Representing your hometown can put a personal spin on one’s work, and Charm City Devils are celebrating Baltimore with their fourth studio release 1904. The EP debuts November 22 via Broken World Records.
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The five song EP’s first single “Skipping Stone” is a dense, hard driving rock song, and the single comes out September 20 on all digital outlets. In 1904 a great fire burned Baltimore to the ground, hence the moniker. For Charm City Devils singer John Allen, the journey into 1904 was infused with introspection.
“While writing and collaborating on the songs for 1904,” said Allen, “I started reflecting on my life and music career and how the town where I grew up impacted my view of the world. The story of Baltimore is a direct parallel to what most people experience in life. In everyone’s life there is a change arc. We begin that change with ‘uninformed optimism’ only to find out that optimism quickly turns to ‘informed pessimism,’ and as the spiraling continues they ultimately bottom out at ‘crisis of meaning.’ It’s in the crisis part of life where a person has to decide if they are going to be stuck or are they going to pick themselves up and begin the upward struggle toward happiness and fulfillment. The first single, ‘Skipping Stone,’ is a journey into self-awareness and ultimately about being resilient.”
The outfit consists of Allen on lead vocals, Ted Merrill (guitar), Jason Heiser (drums), and Rick Reynolds (bass). They are currently working on scheduling shows around Baltimore, and a full tour is expected to be announced shortly.
The band’s passion for their hometown is evident in the following statement:
“Through personal experience we are reminded that when things are really bad, and we mean really bad, we have the outlet of music to channel all those emotions and hope that those that feel the same way can find the same hope through our songs.
Baltimore to us is what Detroit is to Kid Rock or Boston is to Aerosmith. It keeps us ground, motivated, and inspired. It’s the main reason we chose this profession and why we will always pursue our dreams.”
I haven’t checked out their previous efforts, but am definitely encouraged to check out their work after giving “Skipping Stone” a good listen.
