LOCAL H Surprise Releases 'ReFISTED' LP, Out Now Via G&P/SoundOn | Re-Recording of Debut LP 'Ham Fisted' | U.S. Fall Tour With Everclear and Sponge
LOCAL H Surprise Releases ReFISTED,
30th Anniversary Re-Recording of Debut LP Ham Fisted
U.S. Fall Tour With Everclear and Sponge
ReFISTED LP Out Now Digitally via G&P Records/SoundOn,
Physical Pre-Orders Start Today via Brutal Panda/G&P Records
LISTEN/PRE-ORDER: LOCAL H - ReFISTEDStream | Pre-Order
Today, LOCAL H have digitally released their new LP ReFISTED via G&P Records/SoundOn–the album is a brand new, surprise re-recording of their debut LP Ham Fisted, which was released 30 years ago via Island Records. The new LP was recorded by Greg Norman (Russian Circles, Neurosis, Kim Deal, Andrew Bird) at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio, and features guests such as Deanna Belos (Sincere Engineer). ReFISTED is also now available for vinyl/cassette/CD pre-orders via Brutal Panda/G&P Records. Next week, Local H will embark on a full U.S. tour supporting Everclear and Sponge, including dates at The Regent (LA, 9/4), Irving Plaza (NYC, 10/22), and more. Tickets and more information for Local H upcoming tour can be found HERE.
Here's what guitarist/vocalist Scott Lucas has to say about the album:
"Not so much a reimagining — more like a do-over. Like retaking a test that you didn’t exactly ace the first time around. It seemed like a fun, easy idea — can you take songs that you wrote and recorded 30 years ago and breathe new life into them? Or give them a new spin? Are you a better songwriter than you were 30 years ago? A better musician? A better singer? Turned out to be one of the hardest records I ever made. It was like getting into a fistfight with myself at 24. I think I got a few licks in, but I walked out of there pretty beat up.
We’ve recorded parts of albums at Electrical Audio before, but this time I wanted the entire process —all the recording and mixing— to be done at Electrical. I wanted to sort of recast HAM FISTED as a Touch & Go record from the early ‘90s. Though they still probably wouldn’t have signed us.
We treated the original record as a demo. Sometimes that meant radically reworking and rearranging the song. And sometimes that just meant trying to record a meaner, heavier version of the original. And they were already pretty fucking mean and heavy to begin with. By the time I got done with vocals, my right arm was completely numb. I honestly think I had a stroke.
I also wanted this to be a family affair. I brought in multiple people that I’ve been playing with over the years. To represent the entire history of the band. So there’s Eric Oblander from Five Horse Johnson and Clutch reprising his harmonica performance from 2004’s WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P.J. SOLES? And then we’ve got horns on the song 'Strict 9' courtesy of Poi Dog Pondering’s Max Crawford — whom I’ve worked with before in my solo band Scott Lucas & The Married Men. And although I didn’t get every drummer I’ve ever played with to appear on this thing, I at least got three of them (including Ryan Harding and new guy Ronnie DiCola from The Arrivals). And sometimes we had multiple drummers playing together on the same song. Which is all cool, but since it’s a re-recording of a record I made in my early twenties, I felt like the record needed some new, younger blood. Like a vampire. I didn’t want it to just be lifers making reappearances like the ghosts of records past — so I brought in people from new bands that I dig. Like the dudes from Tuff Sudz and Deanna from Sincere Engineer — who knocked it out of the park on 'Skid Marks’.”
Ham Fisted, Local H's uncompromising full-length debut for Island Records in 1995, took the band from hometown heroes to national alt-rock mainstays and paved the way for their 1996 commercial breakthrough As Good As Dead, as well as 1998’s critically acclaimed masterpiece Pack Up The Cats. Featuring coulda-been singles like “Cynic” and "Mayonnaise And Malaise", Ham Fisted remains a fan favorite 30 years on — and is consistently featured in their legendary live shows.
ReFISTED by Local H is out today via G&P Records/SoundOn.
LOCAL H Tour Dates:
September 4 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent
September 5 - Menlo Park - The Guild Theatre
September 6 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall
September 7 - Rocklin, CA - Quarry Park Amphitheater
September 9 - Medford, OR - Craterian Theater
September 11 - Bend, OR - Silver Moon Brewing
September 12 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
September 13 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
September 14 - Seattle, WA - Emerald Queen Casino
September 16 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Hall
September 17 - Livingston, MT - Pine Creek Lodge
September 19 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
September 20 - Lubbock, TX - Buddy Holly
September 21 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
September 23 - Austin, TX - The Paramount Theatre
September 25 - Plano, TX - Legacy Hall
September 26 - St Charles, MO - Family Arena
September 27 - Kokomo, IN - Kokomo Concert Series
September 28 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
October 3 - Pelham, TN - The Caverns
October 4 - Sugar Hill, GA - The Eagle at Sugar Hill
October 5 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall
Tuesday, October 07 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live
October 08 - Clearwater, FL - Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
October 09, - Fort Lauderdale, FL - The Parker
October 11 - Fort Pierce, FL - Sunrise Theatre
October 12 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
October 16 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre
October 17 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
October 18 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes
October 19 - Huntington, NY - Paramount
October 21 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live
October 22 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
October 23 - New Haven, CT - Toads
October 24 - Philadelphia PA - Parx Casino
October 25 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
October 27 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
October 28 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
October 30 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room @ Old National Cent
October 31 - McHenry, IL - The Vixen
November 1 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
November 2 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
