Loyal Sinners

Loyal Sinners
"Love, Sex, Nature"
Self-release

By Li'l Nipper

I ran into Scott Greene last week. He's an old friend who I met years ago when he played in a Bellingham band curiously named Hard Margaret. So I ask him what he'd been up to and he invited me to come see his new band Loyal Sinners. I was glad to hear he was still pursuing his music and, since he was one of my favorite local guitar slingers, I was happy to accept his offer. What I encountered was indeed a treat! The band line up is Scott Greene, guitar and vocals, Terry Justin on bass and Phil Carter on drums. For a three piece these guys create a very full sound. With their many years experience between them and ample talent they are quite a polished machine.

Their EP "Love, Sex, Nature" is just five songs long, but this is packed full of a broad assortment of sounds. Greene's voice is like a mix of Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits).His songwriting is smart, a bit haunting and indeed eclectic. There's a thick and somewhat dark blues vibe to the songs. There's a bit of Dick Dale surf's up and a reggae/ska thing going on in "Blind to the Light," track 3. Track 4, "Net," is funky, fun, and a little country! The diversity actually works very well to create a continuous flow. I look forward to hearing more from them.

- Dabelly.com

Loyal Sinners

by Evan Williamson


Right off the bat, I was interested. The demo launches off with sounds that possess sort of a raspy feel of some form of upbeat western film soundtrack, complete with perfectly timed breaks visualized as shoot-offs and suspenseful slow motion moments that leave you hanging before returning to dirty, catchy guitar riffs, and almost tribal drums.

The ghostly female back-up vocals, might remind hipsters of Arcade Fire, might remind some of Neko Case or perhaps Handel's Messiah, but regardless a very cool sound, especially when utilized like an instrument.

The lyrics are clever and fresh, while the guitar riffs are addictive, dancy, and most definitely dirty, but provide structure behind most of the songs. Drums are perfect for the music, and the vocals are unique, offering a delicate refinement that still pulls off the raw feeling of the other instruments and songs in general.

I find myself intrigued, I really must see this band live.

- What's Up Magazine

Recent Stories
Jan, 3, 2008
BANDS
The Loyal Sinners


COURTESY PHOTO
Loyal Sinners play at Grahams Restaurant in Glacier


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SASHA KEMBLE


If ever you’ve wondered what bands are worth a 45-minute drive from downtown for a show, Loyal Sinners should make it on the short list. Playing at Grahams Restaurant, 9989 Mount Baker Highway, on Saturday, the band is worth the drive.
Its combined guitar work, supporting percussion, and mesmerizing vocals pull you in easily. So exactly who is Loyal Sinners? Scott Greene provides guitar and vocals, Terry Justin works his bass guitar, and drummer Phil Carter keeps it all together.
With their EP “Love, Sex, Nature” newly released, the Bellingham-based trio is preparing to tour nationwide and across Europe. All three have played in other bands, but they found their niche playing together. Their influences range from The Who to Bob Marley to Tool, but their sound is harder to pin down. What’s conveyed is a sense of being intimately close to the audience, with an almost sultry energy.
Yes, it’s a drive to see them in Glacier. Yes, there’s a $5 cover. But the combination of their musical talent and the good food and atmosphere at Grahams is worth it. Saturday’s show is 21-and-over.You can check them out at www.myspace.com/theloyalsinners.


- THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

A monstrous crow's head atop a decrepit human body aligns itself confrontationally dead center in the album cover artwork of the Loyal Sinners' latest offering. The very same element of challenging artistic confrontation also characterizes the Loyal Sinners' music. With mountains of country blues swagger and eerie undertones of darker punk influences (case in point the album's artwork), the Loyal Sinners are of a more classic musical dogma.

Three chords, the truth and a little country blues are all that hold musical weight in the guitar driven artistry of their self-titled record. Simple yet strong is the essence of the Loyal Sinners audio aesthetic.

Opening track "Threshold" illustrates the force inherent in the Loyal Sinners' songwriting template and form. The song builds enjoyable momentum with just guitar, bass, and drums until all tension is released in an operatic slowed-down bluesy bridge full of guitar whirlwinds atop a massive and intricate lead guitar solo. The song "Blind to the Light" also illustrates the band's versatility as it employs Reggae undertones and great supplemental lyrics by Jasmine Riley. The track "Letters" is also a welcomed slowed down contrast to the up-tempo character of the record.

The album has a stripped down sound that tells it to the listener strait without pretension. The guitar solos on the album magnificently tow the line between overkill virtuosity and over-simplification; they sit in an enjoyable suspension, in limbo if you will, in the middle of the spectrum complementing the band's compositions.

The album's sound speaks to much time spent in the creative process devoted to crafting succinct compositions. The guitar artistry in the intro of the song "Alright Son" is another powerful and awesome highlight to the record. The track "Bruises" hints at the record losing steam where the Loyal Sinners' song style gets repetitive, yet with the following track the loyalists pick the ball back up after they dropped it.

All things aside, this album is one of the top albums to come out of Bellingham this year.

—Wes Greenberg
- What's Up Magazine

FEATURES
June 2008 Issue

the Loyal Sinners

by Boris Budd

The Loyal Sinners

Bellingham’s Loyal Sinners are about to release their debut record later in the month. The group is made up of veteran players Terry Justin on bass, Phil Carter on drums and Scott Greene on guitar and vocals. The two latter members formerly made up the rhythm section of The Dt’s among other accomplishments. I recently sat down with the group to find out what it’s like to be a Loyal Sinner.


