Black Diamond Heavies

Hailing from East Nashville, Tennessee, the Black Diamond Heavies distill raw blues down to its core, blast it through towering amplifiers, and whip it into a frigid frenzy, showing that sheer sonic force and visceral drive owe little to a group’s head count. Keyboardist and lead singer John Wesley Myers joined forces with guitarist and harmonica player Mark “Porkchop” Holder plus drummer Van Campbell to launch the band. Myers had previously played in the feral blues-punk outfit the Immortal Lee County Killers, while Campbell had previously kept time for the Invisibles and the Rum Circus. The trio began performing live in 2004 and issued its own EP, You Damn Right, the following year. Both the recording and the group’s unhinged concerts quickly built a devoted audience, particularly across the South, yet Holder stepped away amicably in early 2006, citing the strains of constant touring. Myers and Campbell pressed ahead as a duo rather than recruit a replacement, rendering the music even more stripped-down and ferocious. That pared-back intensity helped them secure a contract in summer 2006 with the respected garage-punk imprint Alive Records. Their debut full-length, Every Damn Time, appeared in early 2007.