Earlier in the year, the NYC-based country rock group, Ben Hope and the Uptown Outfit released their latest studio effort, Ragged And Rowdy, which infused elementes of Travis Tritt and Garth Brook’s classic country stylings, with refreshing elements of funk and rock. Also drawing slight comparison’s to contemporaries like Hayess Carll and The Avett Brothers, the end result of Ben Hope’s firery new record is a lyrically driven sound that might possibly attract non-country listeners to Hope’s sophisticated musicanship with a strong vocal delivery, complemented with his adventerous song structure.
I had the chance to speak with Uptown Outfit frontman, Ben Hope briefly about the writing process for his new studio album, Ragged And Rowdy. Hope also shared with us some of his favorite places to play and what to expect when you experience Ben and the Uptown Outfit’s upbeat performances live concert.
ND: A few months back, you released Ragged And Rowdy. What has been the overall reception of the album so far?
BH: We are still very young as a group, so I think we’ve seen some great responses, even if the numbers are a little low. I think we’ve sold about two or three hundred records so far, so to me, that’s better than I expected and still gives A LOT of room for growth! I look forward to the next one.
ND: Musically or personally, how did you approach writing this record differently compared to any material that you’ve released in the past?
BH: I had released some records in the past that were very small, independent recordings of myself as a very young man. This record was the first in which I decided to write specifically for the band we have, and my first attempt at co-producing and arranging. It was wonderful/awful and I feel like we did a great/terrible job. I’ll always be my biggest critic and somehow also try to be the person to keep us moving forward. The duality of art is hilarious.
ND: What would you say is one of your favorite songs off of the new record to play live and why?
BH: Lonely a Fool is definitely one of the better pieces of writing I’ve done, but the recording just doesn’t capture it all the way. We nail it live. It’s a wonderful song to play near the end of a drunken night.
ND: What are some venues in the tri-state area do you personally enjoy playing at the most?
BH: We have been fortunate to play a lot of great places! Our January 6th show at the Highline Ballroom was a blast and there’s some video of that on our YouTube channel. I’m a dive bar kind of guy so Red Hook Bait and Tackle rules, as does Front Toward Enemy in Astoria. I also really enjoyed playing at Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn.
ND: What should fans expect when they attend one of your live shows?
BH: Whisky shots and sweaty dancing…
Listen to Ben Hope and the Uptown Outfit’s single, “Whiskey and Cigarettes” below.
benhopemusic.com.
