Distilled, classic rock originality describes the album Dangerous Promises from Electric Mud. Heady guitar-driven thrust and potent radio-friendly vocals combine for a premium song collection. Steeped in contemporary appeal, Dangerous Promises has been nominated for Best Rock Album 2018 at the San Diego Music Awards, to be held on Mar. 19. Equipped with a flotilla of talent and depth, Electric Mud serves up 11 original tracks built on musicianship and style. But there is more to the music.
The opening cut from Dangerous Promises, “Nowhere Fast,” features gritty, overdriven guitar tone matched with a balanced drum attack and edgy vocals. At the 2:00 mark, a number of string bends and fret fills kick in before transitioning back to the final buildup. Listen closely as the track fades to a stop. In a convenient segue, the second song, “Easy Street,” begins with a similar type of reversed, almost Sir George Martin snippet, proving there is a method to the Mud’s music genius.
“Easy Street” features a moderate tempo up against tasty six-string leads bearing a twang. Where “Nowhere Fast” conveys a humbucker feel, “Easy Street” cooks with more of a single coil character. The rhythm section keeps the blues-rock grind going, while the singing remains emotive and ready to pop: “My tongue’s all tied up and I just 
can’t think of the right words to say, my mind’s all wound up for you…” Electric Mud evokes a Rolling Stones meets Tom Petty quality, while the straightforward vocals exude an extra dose of self-assurance.
Among the song list is the album’s final track, “California Gold,” an excellent acoustic slide guitar cut where you can hear the lingering notes of a wooden Dobro. This clearly is American made music and surely not mellow. Independently recorded and produced, another favorite from Dangerous Promises is the title track. Electric Mud is Marc Hansen – vocals, guitar; Colton Cori – guitar; Matt Sorena – bass; and Matt Hansen – drums.
Performance, song style and a consonant delivery make Dangerous Promises a recommended choice.
Live Too
Outside the studio, Electric Mud is gaining a reputation with fans thanks to the band’s amped up concerts, including shows this month at San Diego’s Music Box and Brick By Brick, as well as The House of Blues in Anaheim.
An Interview with Electric Mud
Musicinterviewmagazine.com checked in with Marc Hansen of Electric Mud for some questions and answers about Dangerous Promises and more.
Congratulations on Dangerous Promises being nominated for Best Rock Album 2018 by the San Diego Music Awards. How did that come about?
We created Dangerous Promises over the course of a year, from August 2016 to August 2017. Recording started at Red Lantern Studio in Portland, Oregon and we did all overdubs and vocals at Pacific Beat Recordings in San Diego, California. During that time, the engineer and owner of Pacific Beat, Alan Sanderson, introduced us to local music aficionado Chris Faust. With the support of these guys, we really got our name out there throughout San Diego. With a lot of hard work and a solid, growing fan base we started to get noticed on the local scene and then nominated.
The album features great guitars and vocal work. Who writes the music and words to your songs?
Our songs are mostly created by taking jams and piecing them together or adding parts. The whole band is involved and comes up with their part. I usually take these jams and edits in a bridge or chorus, just sort of structuring the piece. Then we jam it out again and I add lyrics. That’s the most common way we do it. But every song is different.
Each of the cuts on Dangerous Promises flows with authentic rock vitality. Was recording the album a labor of love?
Recording is always a labor of love for us. We want to make people feel the way we feel when we listen to our favorite albums or records. We want every song to mean something so, yeah. And a lot of our favorite songs are not the big well known songs from the albums, so we dig hard into what it means to make a good song, not just a hit, although that’d be nice too.
How did you arrive at the name Electric Mud?
My brother, Matty Hansen, came to me one night with the title from a Muddy Waters album, Electric Mud. He was watching a documentary. We knew Muddy well and had his records. I would sit and learn his licks on guitar. And the Stones got their name from him. The Rolling Stones are our biggest influence. So we thought it was just perfect.
The band is also gaining a name for its live shows. Do you have any upcoming concerts planned?
We have a big show at the Music Box downtown San Diego on March 16th with Band of Gringos and The Delta Saints. Also, the House of Blues in Anaheim on March 23rd and Brick by Brick in San Diego March 31st.
Which do you prefer, the studio or the concert stage?
It’s hard to say. We really love creating new stuff in the studio, experimenting and what not. I guess the whole goal is to create a great album. But at the end of the day the live performances are what gain followers for us at this point, so it’s very exciting. I guess there’s no solid answer to that question. Maybe it depends on the song.
What’s next for Electric Mud?
We’re looking to gain 1,000 true blue fans in our local area. Once we do that, we can take the next step. At this point, the band is getting tighter, the shows are getting better and the songs are still coming. So the future looks bright.
For booking and press inquiries, please contact Marc Hansen at 347.533.1786 or submit your information for contact thru email at electricmudofficial@gmail.com.
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Thank you so much for this write up!
It was our pleasure. Thank you.