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The Road Hammers
Rock / Country / Southern Rock

		"TheRoadHammers.com" Canada Profile Views: 252016 Last Login: 1/7/2009
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The Road Hammers: General Info

Member Since	3/10/2005
Band Website	theroadhammers.com
Band Members	Clayton Bellamy Jason McCoy Chris Byrne Corbett Frasz
Influences	The trucker greats, from Del Reeves to Red Sovine
Record Label	Montage Music Group
Type of Label	Indie

Upcoming Shows

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Jan 15 2009

8:00P

Radmakers Rock & Roll Tavern

Tolono, Illinois

Jan 16 2009

8:00P

Mega Center at Pheasant Run Resort

St Charles, Illinois

Jan 17 2009

8:00P

Kelly’s Bleachers 2

Wind Lake, Wisconsin

May 2 2009

7:00P

Dogwood Festival

Winchester, Tennessee

Jul 10 2009

8:00P

Stockey Centre

Parry Sound, Ontario

The Road Hammers's Latest Blog Entry [Subscribe to this Blog]

The Colts (view more)

Holidays! (view more)

WHITE CHRISTMAS! (view more)

What A Year It's Been! (view more)

West Coast Hammers, Baby! (view more)

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About The Road Hammers

Like a hammered-down 18-wheeler barreling down across the border, Canada's Road Hammers are an unstoppable musical force, bound and determined to deliver the toughest, coolest, real-est country music to come down that southbound pike in a long, long time. Conceived by Canadian country star Jason McCoy and forged under the unforgiving reality-TV lights of CMT Canada's "Making the Band," the Road Hammers took on a life of its own from the very beginning.

"It was an unplanned pregnancy, and it was an experiment on camera," McCoy says with a laugh. "But we're all real happy with the baby. The thing with the TV series was this; if it flies, you've got a successful band to launch off of this thing, and if it flops, well, everybody likes to see somebody fall."

Needless to say, the Road Hammers flew, a lot higher than anyone, even the band members themselves, ever expected. Those band members – guitarist/vocalist Clayton Bellamy and the world class, kickass rhythm section of bassist/vocalist Chris Byrne and drummer Corbett Frasz –may have come together on camera, but onstage and in the studio the Road Hammers quickly formed the kind of greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts bond that every musican dreams of.

"The first time I saw Clayton Bellamy, he was playing in a beer tent at a Cowboy Stampede," McCoy recalls. "I thought he was an awesome player with a good stage presence, and he was obviously a fantastic singer. Exactly what he was doing was exactly what I wanted."

With the exhilarating musical and vocal tension between Bellamy's go-for-broke, rock 'n' roll heart and McCoy's deep-fried country soul providing the creative fuel, and the Bryne/Frasz rhythm section hammering it all home, the band's self-titled debut album quickly ascended to the upper reaches of the Canadian country charts, with four songs – "East Bound and Down," "Nashville Bound," "Girl On the Billboard" and "I'm a Road Hammer" – hitting the Top 10.

The latter track, a sweat-drenched, blue-collar anthem with a countrified "We Will Rock You" groove, serves as the band's theme song and begs the musical question, "Just what is a road hammer?" It's a question for which McCoy has a ready reply.

"We always say, if you drive 18 wheels, four wheels, two wheels or a unicycle; if you make your living on or near the highway, or if you've just got a restless spirit in your heart, then you're a road hammer," he says. "All of a sudden we've got 20 rows deep standing at the stage singing 'I'm a  Road Hammer," and we're going, 'Whoa, I guess we're not the only ones.'"

In 2005, the band was nominated for six CCMA awards and walked away with the trophy for Group or Duo of the Year. Road Hammers also picked up a Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year. The following year, the band received two CCMA awards – Group or Duo of the Year and Best Video for "Girl On the Billboard," their high-octane remake of Del Reeves' 1 single from 1961. The video for the song also shot to  1 at CMT Canada.

"I loved Del Reeves and 'Girl on the Billboard' when I was a kid, and I knew that all it needed was a modern twist from this band," McCoy says. "It's such a great song, and it's early rap, it really is."

Songs just don't get much more country than "Girl On the Billboard" but – onstage and on record – the Road Hammers rock, and the band has quickly evolved into one of the most respected outfits on the road. At the recent Canadian Country Music Awards in Regina, Saskatchewan, Byrne and Frasz were tapped for the CCMA's All Star Band on bass and drums respectively, along with Road Hammer sidemen Mike Little (keyboards) and Kenny Greer (steel guitar).

