Rose’s Pawn Shop’s "American Seams" Catches Lightning in a Bottle

If there is an act that Americana music fans will look upon with excitement as they rummage through the twenty-first century, recapping their favorite artists, it will no doubt be L.A. roots rockers Rose's Pawn Shop. Their latest effort, American Seams, captures the synergy that has become the band's trademark.

Weathering numerous personnel changes while navigating the revolving music industry, the band's current incarnation has dialed back punk tempos for nuanced songwriting.

“We’re super excited about getting new music out into the world,” shares Rose’s Pawn Shop lead singer Paul Givant. “I’ve had a handful of songs written over a time period of our last record, and I started looking at which ones fit together. [American Seams] is about looking back on our life, our careers, and our relationships and taking stock—looking at the good, bad, and the ugly of how things have gone,” explains Givant.

The title track, “American Seams,” became the focal point of the album.“I’m not taking a political stance,” assures Givant, whose song lyrics touch on the current polarization. “With the country going in two different directions, the singer warns, it feels like it’s falling apart at the seams.”

The band collaborated with award-winning producer Eric Corne.“Eric is a super cool, mild-mannered dude!” describes Givant about the Canadian producer. “He has a chill vibe, but he knows how to get what he wants out of performances.”

A musician himself, Corne helped capture the nuances. “He has a great ear for helping us shape our sound. If he doesn’t like something, he will let you know, then give you suggestions.”

“We tracked the album around four or five days,” shares the band’s founder. “We did a lot of [recording] live, minus the vocals and a few overdub parts. We recorded at Robbie Krieger’s studio, then finished it at Eric’s home studio. There we did another week and a half working on vocals and harmonies.”

“Capturing a live energy was easy,” explains the L.A. songwriter. “With the guidance of Eric, we did five takes for each song. Once we were sure of what our arrangement was like, we would just go at it! What I really like about the record is it sounds very close to how we sound live—it’s not overly produced.”

Givant credits the band for pulling it off. “These guys are fantastic!” shares Givant. “[American Seams] came together nicely—it’s a testament to the high quality of the musicians that are playing with Rose’s right now.”

“We definitely had some folks come and go,” says Givant about the band’s roster over the years. “The longest-tenured guy is our bass player, Stephen Andrews. He and I have become the core of the band,” shares the Rose’s Pawn Shop singer.

Guitarist Zachary Ross brought in his own style. “Zack is a different type of guitar player from a blues-rock background—he gives the band a bigger sound! I think the sound has changed since [he] joined.”

Adding new members—fiddle player Jesse Olema, drummer Deacon Marrquin, and guitarist Ross—Givant says the band’s sound has evolved. “Our very first record pulled from punk rock—at one point we were like, ‘Let’s be like bluegrass Flogging Molly.’ Some of that energy is still there, but we dialed it back. The cool thing about American Seams is we pulled together different styles of American music.”

“We wouldn’t be considered bluegrass by purists, but we have a lot of bluegrass in our instrumentation,” admits Givant.

The new album features stronger vocals. “It’s always been an important part to me—going back to the bluegrass side of things. I love those tight bluegrass harmonies. It’s what we spent the rest of our time working on with American Seams. It was really Zack and Jessie working out the parts. They are incredible singers in their own right!” 

Givant says the band is ready.“We have a big year of touring ahead,” the singer shares. “I am really excited to get back to Europe—we have only been out there one other time. We’re trying to make Europe a regular part of our tour circuit.”

The band will make a trip to the East Coast.“We are thrilled to play some places we haven’t played in a while,” shares the singer. “We want to promote the album and get the new songs out there to the people, and hopefully they are well received.”

https://rosespawnshop.com/