Supergroups are usually short-lived projects made up of gifted players. They briefly meet for rehearsals and then quickly record in hopes of catching the hype. And they break up just as quickly. That rule didn't work with The Winery Dogs, a tight-knit, well-crafted classic trio with bright songs that defy expectations.
The band's self-titled debut album is filled with straight rock and roll. It's also inspired by some of their favorite bands. And the guys' music surpasses any of the styles in which they are best known.
The Winery Dogs - history of origin
Dogs protecting the vineyards from wild and stray animals - perhaps this is the most literal translation of the band's name. He accurately characterizes the defenders of the old canons of rock music from newfangled trends: programming, sampling, tuned singing and other modern "garbage".
Because of the "tuning musical arrangements" the most important thing is lost - the soul of the musician disappears. It was this task that the musicians set themselves when they created the group The Winery Dogs in 2011.
Far from young and by no means obscure musicians in 2011 got together. They were drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Billy Sheehanom and guitarist Richie Kotzen.
They continued the tradition of classic rock canons. The guys showed and proved to the world that no electronic processing can be compared with the energy of music. Music that is played live on familiar instruments.
Debut work guys
The debut album of the new supergroup was released in July 2013. It was called simply and uncomplicated - "The Winery Dogs". The collection was recorded at the Loud & Proud Records studio, the producer was Jay Ruston, well-known in the circles of rockers (and not only them).
A little later, an album of demos was released, recorded in Richie's own studio. As the musicians themselves said, the album was born quickly, everything was composed easily and only a few days were enough for rehearsals and recording.
The "old school" quality rock performed by the newly created trio immediately took 27th place in the Billboard Top 200 hit parade. And the album was sold more than 10 times in the first week of the start of sales.
According to critics and fans, The Winery Dogs is an eclectic, fully realized album of songs. It is grooved and rocked without sacrificing a single grain of sand, the very thing that makes great hard rock so inspiring.
The debut of the first single from the album called "Elevate" was more than successful. No. 30 on the Mainstream Rock charts and the most popular track, holding the lead for several weeks, on The Rock of New Jersey.
A year later, in 2014, a two-disc album is released. It contained exclusive live recordings from tours in Japan and previously unreleased compositions. And then - clips and interviews of musicians, recorded in DVD format.
The Winery Dogs' second album
Quite symbolically: the second month of autumn, the second day of 2015 - and the band's second album called "Hot Streak". But the process of recording the album took place according to the old scheme - in Richie's studio, during joint rehearsals. Billy Sheehan, practicing the guitar, inspired the musicians to create the composition "Oblivion", which became the first single of the new album.
At the end of the year, The Winery Dogs take part in a charity concert in honor of Tony McAlpin. And already in January, a new video appears on the group's FB page. It was a cover of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream".
As it turned out, this track was recorded back in 2012, but for a number of reasons it was not included in the bonus content. Upon learning of the death of the musician, The Winery Dogs decided to share this recording with their fans in memory of him.
Musicians - about themselves and their work
“We all have our own voices and styles. But we also have a common foundation of music that we listened to as kids,” explains vocalist and guitarist Richie Kotzen.
“What makes the band so special is that somehow, in our collaboration, none of us lost our individuality. We all sound like who we are. But we make music that is fresh and exciting and sounds like a new band. There is a natural chemistry that brings us together. This is one of those things that must be for successful creative activity.
An amazing unity in thoughts, actions and creativity, isn't it? And in the summer the team became available to its fans. Fan meetings were held at the Dog Camp. On them, the musicians shared their creative plans, communicated with the audience. They even performed their hits and works unknown to a wide range of people.
“I like the fact that all people come from different backgrounds. There are similarities between the two, though,” Sheehan adds. We have a real special bond that wouldn't exist if we were all doing the same thing. We brought the disparate elements together and turned them into a single group."
sabbatical
In the spring of 2017, the musicians announced that they were going on a sabbatical. This is not surprising: crises happen to everyone and always. But a break in creative activity did not affect friendly relations within the team.
At the end of 2018, founder Mike Portnoy announced that the band would be resurrected in 2019. And it began with a month-long tour of the United States.
Our days
In 2019, The Winery Dogs got together again and gave their first concerts in the last three years. According to Michael Portnow:
“The tour was just for fun. The guys didn’t play for several years, there was no opportunity. I think that this once again showed us what kind of love we have for each other. That we still have a lot of fans who love this group.”
It also sparked a desire in the guys to create a new record. At the moment Michael and Billy are busy with SONS OF APOLLO, and Richie is working on his anniversary record.
Last year the guys gave a series of performances in North America. As Michael said:
“During the tour, we discussed the possibility of meeting occasionally for work in 2020. Exchange ideas and see what happens. So we discovered that there are ideas, and they can result in a new record. We just need to discuss when and how we will do it. So it is likely that in 2021 our audience will be able to hear something new from us.”
This optimistic statement from the band's frontman inspired fans of classic hard rock. Now fans all over the world are looking forward to when words will turn into actions and they will hear new hits from their favorite band.
