singer-songwriter Rich Mahan will release his solo debut BLAME BOBBY BARE on January 22nd, 2013. For the album’s 10 songs, Mahan delivers barstool tales with a wicked grin, peppering his mix of rock and country with tasteful contributions from several of Music City’s legendary session players.

Mahan recorded BLAME BOBBY BARE at the Rendering Plant in Nashville with producer Brian Harrison (Shelby Lynne). The songs include performances by celebrated studio musicians like harmonica master P.T. Gazell, who played for years with Johnny Paycheck, and pedal steel guitarist Robby “Man of Steel” Turner, who’s worked with everyone from Waylon Jennings to Frank Sinatra. The familiar voice heard singing background through much of the album is Bekka Bramlett, a solo artist, former member of Fleetwood Mac and daughter of ’70s rockers Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. Other friends on the record include Aaron Beavers from Shurman, Bryan Owings on Drums (Emmylou Harris, Delbert McClinton, Tony Joe White), and Nashville Superpicker, JD Simo.

They agreed to join Mahan and producer/engineer Brian Harrison (Shelby Lynne) based largely on the strength of songs like “Mama Found My Bong,” “Rehab’s for Quitters” and “Tequila Y Mota,” which mix country and rock in a way that recalls the outlaw country movement of the ’70s. “P.T. indirectly paid me a huge compliment after a recent gig,” Mahan recalls. “He told a couple of the other band members that these songs reminded him what he was doing with Johnny Paycheck back in ’78.”

The warm, natural sound at the heart of Blame Bobby Bare is deliberate, says Mahan, who insisted that the album be recorded with vintage analog gear. Tracked to 24-track, two-inch tape, the music was then mixed and mastered to preserve the music’s natural dynamics (i.e., no brick walling). “I truly believe music sounds better when it ebbs and flows. Much of that’s been lost today where loudness is king, which is why so many albums sound like a shouting match instead of a conversation.”

“Growing up, I remember how stressed out my dad would get from work. But on the weekends, he would cut loose and crank up these great records by Bobby Bare. He would dance around the living room playing air guitar to ‘Tequila Sheila’ and ‘Dropkick Me Jesus Through The Goalposts of Life.’ Those songs made him forget about his troubles and just have a good time. I wanted to tap into that power and make a record that makes people feel good. So if you wonder where I got the inspiration to write the songs on this album, you can Blame Bobby Bare!” - Rich Mahan

As for Bare, Mahan got the chance to meet him and found out Bobby already had two copies of “Blame Bobby Bare.” “That was really a blast” said Mahan, “To find out Bobby Bare already had two copies of my CD before I had the chance to give him one was surreal. Bobby told me he wanted to meet my Dad, and I think we’ll just maybe have to hook that up!”

About the Artist
Guitarist/singer-songwriter Rich Mahan lives in Nashville, where he recorded his solo debut, Blame Bobby Bare in 2012.

He switched from piano to electric guitar in junior high after seeing girls go crazy for a local band playing Rainbow’s “Since You Been Gone” at a talent show. He grew up loving the blues (Freddie, Albert and B.B. King), garage rock (Chocolate Watch Band, The Standells, The Action), and post-British invasion bands (The Jam and Secret Affair), but credits the Grateful Dead with opening his ears to all styles of music, and agrees with his Uncles who told him someday he would love country music.

Over the years, he’s toured and recorded with several groups, playing roots rock with Jam Band Avocado Sundae and co-founding the alt-country band Shurman, which was signed to Vanguard Records in 2004.
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“Blame Bobby Bare” Roots Radio Chart Positions:
#39 on the AMA Chart, #36 AMA Internet Chart
#1 on the RMR Roots Rock Internet Chart
#2 on the 3rd Coast FAR Chart (Debut)
#5 on the Euro Americana Chart
#6 on the Roots 66 Chart
#15 on the RMR Tennessee Chart
#19 on the RMR Roots Country Chart

PRESS QUOTES:

Americana Gazette
“…In the case of Rich Mahan’s Solo Debut; “Blame Bobby Bare” there is no shortage of magic… this just might be the best CD you pick up this year.”

The Alternate Root
“Rich Mahan is a Roots music Buddha whose songs always makes sure the faithful leave with a grin on their respective faces after an encounter with his latest album release, Blame Bobby Bare.”

Music News Nashville
“…Mahan proves himself to be a top-notch singer… but it’s his songwriting that I think is the most appealing aspect of this album. Maybe the best pair of songs on the album are the totally irreverent and politically incorrect “Mama Found My Bong” and “Rehab’s For Quitters.” The above-mentioned cuts showcase Mahan’s genius as a tunesmith…Take a listen to this, you’re going to love it!”

Maverick UK
“Rich Mahan’s solo debut is a pure delight from beginning to end. He’s a damn fine songwriter himself, and his vocal style is totally his very own, ranging from humorous when the song demands it, occasionally deadpan, and quite soulful at others.”

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