Mixing steady-rolling standbys from Reeves and Jerry Reed and contemporary trucking  classics from artists like Paul Thorn ("Heart With Four Wheel Drive") and Lowell George ("Willin'") with freewheeling originals like "Nashville Bound," "Overdrive" and "I've Got the Scars to Prove It," The Road Hammers is a wild ride that covers a lot of musical ground.

While his own decade-long career – which has already produced six hit albums, 10 Top-10 singles, and a slew of awards including Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2001 Canadian Country Music Awards and three SOCAN Song of the Year awards – was running on plenty of momentum, McCoy's restless creative spirit moved him to take to a sharp left turn at the end of 2005, and the Road Hammers was born.

"I wasn't ready to make another solo record, and I'd had this idea in my head for a long time," he says. "And I always thought Road Hammers would be such a cool band name."

When McCoy mentioned his cool band name and concept to a friend at CMT Canada and the network caught wind of what he was up to, things got real crazy real fast, with cameras filming the fledgling band's every move, from meetings to rehearsals to recording studio to songwriting sessions. The show ran for two successful seasons with Hollywood actor/Vancouver native/Road Hammers fan Jason Priestley of "Beverly Hills 90210" fame stepping in as director for season two. The Road Hammerrs were pretty much conceived and born on TV.

"In Canada the show certainly helped us," McCoy says. "Everybody in the country scene kind of knew who I was, but the marketing strategy was like a three-headed monster. We had a good radio campaign, we had good TV and we had good print, and it just worked."

Word of the band's success at home quickly drifted south to Nashville, and the Road Hammers eventually signed with indie upstart Montage Music and headed into the studio with Jason Aldean producer Michael Knox to record some additional tracks and fine-tune their debut for American release. Those tracks, "Working Hard and Loving You," "I Don't Know When to Quit," and "I've Got the Scars to Prove It," perfectly round out the project with the one-two punch of Nashville-sized hooks and that trademark Road Hammers intensity.

With the bulk of the album recorded in Nashville by McCoy and his longtime co/producer/collaborator Scott Baggett, The Road Hammers puts a new coat of paint on a neglected corner of country music's foundation. From Red Sovine's "Phantom 309" to Dave Dudley's "Six Days on the Road" to Kathy Mattea's "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses," all the way to Garth Brooks' "Callin' Baton Rouge," trucking songs have been a country music constant. And these Road Hammers know from experience that hard-touring musicians and long-haul truckers have long been kindred spirits.

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The Road Hammers's Friends Comments

Displaying 50 of 3766 comments ( View All | Add Comment )

