Chances are you may have heard rumors, underground whispers, or faint secrets of a band called Harlot. Maybe you’ve caught a glimpse on Instagram, stumbled across a cryptic Tweet, caught Jeff George in Guitar World Magazine, or read about singer Danny Worsnops ‘side project’. However you may have heard of them though, this is only the beginning. Harlot is here and it’s about to get real.
Harlot, a band in development for over two years and plagued by the turbulent business end of the music industry, is FINALLY prepared to be released upon the rock world and it couldn’t come soon enough.
Featuring current and former members of Asking Alexandria, Silvertide, and Sebastian Bach, Harlot is one of the most anticipated rock bands of 2014. From the promo pics to the recording session teasers via social media, it’s easy to see why.
With their debut album soon to be released, their first ever gig at the epitome of rock and roll festivals, Rock on The Range in Columbus, Ohio on May 16th, 17th, and 18th, and a subsequent world tour to follow, Harlot may just be the second coming of iconic rock bands that fans are oh-so-desperate for.
Sitting on the cusp of all that is about to unfold, I took this rare, calm before the storm opportunity, to speak with guitarist Jeff George about what the future has in store for Harlot and what fans can expect from the album, the tour, and the guys themselves.
Check out the interview below and find out how you can help make history as part of Harlot’s journey to the top of Rock and Roll domination.
KG: Congrats on Harlot being added to the 2014 Rock on the Range line-up! Will this be the bands first live show together?
JG: Hey Kelly… Thanks so much for having me.
Yes – We are very fired up for Rock on the Range. This festival has pretty much become THE festival to play for rock in the US, and it’s going to be special to us for a number of reasons.
First off.. as you mentioned.. Yes this will be the first show that Harlot plays .. and the first ever that the four of us together (Danny Worsnop Vocals, Jeff George – Guitar, Bruno Agra – Drums, Brian Weaver – Bass) take the stage. So for us 4 it’s gonna be a blast because we have waited over two years for that moment to finally happen. That feeling also seems to be translating over to the fans as well. We have received hundreds of Twitter, Facebook, emails, etc. from around the world of people that will be making the long commute out to Ohio to see Harlot’s first show.
Because of that, we are going to be doing something very special … we are going to put out a live video from that show that will not only show Harlot’s commute to Rock on the Range, but also our fans commutes to Ohio. So we need all of the fans going to please film their trek across the country to Rock on the Range so that we can include your videos in with ours. It’s going to be awesome! We are very very honored that so many people are so fired up about this band!
Second – This festival is put on by 2 of our good friends, Clay Busch and Danny Wimmer. So we gotta bring it, cause we can’t let them down of course.
And third – there are SOOOO many of our friends bands on the bill as well… so get ready for one hell of a party, haha! There’s a very good chance the Harlot boys will be in full hurricane mode. So again we are really excited. It’s gonna be a busy weekend as we have a ton of press to do as well. But, its going to be a blast!
KG: The official Twitter for the band is @weareharlot and the Rock on the Range release lists the band name as We Are Harlot as well. Has the band name been officially changed?
JG: This is a great question Kelly and obviously one that has caused some confusion over the past couple months. So as everybody knows the original name of this band was and is ‘Harlot’. The problem in this day and age is that anyone or any band can just come up with a name and call themselves whatever they want. And… the problem with that is there are copyrights and trademarks and etc, etc, etc, that go along with having a band name.
Obviously we have all of these things in order as we are a major label signed band, but… that still doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. There are bands that have played zero shows that call themselves Harlot, or a girl that has the last name Harlot, or a clothing line that has Harlot in the name, and even older bands that predate us.
So all of these things believe it or not can cause major issues down the road. So while our legal team and our labels legal team gets everything in order, we will be known as We Are Harlot… not so much as a band name… but more as a declaration of just who we are. By mid summer 2014 everyone will know who HARLOT really is!
KG: You played me two songs off the new album back in June at the Orion Festival in Detroit and they were amazing! When will the album officially be released?
JG: Yes. Many people probably don’t know but you and I have been friends for many years now and you were able to hear a few tracks early. Orion was a wild time… haha!
We actually wrote over 100 songs over the past 2 years for this record, but we have finally knocked it down to the 15 that will be on the first record. Yes you heard that right… the FIRST record. There are many more records on the way and we signed a pretty big record deal.
The first single will hit radio and XM Radio worldwide in May and the album will be released summer 2014 with exact dates coming soon.
We also have DVD’s and a picture book of the last couple years planned. Our new record label is gearing up for a gigantic release, so things have been very hush hush which is frustrating… but get ready… there’s a huge storm brewing!
KG: Does the album have a name yet?
JG: Not as of yet. But, we have been throwing around quite a few. We are leaning towards just calling it ‘Harlot’… as yet again another declaration of who we are.
But we have soooo many inside jokes and wild things that have happened over the past 2 years with this band that there is a good chance some of those names will creep in.
Like – 8611 was the old address where Danny, myself, and Bruno all lived the first year… and man… if those walls could talk… I’m so happy we’re all still alive. Hahaha!
