MINNEAPOLIS – With the 16th annual Brian Setzer Orchestra's Christmas Rocks Tour called off because of the pandemic last year, the Twin Cities-based guitar hero found time to complete his first solo album in seven years.
"Gotta Have the Rumble" will be released Aug. 27 on Surf Dog Records. The album features 11 tunes, written or cowritten by Setzer, recorded in Minneapolis and Nashville.
The album title is "a reference to my motorcycles and hot rods, something that hasn't changed since I was 15 years old," Setzer said in a statement. "I still have the same passion for going fast and adrenaline.
"But it's also about my hearing problem with tinnitus — the ringing of the ear. It was pretty bad, and I realized that I couldn't play the way I wanted to. As I recovered, standing in front of a small amplifier just didn't cut it. The sound from my big amp makes the guitar rumble. Which is a big part of my sound. I was really despondent for a while because I thought I wouldn't be able to do that again. So, 'Gotta Have the Rumble' refers to both of those things."
The album was produced by Julian Raymond, who has worked with Cheap Trick, Glen Campbell and Sugarland.
The first single, "Checkered Flag," is out, with an animated video by Juan Pinto.
Other songs on the new album include "Off Your Rocker," "Smash Up on Highway One," "The Cat with 9 Wives" and "Rockabilly Banjo."
Setzer rose to fame with the Stray Cats, rockabilly revivalists from New York's Long Island, with such '80s MTV favorites as "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut." In 2019, the trio reunited for its first album in 25 years, titled "40," and a 40th anniversary tour.
Setzer has released 11 albums with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, many of them Christmas-themed. He also has offered 11 solo albums, the most recent being 2014's "Rockabilly Riot: All Original."
Setzer relocated to the Twin Cities about 15 years ago. His wife, singer Julie Reiten, is from Hopkins.
The Brian Setzer Orchestra traditionally kicks off its Christmas tour in Minneapolis in mid-November. No word yet on this year's plans.
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