The Justin Merritt Band

"Words and Music" -The Story of The Justin Merritt Band- "Music keeps me honest and pure. It allows me to release all that disturbs me, all that excites me and all the things I have trouble saying without a guitar in my hands." - Justin Merritt The Justin Merritt Band's music walks the line between country music's storied past and its uncharted future. By taking the everyday life/working man storytelling of country music and cross pollinating it with full-tilt no holds barred southern rock, The Justin Merritt Band are poised to unleash their unique sound to the world. Growing up along the red dirt border of western Louisiana, Justin began writing music as an escape from the mundane tune of rural life. Born into a family with the most unlikely source of inspiration, Justin describes his first encounter with music as spiritual: "Religion has always been part of my life. Although it followed me throughout the years, I have always felt connected to the soulful spirit of country hymns." His family's deep rooted faith first exposed Justin to music and built the foundation for his passion to grow. With a musical past steeped in gospel hymns and the resonating sound of country twang, Justin's writing personifies the honest spirit of traditional Americana. Yet the band's unclassifiably unique sound comes from the diverse range of influences of all four members. After years of slugging it out on the local scene, bassist Trent Procell describes the bands formation as fate: "We've all played together in various groups and projects over the years. It was inevitable that we would all eventually wind up together. All those years playing in clubs with different bands helped us all hone our craft as musicians. We've played Waylon and Merle and all the classics in the local honky tonks. We've jammed 4 hour sets of blues standards. From George Strait to Pantera, to Alice in Chains and ZZ Top. You name it...we've played it." Of course any artist worth their salt knows that talking the talk is one thing, but when it comes to performing live, that’s where you gotta walk the walk. After months and months of fine tuning and tweaking their material, The Justin Merritt Band chose 18 of their strongest songs to comprise their self-produced debut album "100 Proof". Upon its release in mid-2010, Justin was met with feelings of both excitement and nervousness. "We were all extremely proud of our work, but at the same time, even though we didn't show it, we were worried how the public would react to a sound they weren’t overly familiar with." All those worries were put to rest quickly. The band's fan base has grown with every show they’ve played. Whether its opening for Nashville superstars, or sharing the stage with some of the Red Dirt scenes biggest acts, their songs, a unique combination of country imagery and intensity fueled rock, held together by an undeniable sense of melody have hit home and connected with everyone that’s been exposed to it. As they work with their current foundation, Justin is confident in what he needs to do in order to continue this momentum: "I just want our music to mean something to somebody." Justin explains. "It’s that connection and musical honesty that drives our passion. We didn’t record this album in hopes of making a ton of money. It’s not about that. It’s about believing in your dreams and doing what you love. Making music is what we love to do." The Justin Merritt Band - 100 Proof - available now. ABOUT 100 PROOF: You take the everyday life/working man songwriting of country music and cross pollinate it with REAL hard hitting southern rock (not the watered down bubblegum trash that passes for rock these days) and you've got a basic understanding of the sonic onslaught that is The Justin Merritt Band. From the gentle soundscapes of "Crazy" and "Nobody's Fool" to the fiery intensity of "Running Blind" and "I’m Not Ready To Quit", 100 PROOF is a true music fan's wet dream. These boys deliver on all fronts. You get real life honest songs you can’t get from jaded corporate Nashville acts mixed with down and dirty rock and roll with guitar histrionics that harken back to the greats of the genre all wrapped up into a tight 18 song package that will leave you scratching your head in disbelief as to why this band isn't a household name already. But hey, we all know that talk is cheap...just take a listen for yourself and you'll see what the buzz is all about. Justin Merritt Band's music walks the line between country music's storied past and its uncharted future.