Alternative-blues rock duo, The Blue Stones, returned today with a soulful new sound via ‘Shakin’ Off The Rust’ – the band’s first single since their 2018 Entertainment One debut, ‘Black Holes’. Meticulously layered with cannon-esque percussion and electrifying guitars, ‘Shakin’ Off The Rust’ culminates in an inspiring chorus focused on fresh starts. Working with producer Paul Meany (Mutemath, Twenty One Pilots), guitarist/vocalist Tarek Jafar and drummer/vocalist Justin Tessier managed to sonically create an emotional intensity that sets the table perfectly for Jafar’s powerful vocal delivery.
‘Shakin’ Off The Rust’ serves as the mission statement for the next chapter of The Blue Stones creative journey – putting their well-earned confidence on full display as they prepare for a big 2020. Fresh off a North American tour with Reignwolf, the band will head to Europe next week for a string of headlining dates (some of which are sold out in advance) that will run through November. You can check out the lyric video for \Shakin’ Off The Rust’ now and find the track on streaming services as well.
When Tarek Jafar (Lead Vocals, Guitar) and Justin Tessier (Drums, Backing Vocals) formed The Blue Stones, they were facing uncertainty about who they were and where they were going. But they did know they wanted to make music together, and so they did, writing songs over time and eventually releasing their debut album Black Holes in 2018. As confident and self-assured as they are, that record was very much about the pair finding themselves, both musically and existentially, and deciding to pursue the rock’n’roll dream by jumping into a black hole of the unknown instead of choosing a more ordinary life-path.
“When we wrote that stuff,” explains Tessier, “we were both finishing undergrad degrees. That album was us trying to figure out who we were. These new songs are more about how we know who we are, but they’re also us learning to come to terms with the dark side of ourselves.”
Needless to say, getting Paul involved provided the pair with a huge sense of validation.
“We jokingly suggested him,” chuckles Tessier. “We were shooting for the stars, but a week after our management approached him we found out he was into the band and into us as musicians.”
Working with Meany didn’t just lead to The Blue Stones exploring – and creating – music in a different way than they had before, but it also led Jafar to approach and tackle lyrics in an entirely new light. Combined with the band’s nuanced and layered approach to their sound, it makes these songs resonate with a powerful emotional intensity.
The first of those is ‘Shakin’ Off The Rust’ – a song, as Jafar explains, that very much serves as a mission statement for their renewed sense of confidence and newfound identity. “There were times along the way where I felt I wasn’t good enough, “ explains Jafar, “or that I didn’t deserve any happiness or success. This song is about battling those thoughts in your head that make you doubt yourself, and coming through with the confidence to make something great.”
UK LIVE SHOWS:
OCT 16: NEWCASTLE, THINK TANK
OCT 17: LEEDS, HPBC
OCT 18: MANCHESTER, THE EAGLE INN (SOLD OUT)
OCT 19: GLASGOW, ATTIC @ THE GARAGE
OCT 21: BRISTOL, ROUGH TRADE
OCT 22: BRIGHTON, HOPE & RUIN
OCT 23: LONDON, SEBRIGHT ARMS (SOLD OUT)
