Kingdom Brothers / Events / Hwy 61 Roadhouse

Hwy 61 Roadhouse

CD Release Party
Kingdom Brothers, the popular five-piece band from St. Louis, announces the release of its third studio album, Signs of the Times, with a CD Release Party scheduled on October 15th at Highway 61 Roadhouse in Webster Groves. Produced by bassist Bob Walther on Groove Ready Records, the album, available in CD and through streaming services, features eight all-new original tunes plus five of the most requested songs covered by the band in their live show. Showcasing the talents of vocalist Chris Shepherd and guitarist Ron Roskowske, with the solid rhythm section of Walther, drummer Rusty Parker, and keyboard player Stan Gill, Signs of the Times will appeal to fans of traditional blues, classic R&B, and guitar-driven rock, with a variety of selections, from Muddy Waters' iconic "Oh Pretty Woman", Shepherd's made-for-the-dance-floor title track, and Roskowske's bouncy instrumental "South Broadway Boogaloo", to Walther's poignant ballad "Just One More Day" and the timeless Sam & Dave cover "When Something is Wrong with My Baby."

The decision of Kingdom Brothers to return to the studio with a follow-up album to their 2016 offering, Times Hard, came with the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, when area restaurants and night clubs were cutting back on their seating, their hours, and their budgets, some closing completely. Times Hard had brought the band worldwide attention, with airplay on independent and underground radio stations across the Midwest and as far away as Australia's east coast, where Kingdom Brothers were welcomed for a two-week tour of live venues in 2019. Months later, facing the economic downturn, and with time on their hands, the band started working on new original songs by Shepherd, followed by great new grooves by Roskowske with lyrics and arrangements by Walther, Gill, and Parker. The band added these new tunes to their St. Louis area performances, testing, polishing, and preparing them for the studio in front of live audiences. The initial recording sessions for Signs of the Times were paid for with proceeds from gigs, the sales of Times Hard CDs, and band members digging deep in their pockets. In early 2021 the band decided to run a fundraising campaign through their website, KingdomBrothersBand.com, by offering perks like advance downloads, signed CDs, T-shirts, and private house concerts for the donors. The response was overwhelming, completely funding the project and enabling the band to finish recording, mixing, mastering, and duplication by the end of September.

Signs of the Times was recorded and mixed at Sawhorse Studios in south St. Louis, under the skilled hand of engineer Chris Turnbaugh, mastered by Kevin Nix at the Gulf Shores' Nix Mastering, duplicated locally at Classic Tape and Duplication in St. Louis County, and is published by CD Baby. Streaming and downloads are available from most online platforms, including Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, Shazam, and Spotify. Signs of the Times CDs, featuring the graphic design work of Mystic Rhythm Media's Preston Butricks and A Skeetz Production's Scott Palermo, may be purchased at the band's website and at all live performances, beginning with the CD Release Party in Webster Groves on the 15th of October. Party kicks off at 6 pm, with live music from 7 to 10 at Highway 61 Roadhouse, 34 S. Old Orchard, 63119