Tracer

All who saw Tracer, the hard-rocking young three-piece from Down Under, in 2012 saw the potential. Now with their second full-length album El Pistolero that potential is fulfilled. Produced by Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Silverchair, Cold Chisel) the record is on target to make Tracer the band that everyone is talking about in 2013. Having revamped the line-up with new bassist Jett Heysen-Hicks – a long-time friend from back home – founder members Michael Brown (vocals and guitar) and Dre Wise (drums) believe Tracer are perfectly poised to rise to a new level. Michael: “The songwriting has gone up a peg or two… the songs have taken on a life of their own which is what we’re after. Kevin really got the most out of them. He got us doing things we would never have thought of doing and because of that they’ve stepped into a new realm. I think this album will really define what Tracer is about and why we’re different to everyone else.” The differences are clear throughout El Pistolero – a high-energy mix of stoner anthems, biker attitude and classic power trio rock… But Tracer are no retro act: from the title track to Scream In Silence, from There’s A Man, through Dirty Little Secret and beyond with Ladykiller this is the sound of a 21st century band making their best album to date. It’s a high-energy collection on no-holds-barred rock’n’roll just as it was meant to be: hot, loud and sweaty. Tracer have come a long way since forming in Adelaide, South Australia just under 10 years ago. They made two independent mini albums (the three-song Into The Night in 2006, and the seven-track L.A.? in 2009), but their debut proper came with “Spaces In Between” released on Mascot Label Group in late 2011. That album was widely praised and three European tours in support of it saw Tracer named the Best New Band at the 2012 Classic Rock Awards. In the past Tracer have been compared with top-drawer outfits Soundgarden, Queens Of The Stone Age, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Kyuss etc. El Pistolero sees them forging more of their own identity – not that the band mind the kind words. Michael: “Those are bands I love so I don’t mind, it’s obviously a compliment. I mean, if people said we sounded like Justin Bieber I’d be pretty pissed off – but I don’t think that’s going to happen!” Certainly not now that the band and Kevin Shirley have found a way to harness the hurricane of Tracer’s much-lauded live show in the studio for the first time. Dre: “People come to see us live and they get something else. They can notice the hard work we’re putting in. We’ve always had the comment that; ‘It’s a lot of noise for three people to be making’ and it’s no accident.” Now for the first time that “something else” has been captured in the studio. El Pistolero is an awesome statement of raw power made all the stronger for being made super quickly – with the basic tracks recorded in just seven days at Revolver Studios in LA – underlining the band’s no-nonsense work ethic. Some songs on El Pistolero – Michael isn’t revealing which ones – were inspired by the Robert Rodriguez film Desperado (“It’s a bit like what we do – it’s loud and in your face!”) but all of them are now ready to be road-tested. Michael: “I tell you what… we can’t wait to get out there on the stage and play these new songs. They’re going to be epic!” For all questions and enquiries please contact: Christoph at odyssey-music.net NEW ALBUM - www.pledgemusic.com/projects/tracer El Pistolero - Out now in Europe, the UK and Australia http://tracer.mlgmerch.com/music