Waylon Speed

The Artist: Waylon Speed, who provides gritty Southern rock by way of Vermont.
The Album: Their sophomore release Kin, out June 24
Fun Fact: The band is named after member Rev. Chad Hammaker’s son.
Songwriter Says: “There is magic to be had by taking chances and trying something completely outside of our comfort zone, and Kin is a product of that risk. We couldn’t be happier with the result,” says bassist and vocalist Noah Crowther.”“We evolve naturally; we aren’t trying to make anything different or better than previous material. We’re family, and this natural evolvement led us to Kin.”

“The songs mean a lot to me on Kin. You go through shit and you write songs. And we had the opportunity to take these songs on the road with us for almost a year before recording them, we feel it’s a more refined Waylon Speed pallet.” says guitarist and vocalist Kelly Ravin. “There is a lot on the horizon right now with the release of Kin. Good quality people have influenced us and have come into our network of folks, and we feel they give us momentum to go in directions and places we haven’t been before,” says Ravin. - American Songwriter

Produced and/Co-Produced by Mark Spencer (Son Volt) and Brian Thorn (David Bowie, Rolling Stones) Vermont’s Waylon Speed Releases Second Album Kin is Out June 24

Posted on May 14th, by Two Dog Media in Clients, Waylon Speed. Comments Off
You don’t expect something like outlaw country or hints of old southern rock coming out of Vermont, but it does. Following their 2012 release, Valance, and a seemingly endless two-year tour, Waylon Speed has announced their next album. It’s called Kin and it’s out June 24 on WS’s own label, Crow on Ten Records in North America and everywhere else.

Kin features guest/producer Mark Spencer of Son Volt giving the album shimmer and heart via pedal-steel and piano. The album was produced by Spencer, and co-produced by Grammy Award-winning sound engineer Brian Thorn. It was recorded at The Magic Shop in NYC, engineered by Thorn and Chris Shurtleff in November 2013.

Waylon Speed has captured their onstage energy within the studio environment on Kin. What makes this record unique is the offerings from Spencer and Thorn; sonically and creatively, Kin highlights Waylon Speed’s best work to date. Crossing genres seamlessly from pedal-steel driven alt-country to full-driven rock, the album ends with “Demons” a slow and powerful song that highlights the true heart of the band.

Bassist and vocalist, Noah Crowther reveals, “Amongst some brief improvisational moments on Kin, “On A Wire” was the only song written within the studio environment. This isn’t common practice for us and we believe this track has a unique feel as a result,” Crowther adds

The LP will be available digitally and in compact disc form. Considering Kin was recorded at The Magic Shop using a full line of vintage equipment, joined with the timeless album artwork designed by Burlington artist Sarah Ryan, “It only seems appropriate to release it on vinyl,” Crowther adds. Kin features 11 new tracks. The first single “Until It All Ends” can be heard at www.waylonspeed.com.

Of the new album, the band says Kin refers to the amazing family that Waylon Speed has become and created over the years. After all, the band is named after guitarist Reverend Hammaker’s son, Waylon.

Waylon Speed is on tour in support of Kin taking them across the United States throughout August, 2014. - Two Dog Media

A Little Bit Country

Waylon Speed take off
By John Flanagan [04.25.12]

Outside Waylon Speed's practice loft in a Williston warehouse, airtight country-metal songs waft into the street. Inside, a black-and-white photograph of Hank Williams fills an entire wall, the country legend peering between two stacks of amplifiers as a shirtless Kelly Ravin cracks a 27th-birthday Budweiser.

His band is rehearsing for an upcoming tour and a release party for their third full-length album, Valance, at the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge in South Burlington. That show will also feature Burlington punks Rough Francis and Speed bassist Noah Crowther’s acoustic duo, Rabid Cobra.

Waylon Speed rose from the ashes after the demise of popular local bands Lucy Vincent and Chuch. Ravin, who sings and plays guitar, says he was on tour in the Caribbean with Lucy Vincent in 2008 when he reached a boiling point.

“It didn’t end pretty,” he says of his departure.

After a year of playing solo shows around town and taking his Kelly Ravin Trio on cross-country tours, the musician met up with Chuch members Chad Hammaker and Justin and Noah Crowther at a Honky-Tonk Tuesday session at Radio Bean. They were seeking an ax man to round out their posse.

“Kelly was just an unbelievable fit,” Hammaker says. “I had never played in a band with another guitarist without butting heads.”

