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Steeped in the sounds of classic blues, soul, and rock & roll from the '50s and '60s, Los Angeles combo Vintage Trouble first found success in the U.K., where their debut album, 2011's The Bomb Shelter Sessions, made a strong showing on the digital charts.
Known for their passionate live shows and fusion of retro cool and modern swagger, the band spent the next several years earning a devoted fan base on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to key opening slots with rock legends like the Who, the Rolling Stones, and AC/DC, and the 2016 release of their Don Was-produced 1 Hopeful Rd.
Vintage Trouble were formed in 2010 by vocalist Ty Taylor, guitarist Nalle Colt, bassist Rick Barrio Dill, and drummer Richard Danielson, all of whom were living in Los Angeles, California at the time. Taylor had previously worked with the bands Dakota Moon, Camp Freddy, and Ghosthounds, and was a contestant on the music competition series Rock Star: INXS. Swedish-born guitarist Colt had briefly been part of Dakota Moon's road band, and had also been part of the short-lived Ghosthounds. Bassist Dill had cut a pair of solo albums under the name Duff Ferguson, and released an album in 2007 with the band 2nd Day Crush. And Danielson had been a journeyman drummer playing in a variety of Los Angeles-based bands and had jammed with Taylor on many occasions. Taylor and Colt were planning to record some songs together, and they invited Dill and Danielson to be the rhythm section on the session. By the end of the evening, the four musicians were pleased with the chemistry, and Colt suggested they should try playing a live gig. A week later, Vintage Trouble made their public debut, and the band was soon a major presence on the Los Angeles club circuit, frequently playing bars and after-hours clubs.
In 2011, Vintage Trouble booked time at L.A.'s Bomb Shelter Studios and recorded a no-frills album that captured their tough but soulful sound. Called The Bomb Shelter Sessions, the album earned positive notices from critics and attracted the attention of Doc McGhee, the manager who helped guide the careers of Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, and Hootie & the Blowfish. McGhee signed on as Vintage Trouble's manager, and he booked the band on a tour of the United Kingdom, where they soon sold out clubs and earned a spot on the popular TV music series Later...with Jools Holland. The Bomb Shelter Sessions promptly rose to the upper reaches of the U.K. digital sales charts, and Vintage Trouble were juggling headlining gigs in clubs and theaters with British stadium dates opening for Brian May and Bon Jovi. In 2012, the album finally received a physical release in the United States, with the group supporting the release with North American tours opening for Lenny Kravitz and the Cranberries, with the Who inviting the band to open for them on a late-2012 North American run. In April 2013, Vintage Trouble made the first of three appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and in the summer they once again joined the Who on the road for a series of shows in Europe, as well as opening a show for the Rolling Stones in London's Hyde Park. Legendary Australian hard rockers AC/DC gave them another high-profile opening slot when they were added to the bill of the 2015 "Rock or Bust" tour, and in August 2015 Vintage Trouble made their major-label debut with 1 Hopeful Rd.; the album made them one of the first rock acts to be signed to the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, and the label's president, Don Was, produced the sessions. Switching from Blue Note to McGhee Entertainment, their next outing, 2018's Chapter II, EP 1, marked a move toward a more pop-based songwriting style and incorporated keyboards and horns into their mix. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi