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by: Debra Gibson
“My favorite band is Clear Conscience,” writes Connie Thompson. “Their music is original rock ’n’ roll. Hard, soft, and totally cool. The best part is the performance. You never know how they will come on stage or what they will be wearing.”
Indeed, members of Clear Conscience say they put a lot of effort into each performance.
“We sing mostly original songs,” says Ryan McQuerry, the group’s drummer. “We have a good, steady show. We try to do something different every show. We dress differently for each show. We put a lot of extra time into each of our shows.”
The rockers include McQuerry; Chris Gullette, bass; Guy Curtis, vocals and rhythm guitar; and Dave Blevins, lead guitar.
All from Nicholasville, the band is an amalgamation of two former bands. That gives them both a new sound and the ease that experience brings. They draw on extremely varied influences, playing ballads about heartbreak followed by hard-rocking epics. Although they haven’t produced a CD yet, the group gives out demos of their music free.
—www.myccband.com
- Kentucky Living Magazine
The second band to enter The Hard Place this month is Clear Conscience. They got together in 2005 and are based in Nicholasville, KY. Clear Conscience call themselves Rock/Alternative, but I believe that they are more metal than the think. The first song I checked out was called “Recognition”. The song begins with some power rock chords with a nice melodic intro solo that leads into what I would consider a “Tool-esque” verse. Vocalist/rhythm guitarist Guy Curtis has a strong voice and the melody is good. The chorus breaks back into the power frame of mind musically with some nice licks thrown in underneath the vocals. The song unexpectantly changes gears near the end, breaking down it to a really cool section courtesy of drummer Ryan McQuerry and the distorted vocals that ride on top of the drum pattern add a nice change to the song. Song number two was “Empty Handed”. It begins with a nice acoustic guitar that leads into the verse. The song has a nice mellow, laid back feel to it musically and the lead guitarist Dave Blevins drops in a couple of sweet solo sections, the first ending with some nice usage of feedback under the returning vocals. The band kick into a little heavier mode with the second solo and ends the song coming full circle back to the acoustic riff used in the beginning. Third on the list was the song “1000 Offenses”. This one fades in with some nice rhythmic guitar work before getting down to business with the main riff. It’s a pretty heavy riff, but I think with some work the band could be more effective making the change into the song from the intro. The verses have some good drum work in the first halves, and I like the tom work also. The acoustic break leads into the solo well, and this is one where guitarist Blevins lets loose with some pretty sweet licks. The solo fits the song though, and isn’t just a lick-fest like some guitarists fall into when trying to play a hard rock/metal solo. I can’t go any further without acknowledging bassist Chris Gullette. His playing on all the songs is rock solid and his bass tone blends with the tracks great. He knows when to pull back and just groove with the song and when to step it up and really dig in. The last song from Clear Conscience is “Hypocrite”. This one is a live track recorded at The Well in 2006, and is clearly (no pun intended, I assure you) the most metal offering the band has. The song starts off with some pretty quick double picking and the double bass drumming only drives the metal point home. With this one the band shows that they can keep up with any heavy band around. It has the vibe of an old school metal band meeting up with a more modern rock singer. The combination does the band justice and being a live track it also really shows off their chops and their tightness as a unit.
Clear Conscience reminds me of many different groups, mostly late 90’s/early 2000’s alternative/hard rock band like Perfect Circle and Shinedown vocally but musically they run the gambit from acoustic based hard rock to straight up metal and sound convincing at either end of the spectrum. It doesn’t sound forced at all and that is a feat within itself. If you want to catch the live, Clear Conscience will be at Uncle Pleasants in Louisville on June 2, and back in Lexington at Main Street Live on June 23. You can check the band out online at either their main website www.myccband.com or their myspace page which is myspace.com/clearcon.
Well, that’s it for this installment of The Hard Place. Any band that wants to be reviewed should send their promotional package to The Hard Place c/o ME Magazine 2566 Palumbo Drive, Lexington, KY 40509 or email me your EPK or site address to sn@memusicnews.com. So until next time, keep supporting local music and remember, your new favorite band could only be an issue away…
- ME Magazine/Steve Nall/The Hard Place/June 2007
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
About the band...
In the fall of 2005, David Blevins & Guy Curtis were performing regularly as an acoustic duo at area venues. They were doing shows, consisting of original material that they had written together. However, they wanted to attempt to build a complete band with like minded musicians. At the same time, Chris Gullette & Ryan McQuerry had been playing together for years in a moderately successful group that had recently ended. Knowing that they wanted to continue working together, they put efforts into several short lived projects, trying to find the right working atmosphere. Chris' brother, a longtime friend of Guy & Davids, suggested that both parties meet. At his insistance, they met, & continued to play together for several weeks, as a "mutual audition" for both parties. Everyone was excited about the possibilities, & decided to join forces. When the group found itself needing a drummer soon afterward, Chris was quick to introduce his old friend Ryan to the sessions. Confident that they had all found exactly what they had each been looking for, the group got down to work, putting new instruments into the acoustic material, & eventually began writing even newer material as a full group.
About the music...
Clear Conscience, as a band, is in the unique position of being both old & new at once. While being a relatively new band keeps the overall vibe of the band fresh & exciting, there is a time tested comfort that comes from the fact that all of its members have performed for some time with at least one other member. Chris & Ryan have a history together from a previous band, & Guy & David have a friendship that goes back to childhood, & performing credits together that draw on their vast supply of original acoustic material. The material that the group creates draws on some extremely varied influences, but puts its own original stamp on them all. From ballads of heartbreak, to hard rocking epics, the group utilizes its wealth of well trained, talented musicians, & performs an exciting show with professionalism. With so much already going for them, the group is eager to work hard, & see just how far they can go together.
Chris...began playing bass in the seventh grade at age 13. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy. When his tour of duty was completed, he returned to Nicholasville, & ended up helping to form a moderately succesful band with a friend from school. That band performed regionally for several years, & eventually included current bandmember Ryan in the line up. Chris honed his bass skills with years of steady local gigging, & continued to write original material. Eventually, he found himself trying to find like minded musicians to build a new group with, & through his brother, he was put in contact with current bandmember David Blevins\
Dave .was born in Monticello, Kentucky. He had a friend that owned a guitar, but never played it. Dave picked it up from time to time, playing a few chords that he had learned. "I always thought it was cool, so I just picked it up." he said. He started learning to play on a guitar of his own at age 14, but just like before, he learned everything by himself, without lessons. When Dave moved to Nicholasville, the first person he met was his neighbor & current band member Guy Curtis. They became friends, & when Dave decided to try to form a band in 2002, Guy was the first person he asked to join. They learned to write & play music together, & grew the writing sessions into a series of acoustic shows at various area establishments. It was the attempt to find other like minded musicians to complete his band that led him to meet Chris Gullette, & eventually Ryan McQuerry. Dave's influences are a diverse but unarguably talented list of guitarists, including Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix, Pantera's Dime, & Metallica's Kirk Hammett. Dave was raised in Nicholasville, & currently resides in Versailles, KY.
Ryan…born into a musical family, started playing his dad’s drum kit at the age of ten. He marched drums in high school and played in a few garage bands along the way. Later, while attending Morehead State University, Ryan opened up to other styles of drumming while working with instructors Frank Oddis and Greg Strouss. During this time, Ryan and Chris met through a mutual friend and started giging around Lexington, KY, for several years. Eventually, they were brought on board and began working with Dave and Guy. Ryan’s influences include Virgil Donati, Dennis Chambers, Vinnie Calauitia, Dave Weckl, Carter Beauford, Danny Carey, Akira Jimbo, and Jojo Mayer just to name a few.
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