Ravin, who calls his and Hammaker’s sound “guitarmonics,” agrees.

“Everyone’s got an ego; there’s no getting around it,” he says. “But all of ours just disappear when Waylon Speed play together.”

They named themselves after Hammaker’s son, Waylon, who, after watching the movie Speed Racer, decided to rename himself.

It didn’t take long for Waylon Speed to start gigging beyond Vermont, including in west Texas, where their mix of country twang and metal is a natural fit. Noah Crowther recalls an older woman approaching them after a show in Austin to say, “Y’all are way more Texas than any of these boys down here. Not bad for a bunch of Yanks!”

“Yeah, we do really well in Texas,” Ravin says. “It’s just hard to get there.”

Though they’ve had their share of van problems, the band members pride themselves on never missing a show thanks to their DIY know-how — both Noah Crowther and Hammaker are auto mechanics. Their respect for the handmade extends to their instruments, too: Ravin’s Telecaster-style guitar and Noah Crowther’s P-Bass-esque bass were made by Burlington artisan guitar luthier Creston Lea. Ravin’s father built his amplifier, and both of the band’s guitarists make pedals for themselves.

Another notable, if less musically inclined, construct is a ball of fireworks the band lit in the van while driving through Kentucky.

“It was like a cannonball of bullshit fireworks,” Justin Crowther remembers. After throwing the blazing flambeau from the moving van, the band watched in horror as “a fire truck circus” whizzed by the truck stop where they laid low until the blaze was snuffed.

Though waggish humor is an obvious and important aspect of the band’s appeal, an earnestness is at the head of Speed’s style and sound.

“This band means the world to all four of us,” Noah says. “It’s the end-all, be-all of what the fuck we do.”

In each of Valance’s 10 songs, that dedication and talent is evident. Ben Collette engineered the album last October at Phish’s Barn recording studio outside Burlington. The Barn’s open-room setup allowed the musicians to play together while recording, capturing a live-show sound.

“We’re a live band,” Noah Crowther says. “That’s our thing.”

Collette recorded Speed onto two-inch tape, transferred it to Pro Tools, then mixed it back onto tape, which, Noah adds, “is about as analog as it gets these days.”

Special guests on Valance include Joe Cleary on fiddle, Brett “the Ghost” Lanier on pedal steel and Adam Frehm on lap steel guitar.

Speed write their songs collaboratively. “Silver and Gold,” an albu - Seven Days

Words by Nick Kramer. Photos by James Lockridge.

On Wednesday, Burlington-based foursome Waylon Speed dropped in on the Radiator Studios to play some tunes and give Sam the scoop on what they’ve got going on. The country-rocking crew of Rev. Chitwood Hammaker, Noah Crowther, Kelly Ravin, and Justin Crowther just released ‘The Boots EP’. They debuted the excellent 4-song set with a release party Thanksgiving weekend at the Rock ’n’ Roll Resort festival in Kershonksen, NY.

In addition to the EP, the band has already recorded a follow-up to their second album ‘Horseshoes and Hand Grenades’, and looks to drop their third full-length disc this coming March. Recording at Trey Anastasio’s legendary The Barn studio, Waylon Speed worked a grueling session schedule, but “walked away with big smiles on our faces.” Inspired by the aura of a place that seems to Noah, “created for good recording vibes,” the boys have great expectations for the record.

On the air, they played songs pulled from throughout their catalog, including some rocking numbers from ‘The Boots EP.’ Their songs run the gamut from a crooning, country-rock slow-burner with guest vocals from Lowell Thompson, to the quick-picking “Koi Pond”, which has Kelly and Chitwood trading red-hot licks over a kick-stomping honky-tonk backbeat.

Always playing shows in the Northeast, Waylon Speed are a central force of the home-town Burlington scene. As for favorite gigs outside the 802, Kelly and Noah look back to last summer’s Floyd Fest in Virginia, as well as raucous nights in Dover New Hampshire, where Noach boasts, “we’re like Kiss in Dover, for some reason.”

As they move towards the March album release, the band is hard at work planning their spring and summer tour dates, which will include a long run of West Coast shows, as well as a healthy trip around the summer festival circuit - a perfect fit for Waylon Speed, who have made stops at the past two Gatherings of the Vibes, as well as several other multi-day fetes.

