Articles by "Lightning Rules"
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Portland, OR explosive rock trio Lightning Rules has premiered its new single "Gnarpeggiator" on PureGrainAudio. The band's latest single is the third from its upcoming "Fossil Fuels" EP – set to be released on March 9, 2018.

Lightning Rules frontman, Wess Willis, had this to say about the new single: ""Gnarpeggiator" was the last track we recorded and almost didn't make it on the EP. We had not played it live and the only version was a bad practice demo at a too-fast tempo, but our producer was really psyched on it and encouraged us to give it a shot. We slowed it down and had the bass and drums establish a sturdier groove rather than try and chase the guitar. That contrast ultimately became one of the fundamental elements of the entire EP: the big Dave Grohl caveman drums bolstering the guitar frenzy.

Lyrically, it's exploring the freedom of giving up. I generally take a goonies-never-say-die, ride it to the bitter end approach to any situation, but a few personal experiences caused me to rethink that; maybe going down with the ship isn't always all that noble and giving yourself permission to let go can be the better move.

Musically, the inspiration for "Gnarpeggiator" came about by chance. I accidentally double-timed a riff using a new pedal I'd purchased that day and really liked the sound. It was just so crazy and frenetic. When I started playing over it those first three riffs are what came out, so the core of the song took shape in about 10 minutes. This was actually a few years ago, so it technically predates any other Lightning Rules song. The bridge is supposed to evoke a sort of old-school video game, Sonic the Hedgehog feel. Live we use a looper and two amps to create the harmonized riff on one side then solo on the other. We also use the looper to recreate that opening new riff every time. I was really happy to be able to take a studio-friendly part and still translate it 100% at a show without using any kind of sample or having parts missing.

All told, it's a song that came together by a lot of random chances. But now it's our absolute favorite to play live."

Check it HERE.
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Portland, OR rock trio Lightning Rules have returned with "Fossil Fuels," the opening and title track of their upcoming new EP.  The single is a rumination on rebirth and progress borne from apparent failure. It illustrates the central theme of the EP as well as the mental state of the band at the time of it’s recording.

"Winter was a low point for us," explains frontman, Wess Wilis. "We were missing a drummer, we’d only played a handful of shows that year, we were really tight on cash, not going anywhere and really just discouraged in general. We discussed just giving the band a break, spending time on other things…"

Despite this malaise, the band had not been entirely idle in the previous months. Several new songs had taken shape, many of them channeling the season's frustration. These tracks would provide both the raw material and the motivation to head into the studio, changing direction rather than backing off the accelerator.

"We had to take a hard look at why we make records," said Willis. "If there’s no financial benefit or nobody really cares, is it even worth doing? Ultimately we decided that we would make the record for us, that the songs deserved to exist for their own sake… that we could derive our own meaning and purpose out of what felt like an empty time. So we sold all the gear we could stand in order to get enough money to start the new record."

The band enlisted Stephan Hawkes at Interlace Audio to produce the record as well as provide studio drums. Six songs were recorded, beginning with the title track.

"Fossil Fuels" really set the tone of what the record would be about," said Willis. "It accepts defeat, but only as a jumping-off point to something greater, sort of a 'nowhere to go but up' feeling. There’s a confidence arc across the tracks, they move from a kind of naive chest-thumping proudness down into despair and back out into hopefully a more resolute, mature sort of determination."

In addition to the central metaphor of dinosaurs becoming rocket fuel – new progress from old death – the songs touch on political themes, family issues, censorship, cancer, and corporate greed. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the songs bounce and move with youthful energy and abandon. The band considers this contrast a core part of the Lightning Rules sound.

Following the release of "Fossil Fuels," they will be hitting the road in February for a West Coast tour. Check out those tour dates HERE.
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