“It’s one of those CDs that you put in and listen to the whole thing, you don’t skip a song,” Puerto Rican Rum Drunks fan Angela Marquise said about the band’s new album, Jelly for The Masses, set to be released April 4. Two years after the release of their self-produced debut album Chameleon, the Rum Drunks have moved on to a new independent label to produce a CD that is nothing like their last.
“Our first album was more folk with a lot of acoustic and mellow. Jelly for the Masses, in contrast, is a little more rock ‘n roll with pop songs in it, and every song sounds different,” lead vocalist Del Rendon said.
“This album is more of a collaborative effort; the last album was all written by me,” Rendon said.
When the Rum Drunks started out six years ago, they were an R&B band that did cover songs from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green, to name a few. Now, with their wide appeal, the band has drawn on several musical influences that have molded them into a rock act.
Last month, the Rum Drunks opened for and jammed with the world-renowned brass band The Dirty Dozen in their first-ever Starkville performance.
The Rum Drunks have also rocked places like The House of Blues New Orleans, 3rd In Lindsey of Nashville and have played in Jackson’s Jubilee Jam for the last two years.
“We are just a good funky rock ‘n roll band infused with a little southern rock influence with some stories to tell and some good music. We like to have a good time,” Rendon said.
“The name the Rum Drunks has nothing to do with our sound, nor does it have anything to do with what we advocate. It’s just a silly name that has stuck, and sometimes it can be a little misleading.”
Rendon, along with fellow band members Jeff Armstong, electric guitarist; Jason “JJ” Elliot, percussion; Michael Freed, acoustic guitarist; Lee Graham, bass guitarist, and Mark Goldbeck, piano, have worked extremely hard to produce their sophomore album.
“I’m real happy with it (Jelly For The Masses). The whole process was exhausting because we worked on it for an entire year and went through our ups and downs but every time we go into the studio, we come out better musicians,” Rendon said. “This album is influenced by the diverse musical taste of each band member.”
Jelly for The Masses will be released in local bars throughout the Southeast and at a major release party at The International Bistro and State Theatre.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to look out and see a bunch of people singing your music, something you came up with sitting in your living room, coming up with words and ideas for a song. That’s success in itself, and I find that very rewarding,” Rendon said.
The opening act for the event will be Homemade Water out of Nashville, Tenn.
“I’m so excited about this CD release party,” fan Georgia Love said.”They are so talented individually, and it’s amazing when they come together. They are an all-star band.”
The Rum Drunks’ latest album can be purchased at Bebop record shops, On Cue, Musiquarium in Jackson or Uncle Bucks in Oxford.
For more information on the Rum Drunks, log on to www.rumdrunks.com, and for information on the CD release party contact the International Bistro at 323-2591 or Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern at 324-3316.