You can find the ‘The Boots EP’ for sale at your online music vendor of choice (iTunes, CDBaby et al.) and for all things Waylon Speed be sure to stop by http://waylonspeed.blogspot.com - Nick Kramer // Radiator 105.9FM

Words by Nick Kramer. Photos by James Lockridge.

On Wednesday, Burlington-based foursome Waylon Speed dropped in on the Radiator Studios to play some tunes and give Sam the scoop on what they’ve got going on. The country-rocking crew of Rev. Chitwood Hammaker, Noah Crowther, Kelly Ravin, and Justin Crowther just released ‘The Boots EP’. They debuted the excellent 4-song set with a release party Thanksgiving weekend at the Rock ’n’ Roll Resort festival in Kershonksen, NY.

In addition to the EP, the band has already recorded a follow-up to their second album ‘Horseshoes and Hand Grenades’, and looks to drop their third full-length disc this coming March. Recording at Trey Anastasio’s legendary The Barn studio, Waylon Speed worked a grueling session schedule, but “walked away with big smiles on our faces.” Inspired by the aura of a place that seems to Noah, “created for good recording vibes,” the boys have great expectations for the record.

On the air, they played songs pulled from throughout their catalog, including some rocking numbers from ‘The Boots EP.’ Their songs run the gamut from a crooning, country-rock slow-burner with guest vocals from Lowell Thompson, to the quick-picking “Koi Pond”, which has Kelly and Chitwood trading red-hot licks over a kick-stomping honky-tonk backbeat.

Always playing shows in the Northeast, Waylon Speed are a central force of the home-town Burlington scene. As for favorite gigs outside the 802, Kelly and Noah look back to last summer’s Floyd Fest in Virginia, as well as raucous nights in Dover New Hampshire, where Noach boasts, “we’re like Kiss in Dover, for some reason.”

As they move towards the March album release, the band is hard at work planning their spring and summer tour dates, which will include a long run of West Coast shows, as well as a healthy trip around the summer festival circuit - a perfect fit for Waylon Speed, who have made stops at the past two Gatherings of the Vibes, as well as several other multi-day fetes.

You can find the ‘The Boots EP’ for sale at your online music vendor of choice (iTunes, CDBaby et al.) and for all things Waylon Speed be sure to stop by http://waylonspeed.blogspot.com - Nick Kramer // Radiator 105.9FM

It's tempting to describe Waylon Speed just in terms of their influences but such analysis doesn't do justice to the irascible spirit in this music, a genuine passion that courses equally vigorously through both halves of this package.
And while this band might not want to admit it, there are more than a few moments during the course of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades that are as reminiscent of contemporary country forbears The Eagles and cowpunkers The Long Ryders, not to mention, during the course of "Amplifier Switches" or "Santa Rose," Neil Young & Crazy Horse in their earliest days.
The quartet express themselves with just about as much eloquence unencumbered by lyrics so it's within the few seconds of the "Intro" to Hand Grenades, before guitar chords cascade from "Lassiter" that it occurs to wonder how much of this instrumental content might've been interwoven within the preceding baker's dozen songs. Of course, the album might more closely resemble one of those ponderous prog rock concept albums and if there's one influence Waylon Speed don't share it's any debt to Yes or Emerson Lake &Palmer: read the titles to these tunes and know these guys are cowboys not dandies-- "Shadows on the Sage," "Under the Cottonwoods."
"Deception Pass" sounds out of place as an outtake from the companion piece to this otherwise all instrumental set which suggests Waylon Speed must've listened to more than a little of The Minutemen or The Dead Kennedys when cutting their teeth as a unit. Clearly, they're not averse to throwing anything that occurs to them into the mix, and in addition, the tongue in cheek aspect of their name weaves in and out of the music on this double cd set: the clarity in the sound of two electric guitars, bass and drums might overshadow the pensive lyrics of tunes like "Bent Carousel" or the title song were it not for the prominence of the vocals that contain a drawl as long as the twang of the guitars is loud.
To say Waylon Speed wear their collective heart on their sleeve makes them sound more sensitive than (perhaps) they really are, but there's also a defensive side to them that recalls the outlaw country movement of the Seventies spearheaded by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. And by the time "The Minor Blues" begins, in all its ominous glory, the heavy rock more obviously influenced by British bands of the late Sixties reveals, in turn, something of a Lynyrd Skynyrd connection; oddly, this iconoclasm only makes them more lovable, the listener willing to forgive the open-faced statement "I sold my soul for rock and roll"(surely they know there's a Black Sabbath record by that name?!) if only because it's balanced by lines like this from "Street Lights": "I look in the mirror and get real sick."
If the music weren't so edgy, it wouldn't so accurately reflect the prolific nature of Waylon Speed. The double set comes just about twelve months after their debut and they've already recorded another EP of a handful of new compositions. Ultimately it's less productive to analyze this music than just feel it because that puts you on the same frequency as these young musicians. - Doug Collette May 26, 2011

“Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” That aphorism is an old favorite, conveying that “almost” is never good enough. That is, unless you’re dealing with a situation, as in a game of horseshoes, in which simply being a hair better than your opponent gets the job done. Or as when lobbing a hand grenade, when precision is less important than feckless brutality.

The Burlington-based Western-metal outfit Waylon Speed — composed of three-quarters of late, great truckstop rockers Chuch and one member of the dearly departed jam-pop trio Lucy Vincent — are familiar with the concept of close but not close enough. During their respective heydays, both Chuch and LV achieved considerable success. Both toured widely and cultivated dedicated fan bases. But for all those accomplishments, neither band reached its respective potential.

Many observers, including this one, predicted Chuch would be the next big band out of Burlington. But, for whatever reason, the road-warrior lifestyle that carried them through festivals, rock clubs and dive bars from coast to coast never translated to a higher level of rock stardom. Likewise, Martha’s Vineyard’s Lucy Vincent, while equally talented and well traveled, couldn’t make the leap from regional darling to national commodity.

On their newly released double album, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades — a follow-up to the band’s 2010 debut, Georgia Overdrive — Waylon Speed explore the peculiar conundrum of being close and yet so far away. But, rather than a statement about previous successes and frustrations, the album highlights a more fundamental question of musical identity.

Last year’s release was a jagged hybrid of west Texas rockabilly and southern-fried metal. Waylon Speed’s sophomore attempt delves even further into the juke joint in which those two genres forged their whiskey-fueled union. On Georgia Overdrive, the band contrasted the styles side by side; here, WS untangle the mesh of frayed, dirt-encrusted patch cords and neatly coil them together. Disc one, Horseshoes, isolates the band’s twangier, pop-infused material, while the second disc, Hand Grenades, tears open the throttle with vicious prog and metal.

Horseshoes opens on “Amplifier Switches,” a cruising little country rocker that reintroduces local songwriter Kelly Ravin as an uncommonly versatile talent. As hinted at on the band’s debut, the former Lucy Vincent front man seems to have truly found his voice with Waylon Speed. His dusty croon is a perfect match for the song’s road-trip rock appeal.

“Koi Pond” is next and features Noah Crowther on lead vocals. The ex-Chuch bassist locks in with drummer — and brother — Justin Crowther, who unleashes a roiling firestorm that propels this rockabilly scorcher. Lead guitarist Chad Hammaker, also of Chuch, is in equally fine form, delivering searing lines that counter Noah Crowther’s rapid-fire melodies.

Following another rockabilly barn burner, the Noah Crowther-led “Self Divide,” Ravin again takes the wheel on “Skeletons.” The contrast between the two front men is striking. Crowther favors a direct and often rambunctious melodic approach, not so far removed from the rowdier fare found on Ween’s 12 Golden Country Greats. Ravin exudes cool reserve. Especially on “Skeletons,” he resembles the precocious, if eternally heartsick, Ryan Adams from his Faithless Street-era Whiskeytown days. Their respective styles and tones probably shouldn’t work together. But they do, and this speaks to the group’s unusual ability to corral seemingly disparate influences, as does the instrumental metal fury found on Hand Grenades.

Waylon Speed are hardly the first band to match metal and country. The most famous recent example is probably Hank Williams III, who is equally comfortable tipping his cowboy hat to his iconic grandfather and father as he is indulging harder musical vices. It would be difficult to ask anyone to approach the power and ingenuity of the Third’s forays into Western metal. But Hand Grenades is an intriguing complement to the punchy twang found on Horseshoes. The band’s hard edge may alienate some listeners, but, to these ears, any excuse for Hammaker to indulge his inner shredder is a good one.

From the disc’s opening bell, “Lassiter,” through the sinister closer, “Under the Cottonwoods,” Hammaker makes a strong case for being ranked among the area’s finest technical players. Justin Crowther revisits his punk and hardcore roots to reveal versatility and skill that go way beyond train beats and country swing. Like Hammaker, his playing is fast, powerful and precise.