Marko	Jan 6 2009 4:36 PM We are very happy to have you guys coming to Tolono in January. For those not familiar, we are 10 minutes south of Champaign Illinois. If you are in Indy, Chicago, Springfield IL, or St Louis, you have a 2 hour jaunt to come see the Road Hammers in their first US Tour Date of 09!
ANDY PAYNTER	Jan 6 2009 8:24 PM Hey Guys All THE BEST AND I HOPE YOUR NEW YEAR BRINGS YOU ALL YOU HOPE FOR
Rebekka Paige	Jan 6 2009 11:30 PM Hey Guys, All the best in 2009!!! Rebekka Paige
Louie	Jan 7 2009 4:10 PM Can't wait to see you guys rock it out next week!!
Marko	Jan 7 2009 4:40 PM Can't wait for ya'll to be here next Thursday...should be a great time!
Ashley	Jan 7 2009 6:02 PM The best bass lines in country music! I just may borrow a few, thanks.
Rebel Road	Dec 21 2008 9:14 PM Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Ira Provost	Dec 20 2008 4:22 PM Oki, All the best this Holiday Season. Wishing you a joyous and prosperous New Year!! Ira
Radmakers	Dec 17 2008 2:31 PM Looking forward to the show in Jan. !!
Seeking U	Dec 19 2008 6:07 AM Snow in the Mountains Its Snowing in our Town today kids are hoping for long delay the clouds are moving very fast and the snow is moving in at last. I love to watch snow fall down as the ground covers all around. I can't wait for Christmas to Arrive as the love of snow comes in time. Snow, Snow for ever more Winter is here and here for a while. I'm so exited to see the Snow and now I'm going to watch it soar.
Sara	Dec 19 2008 9:28 AM After 3 a.m. and I finally have the internet again. So what do I do, nothing else but look you guys up. I finally got to see Homegrown!! Very Nice!! See ya guys soon!!
Mason Adams Band	Dec 19 2008 6:27 PM Have a great 'Holiday Season', and a good 2009.
darlene	Dec 19 2008 6:29 PM i hope you enjoy the holidays! love, darlene
Heidi Raye Music	Dec 16 2008 8:31 PM Hey Guys :) Just dropping by to say 'hey' and hope you're off to a great week. Merry Christmas! ~Heidi
Brandon	Dec 15 2008 10:38 PM Awesome show in Jackson last Thursday! It was a pleasure to meet you all. Good luck & keep Hammerin'!
Heidi Raye Music	Dec 15 2008 3:33 AM Hey Boys! Thanks for the add! Hope you had a great weekend :) Merry Christmas! xo Heidi xo
Traditional and Folk	Dec 14 2008 12:01 AM You ROCK Christmas Greeting's from across the pond in Ireland
Bluzguitar	Dec 12 2008 10:59 AM You guys got to get to Milwaukee. Before sound check go take a tour through the Harley Davidson plant, and the new Harley museum, then Y’all oughta mosey on over to Miller Brewery for a tour where you get to sample some free beer after! I know you are not afraid of the cold! And if you are, then Play a stage at Summerfest! Get r done!
Sarah Swan	Dec 11 2008 9:36 PM Can't wait to see you in September in Kansas!
Eastern Alliance of Country Music Listeners	Dec 22 2008 4:13 AM WISHING YOU THE MERRIEST CHRISTMAS AND THE HAPPIEST NEW YEAR FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS! THE EACML GIRLS
Shari Lynn	Dec 22 2008 4:28 AM Merry Christmas Guys! SL :)
PastFive	Dec 22 2008 7:06 AM Hi Guys, we wish You a wonderful, merry Christmas and a great 2009. Greetings from Germany PastFive
Kelly	Dec 24 2008 1:17 AM Merry Christmas guys!! Hope y'all are having a fantastic holiday season! :) Kelly
Smokin Pistols	Dec 24 2008 3:01 AM Hey Guys, Thanks for joining the Smokin Pistols Myspace posse! As you are no doubt aware, hundreds, if not thousands of law-abiding citizens regret your decision..
luckyd	Dec 25 2008 3:20 AM Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!! Wishing you all the best for 2009!!
Nancy	Dec 25 2008 7:58 AM Hi Road Hammers, Your new song plays on the radio alot up here :D I hope your Christmas is filled with lots of love and laughter, peace and joy:) I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year! ~nancy
Rick "Wingman" (the Dad)	Dec 25 2008 9:48 PM MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Keep up the great work! Your song "I Don't Know When To Quit" so describes my 5 year roller coaster ride with the woman of my dreams! Y'al are awesome!
Amber-Jamber	Dec 27 2008 10:11 PM my mom won an autographed guitar sighned by ya'll off of the Jeff Foxworthy countdown show it's so AWESOME!!!.....thanx
dreamerz	Dec 30 2008 9:18 PM Happy New Year!!!!!!
Seeking U	Dec 31 2008 7:47 AM 12-12-2008 wanted to share, - My walk through a winter night, - I bundled up dressed all warm, boots on my feet tied so neat, scarf raped around and tucked in nice. a couple shots of brandy and steped out that winter night. - the air smelled like my warm fire inside. the moon glistening all through the night, like a brillaint blue flashlight, ice cycles on the trees forming, shapes of topaz leaves, - as i get closer to town i saw buetiful, displays of colours in all the little lights, red, green, orange, blue, purple and white. children building snow men in there yards, cheerful laughs of glee in there little hearts. - the moon light was so wonderful, shining through the trail to the lake, the snow shoe rabits stoped to stay. - looking over the hillside's at the lake. the moons huge ball of chrystal blue, shinse all through the lake below. no one around for town is now mile's away. - looken there to my left, young fawns and there mother laying there beside them. the fawns got up to play, so I stoped to sit there on a old stump I thaught was a minuit or two for what turned out the whole night thruogh. by Micheal Anthony
Alberta Gypsy	Jan 1 2009 10:03 AM Hey Corbett! I even had you guys on my friends list and didn't look close enough at the lineup... i would have definitely recognized your name if I had... doh! Well, I'm glad we reconnected, even if it took me a while :-) Lookin' forward to more great tunes y'all!
darlene	Jan 6 2009 3:31 AM just wanted to say hi and i hope you have a great week.
Moonchild Diva, Sandra	Jan 6 2009 2:16 PM We must vote for The Road Hammers on Tom Allen's Radio2 show at obamasplaylist@cbc.ca to get them on the list of songs to be selected to show Obama about Canada! I've already emailed, needs more, kids!
Iveto	Jan 1 2009 4:00 PM Thank you for your friendship! Wish you great 2099! Iveto
Brown Bag Parties by Ashley	Jan 1 2009 6:01 PM
Give the Hand Drummer Some!	Jan 1 2009 7:55 PM Woah that was a QUICK add on lol, have a gr8 weekend ya'll hope your New Year was rockin...
J.A. SHUFFLE	Jan 1 2009 11:40 PM

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