The Road Hammers, known for their eclectic mix of outlaw, Southern rock and classic country music, have been active in the Canadian country rock music scene for over two decades.
Founded in 2004 by Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) hall of famer Jason McCoy, the band comprises of McCoy, Clayton Bellamy and Chris Byrne. They saw immediate success upon releasing their debut album in 2005, reaching #1 on the Canadian country albums chart.
Speaking to the Manitoban, Bellamy explained that his favourite part of being in the Road Hammers for the last two decades has been the “unlimited amount of creativity” he has found.
“When you’re with three individuals who are all super creative […] you can’t help not only to always have cool ideas, but to get better […] Jason and Chris are incredible musicians, and you just can’t help but get better by osmosis, just being around them,” he reflected.
Bellamy stated that while the band is rooted in country rock and they love the genre, he does not feel that the term fully encompasses their music.
“We’ve, in the last 20 years, cultivated our own kind of sound, and our own thing, and the Road Hammers are almost their own genre […] mixing up country music and […] and rock and roll and blues, and making it into our own,” he explained.
During the Road Hammers’ career, 10 of their singles have charted in the top 20, with three of them reaching the top five. The group has had the opportunity to perform with notable artists such as Def Leppard, Loretta Lynn, Chris Stapleton and the Scorpions, among others.
A personal highlight for Bellamy has been performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, known as the one of the biggest shows in country music.
“[The Grand Ole Opry] is the Carnegie Hall of country music […] We’ve played it a couple of times now, and it never disappoints. It’s an amazing opportunity,” he said.
Additionally, the group has collected impressive accolades. They have won multiple CCMA Awards, including three for group or duo of the Year, and won the Juno Award for country recording of the year in 2006.
The Road Hammers released their latest single, “Till The Wheels Fall Off,” featuring Big Wreck’s Ian Thornley and Theory of a Deadman’s Tyler Connolly, on Jan. 9. According to the band’s website, the song is “fueled by roaring guitars, relentless drive and a spirit that never quits.” Bellamy explained that the writing and recording process for this single was different from their previous work as it was the first time that they wrote the song while recording it. Usually, the group writes songs first, whether individually or together, prior to recording. “We were working with Allen Salmon, a new producer [and] a friend of ours […] We wanted to make an opening song, a set opener for a live show, something that would just grab everybody and really make them pump their fists in the air and get excited,” he recalled.
Bellamy stated that fans of the Road Hammers will love the high energy of the song.
“I think the fans […] will love a song that is unabashedly fun and loud,” he said. “It’s the kind of song that [when] you […] get in your car and you hear it, [you want to] […] immediately reach for the volume knob to turn it up, not turn it down.”
In support of the new single, the Road Hammers are touring across the country on the Till The Wheels Fall Off Tour, accompanied by country music duo and fellow CCMA winners Doc Walker, from Westbourne, Manitoba. The tour will end in Winnipeg on Feb. 14 at the Club Regent Event Centre.
Bellamy said that along with the tour, the Road Hammers will be releasing new music in the near future.
“We just appreciate all the fans sticking with us for 20 years,” he stated.
The Road Hammers’ latest single, “Till The Wheels Fall Off,” is available now on streaming platforms. The group’s Till The Wheels Fall Off Tour, with Doc Walker, will come to Winnipeg on Feb. 14. For tickets and more information, visit theroadhammers.ca, or follow them on Instagram @theroadhammers.
