(Jackson, USA // Alive Natural Sound)
In December 2010, Mike sold his bass and bought a drum kit. Pierre bought a cheap microphone and plugged it into a practice amp. Like their good ol’ days growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, they were playing the blues! Within weeks of forming their two-piece juke group, they met Ryan Lynn. The friendship came immediately and once Ryan picked up the bass, the music quickly followed. By combining musical elements from the genres they loved, the songs poured out in an inspired fury. Only three months after meeting, they chose the name of the folkloric slave hero, John the Conqueror, and took to the stage playing their own blend of the southern rock from their childhoods, the punk of their adolescence and the blues and soul they had always held closely. With a little help from the fabled John the Conqueror magical powers, Patrick Boiselle (Alive Naturalsound Records) signed the eleven-month-old group after seeing a video of the first song they’d written, “Ain’t Comin Home.” With their October 2012 self-titled release, John the Conqueror resurrected a forgotten tale and added to that mythos. Blues Matters! Magazine (UK) says, ‘This debut is dependable, solid and timeless.’ About the lead single, Brian Mansfield of USA Today writes: ‘Time To Go: This raw, bluesy old-school soul track is just one of many gems on this Philadelphia trio’s debut album.’ Vinyl Under Review adds, ‘John the Conqueror’s music is loaded with attitude, but not a speck of pretension. This is no frills, from the gut rock and roll and the impact is immediate.’ Recently, the three returned to Retrocity Studios to record their second album. « Once Upon A Time » will be released in January 2014, and if they have a little magic left, the world may yet know the legend of John the Conqueror.