Pop-rock pantheon worshippers Taylor Locke and The Roughs have completed not one but two albums in 2010…. And they’re just getting started. The pair of full-lengths – Grain & Grape and Marathon – were self-written, recorded and released within a mere year of forming, a prolific pace for any band. While The Roughs may be new on the scene, they are no strangers to this business of music.
The Roughs emerged as the brainchild of Rooney guitarist Taylor Locke and Price frontman Chris Price, both of whom have been making music since their teens. Together, they’ve churned out two stellar LPs, brimming with “hook-laden rock songs,” as recently described by Nylon magazine. They openly pay homage to rock ‘n’ roll greats, ranging from Brian Wilson to The Ramones, and make no apologies for their prominent Rundgren and Big Star influences. Their songs teem with raw aggression yet never veer from the beautiful pop melodies. As Locke puts it, “I’m looking for a point where something that has beauty and something that has brutality meet.”
Rooted in classic rock with their guitar-driven melodies, their harmonies soar and their hooks dig in deep, appointing them heirs to the stylistic throne of pop greats such as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Jellyfish, Weezer and anyone else who’s ever written a song that sticks like Teflon.
Armed with an arsenal of ear candy, the L.A.-based quartet is ready to take their show on the road and may be coming to a town near you quite soon.
TAYLOR LOCKE AND THE ROUGHS SHOWS
December 9 Los Angeles, Calif. Hotel Café
January 14 Hermosa Beach, Calif. Saint Rocke
January 17 San Diego, Calif. Soda Bar
January 19 Phoenix, Ariz. Rhythm Room
January 20 Las Vegas, Nev. Beauty Bar
January 23 San Francisco, Calif. Hotel Utah
January 25 Seattle, Wash. High Dive
January 26 Portland, Ore. Studios