WU!: There is a lot of buzz about the group’s first LP. Tell us about the big release.

T: The BIG BUZZ around town. I hate gossip!! It’s a lie.

PHIL: I love a good buzz. The record is 12 songs of pure joy that everyone must have.

SG: We’ve been around a while now, spitting out an EP now and then. It was definitely time to release a full length. We just needed, as a band, to get these songs out there so we can focus a little more on what’s next.


WU!: Give us a brief look at how the three of you became Loyal Sinners.

P: I’m not sure how to give a brief answer to that question. How many pages are in this magazine?

SG: I had written some songs and wanted to try singing them. I played them for Phil and T, who I knew based upon our previous work together could take the material to the next level. We started writing more songs, playing around town. We just fit together musically.


WU!: After hearing the new stuff and going to a recent gig, I felt Loyal Sinners were about creating a dynamic sound. All instruments are very clear and complimentary to the overall mix. What is the group’s process for creating these richly textured songs?

P: Our process is probably the same as most bands at our level. Scott writes the lyrics and comes up with a riff or two.Then T and I put our flavor on it and help dial it in to something all three of us are happy with.

SG: Thank you. The rich textures are definitely a group effort. The same songs played by someone else wouldn’t sound the same.


WU!: The songs on the record shine from a lyrical standpoint. What inspires some of these deep, brooding, oftentimes complex and demented words?

SG: Abuse of power, senseless loss of life, greed, good decisions, bad choices, working to better oneself then lifting those around you, understanding one another, hypocrisy by authority and religious figures, and of course, love. They aren’t that brooding are they? Sure, we aren’t Katrina and the Waves, but listening to us won’t make you stab yourself in the neck, maybe.


WU!: This record has been a long time coming. What have been some of the obstacles that have been encountered during the this project?

P: There certainly has been a few. Money and scheduling top the list. When we started tracking we hadn’t yet found ourselves, but the tedious recording process brought us together. We’ve become so committed to this band, this record and to each other.

T: I try not to see obstacles, just life’s path.


WU!: Prior incarnations of Loyal Sinners had other members, additional players and singers. What made the three of you finally decide to be a power trio?

P: I think it’s because I’m such a dick. Nobody but T and Scott will play with me.

T: We are in search of a keyboard/guitar player that fits… Phil is really not a dick.

SG: Knowing what you want a band to sound like, and getting that sound can be two different things. I’m sure we will still experiment with adding players and broadening our sound.



WU!: You guys have certainly been playing all over the place. What’s the zaniest thing that has happened on one of the bands road trips?

P: Something interesting happens every time we get in the van. Whether it’s a speeding ticket or jumping a curb and blowing out the front tire. That’s just on the way to the club. When we get there is when the crazy stuff happens.

T: We cannot allow you to print our zany happenings.


WU!: While the new material is fresh and original, a listener can hear vacuous genre influences. Who are some of the artists that inspire the groups sound?

P: For me it’s bands like Rage Against the Machine, the Police, old Metallica and Santana. That gets me going.

T: For me…it’s Stanley C, Larry G, Jaco P, Victor B, Marcus M, Yves C, Les C, blah blah (which we sound nothing like). Seriously… I can be inspired by almost anything.

SG: I really like Chuck Prophet. I love Mark Knopfler’s guitar sound. Colexico, old Soul Asylum, Frank Black, old Fishbone, I never get tired of AC/DC, Leonard Cohen, Cherry Poppin Daddies, Mark Lanegan, some country guitar players keep my ear, the list goes on indefinitely.


WU!: Being veterans of the Bellingham scene, who are your favorite local acts of the last 15 years?

SG: That’s a tough one, I can’t narrow it down to one. Phil and I played in The DT’s together that was a good time. I still go see them, they’re one of my faves. I miss the raw power of Enders Of Ozone. The Allnighters have a great sound. Recently we played with Ladies of the Night, I dug ‘em. Slow Suicide is good drinking’ music. Anyone remember Game for Vultures? Vadinska has some great songs. I’m sure I’m forgetting some other favorites at the moment.

P: I liked the Mono Men and the Footstompin Trio.


WU!: What do the next six months look like for Loyal Sinners?

P: If all goes well we will be getting a lot more road in the next six months. It would be great to get started on the next record soon too.

T: I need some more road. We need to record, we’ve got a lot more music to share.

SG: With rapidly rising fuel costs who knows how much a struggling band will be able to travel. We have some pretty cool ideas for our live outings that will make the band worth checking out on a regular basis if we decide to hang close to home.


WU!: Like classic acts The Band and Wilco, Loyal Sinners have lent themselves to other acts as a back-up band. I have been fortunate enough to have you guys back me on my upcoming record and it was a blast and an honor doing the song with you guys. Is backing other artists something you guys want to expand upon going forward?

P: Sure, playing with other people usually is a great learning experience. We have got a lot of time invested in playing music together, so it’s easy to get behind other artists. We feel each others vibe, usually it makes it work. I’m not sure i would want to be know only as a back up band.

SG: It’s often a good experience to back up someone else. I enjoy seeing what we can do with songs once we get involved. Not our main focus, but cool none the less. It was an honor for us to play on your record as well. I really enjoy the recording process, so working with other artists is exciting on many levels. I love to engineer projects in my little studio. If anyone needs a good band to back them on a recording they’re welcome to contact us.


The Loyal Sinners will perform on June 5 at the Wild Buffalo and June 15 at Everyday Music. For more upcoming shows and info, visit www.myspace.com/theloyalsinners.


- What's Up Magazine