Barreling through the gates of country music, HELLBOUND GLORY, is justifying rightful ownership to the band’s declarative namesake. In defining their sound, distilled of equal parts melody and bar-room-thump, this Reno, NV based band is packing the house to a growing legion of fans coast to coast. Front man and songwriter, Leroy Virgil, explains; “We just really dig the challenge of a new audience. We’ll walk into a new room full of folks that haven’t heard our music, play a 4 or 5 hour night, and drive away with more people that consider themselves fans. I’m not a flashy guy but I like showing off.”
The bands formation in 2008 was a graduation of sorts for Virgil who originally hails from Aberdeen, WA. Relocating to Reno in 2002, the singer jumped head-long into the nightlife of the Biggest Little City In The World. This ‘nightlife’ had an immediate impact on what would become HELLBOUND GLORY’S material. Virgil explains Reno’s influence, “I grew up in a hick-town by a lot of peoples standards. Reno is just a hick-town with taller buildings and brighter lights. Playing Reno is like playing a 24 hour dive bar. No matter where I play, I’m never too far from home.”
Virgil’s songwriting consistently tests the boundaries of conventional country music’s lyrical playing field. When asked to describe the band’s signature sound, Virgil proclaims, “Country music was a big influence on the rock music I wrote when I was younger and still in Aberdeen. That same rock music echoes a bit in my country western music today. We’re really not afraid to piss off any of either genre’s purists. We’re just out there being ourselves!” In fact, HELLBOUND GLORY songs resound with equal parts wit and humor. An unabbreviated and honest statement of the world we live in today.
Forged through a relentless touring schedule that carries the band cross-country on a regular basis; HELLBOUND GLORY are conquering new stomping ground on the strength of three full length releases; Scumbag Country (2008), Old Highs & New Lows (2010), and Damaged Goods (2011). HELLBOUND GLORY can count some of music’s most prolific and accomplished artists today among their growing number of supporters. Virgil continues “It’s pretty cool that we can count these folks as fans of our music, but I’ve got to be my own fan first and foremost.” This is HELLBOUND GLORY, music as honest and reflective in a frantic urban metropolis as it is on a lost and desolate byway.