Close may only count in horseshoes and hand grenades. But in the case of Waylon Speed, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades is more than close enough.

The band celebrates the release of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades at Nectar’s this Saturday, March 26.



- Seven Days

"I say only this: giddyup."
-Dan Bolles, music critic - Seven Days

"Go catch speedwestern revivalists Waylon Speed at Nectar’s this Friday. The band hits the road later this month and won’t be back for a while. Plus, the show might just whet your appetite for their debut album, which should hit stores by Christmas!."
-Dan Bolles, music editor - Seven Days

"Georgia Overdrive" has plenty of the hard-driving, gas-fueled, open-road songs such as the frenetic "Hot Rod" and the instrumental "Running Colors." "The addition of Ravin to the mix, however, brings a little more of a dusty pop bent to the sound!"

"Tracks such as "Bobby's Car," "Drivin' Fast" and "This City" have a grungy, closing-time Americana vibe" - The Burlington Free Press

"Equal parts Merle Haggard and Motorhead"

"Noah Crowther, here and throughout the record, who truly stands out. The songwriter seems reinvigorated and gives an inspired performance"

"Opener “Leave Me Blue” finds the boys in classic form. Hammaker, long one of the area’s more underrated axe men, shreds fiery, twang-metal licks. Justin Crowther, as always, is a paragon of metronomic precision"

"But on the disc’s second track, “Bobby’s Car,” Ravin puts his singular stamp on the proceedings. The veteran songwriter sounds self-assured and muscular, his reedy drawl a potent foil to Noah Crowther’s plainspoken delivery"

"Ravin and Hammaker also complement each other well as guitarists, nowhere more than on the instrumental “Running Colors.” The song shifts — and sometimes grinds — gears with alarming intensity. At the song’s metalicious breakdown, an unleashed Hammaker seems fully in his element.

The album closes with “Stump,” a tune that perhaps embodies the evolution from Chuch to Waylon Speed, and all within the span of about two minutes. It is a smart, concise and slyly crafted punkabilly song"
- Seven Days

" Waylon Speed is one of the best twangy rock outfits going in town at the moment, but also because three-quarters of Waylon Speed once belonged to late, great truckstop rockers Chuch" - Seven Days

WAYLON SPEED – Southern Rock out of Vermont
Now Playing on Sirius XM “Outlaw Country”
On Tour Now
You don't expect something like outlaw country or hints of old southern rock coming out of Vermont, but it does. Following their 2012 release, Valance, and a seemingly endless two-year tour, Waylon Speed released Kin on June 24.
The band is receiving national airplay on Sirius XM "Outlaw Country." And they were just handpicked for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man Cruise” in November that includes The Delta Saints , Foghat, Starship, Devon Allman Band, The Band of Heathens, Lucas Nelson and Promise of the Reel, and more.
Kin features guest/producer Mark Spencer, founding member of Blood Oranges (currently playing with of Son Volt), giving the album shimmer and heart via pedal-steel and piano.
Key Tracks
Smooth The Grain
Until It All Ends
Comin Down Again
Tally HO

Waylon Speed has captured their onstage energy within the studio environment on the album. Kin highlights Waylon Speed's crossing genres seamlessly from pedal-steel driven alt-country to full-driven rock. Bassist and vocalist, Noah Crowther lived and performed in CA for many years prior. He brought the west coast blend of country-rock that has been time tested from the 70s to the east.

American Songwriter "provides gritty Southern rock by way of Vermont.”

Seven Days Vermont –“…Kin a brilliant distillation of Waylon Speed's Waylon Jennings-meets-Motörhead aesthetic that stands as the band's finest record to date and one of the finest local albums in recent memory.”

Popmatters - A high-octane romp through styles ranging from blues, country, indie rock and metal, Kin from Waylon Speed is an eclectic sound that belongs to parts well south of the band’s native state of Vermont. Opening with a country groove on “Coming Down Again”, producer/guest player Mark Spencer (Son Volt) adds pedal steel that moves along lines similar to Old 97s and accenting the standout “Until It All Ends”, the chugging “Tally-Ho” and the slow lament of “Days Remain the Same”.

Press Contact – Kim Fowler kimfowler10@gmail.com - Two Dog Media