KG: Any other touring plans besides the Rock on The Range festival?
JG: Absolutely! We will be touring the entire planet over the next 2 years. We have been asked to play on just about every major festival this year as well, but our label really wants to roll us out right. So, when they say we can be unleashed on the planet that’s when we will go. And this band live… will fucking be on fire!
KG: How would you describe Harlots sound?
JG: This is another question we get asked a lot and its a complicated answer. We are definitely a rock n roll band, but myself Bruno and Danny of course have many, many musical influences mixed between us. So to just say its a Rock album is pretty vague.
When we were writing these songs, we drew upon all of our influences, so there are a ton of different textures for sure. There are elements of Classic Rock, Metal, Country, and Punk in these songs. We are blown away with how it sounds. We wrote close to 100 different songs over the past 2 years so we had a ton to choose from to say the least. At the heart of it though, you’re going to hear a crazy good band playing really good tunes.
We just had a listen through yesterday and the album is just plain awesome! Think if Aerosmith, Van Halen, Bob Seger, Pantera, Queens of the Stoneage, Kiss and Def Leppard had a baby born in 2014… that might give you an idea haha.
KG: Your singer, Danny Worsnop, also fronts Asking Alexandria. How is Harlot different from AA?
JG: That is true. We the band as well as Danny are really proud of all that the guys have accomplished in Asking and what we each have accomplished in our previous bands!
And just so everyone knows.. both bands are friends and we all cheer each other on and hang from time to time and share plenty of drinks.. The fans also need to remember that… music is not a contest or something to disagree about… its art!
I think the easiest way to answer this is just plain and simple: Harlot and AA are just different bands. I think Asking would of course be categorized by being a heavier band in sound, etc… and Harlot is a rock and roll band. Harlot will have a very, very big radio presence as well!
KG: How did Harlot come to be?
JG: Harlot has actually been around for well over two years but it’s been kinda under the radar to fans as there were a lot of technical aspects that business wise needed to be worked out first. As we were all in different bands and Danny of course busy with Asking. In the industry though and with our fans, the buzz is already through the roof!
Harlot came about really through a chance meeting between myself and Danny Worsnop. We both have the same super lawyer Mr. Eric German and one night we were all out together at our friend’s restaurant The Velvet Margarita. We had both heard of each other and had met briefly in the past but this was the first real time we had actually hung out.
Well, that night turned into the past 3 years! It was an immediate thing. As soon as we talked music and got together and played it was exactly what we both had always been waiting for.
At the same time Danny had just started working with a drummer named Bruno Agra. And once again… lightning strikes. This dude is again like my brother and everything he plays musically is what I’ve always been waiting for.
Next thing you know were all best friends and band mates and inseparable. To give you an idea of how we work musically, we wrote over 100 songs in 2 years for the upcoming Harlot record… Haha..! And that was in between stops and the local pub if you know what I mean!!! We literally lived together and wrote together and partied together everyday for the past few years.
When it came time to find our bassist we put out a couple low key, under-the-radar ads and received about 600 or so responses from mostly pro players. One name that popped up was Brian Weaver. As soon as I saw the name I told the guys “That’s our boy”. I know that dude. Brian was the bass player for one of the great rock bands of our time as well as one of my favorite bands… Silvertide!
So we called him up, but I knew he lived in Philly and we all lived in L.A. and once again lightning strikes and he says “I just moved to LA 2 weeks ago!!” So we had him come over and hang and a few wine slams later he was sleeping on the couch… haha.
But once again he just fit. It was immediate and we all knew. And so Harlot was complete!
It’s really incredible to write songs and play music with your brothers and best friends. On stage that is going to come shining through. Plus… We’re all crazy and wild as all hell. Haha!
KG: You’re pretty active on Social Media, do you like being able to interact with fans in such a direct way?
JG: I do! But, social media can be a double edged sword for sure! I love interacting with the fans daily, but it also never ceases to amaze me how much negativity is out there. We post a picture and the fans literally fight with each other in the comments section. And trust me… we read everything!
Harlot is definitely a fan friendly band, as I’m sure you have already seen. But when I was younger I never would have said negative things to my favorite singers or guitar players. I was the kid that waited 10 hours in the Detroit cold just to see them arrive at the venue… watch the show… and then go home and listen to their CD till my ears would bleed… or learn all their songs on guitar.
With how easy it is to sit at your computer at write something nowadays it brings out a ton of stupidity. On the other hand, I’m also constantly amazed daily by the fans. Some are true music lovers. Some are crazy talented and draw or paint pictures of me that are just incredible, or just being able to talk guitar nerd talk with another guitar player. And sometimes even truly helping somebody. Those are the fans and people we really care about, and like I said earlier… we read EVERYTHING!
Rock n Roll and Metal music is supposed to be fun and wild and unite everybody together. That shit needs to come back!
KG: You have a very loyal fan base, even without live shows or an album. What do you attribute this to?
JG: Absolutely! Our fans are crazy loyal already.. its amazing! Obviously there are some fans that are loyal because they have known us 4 previously through our other bands and projects. But – there are also a ton of new fans and it’s growing by the hundreds daily.
I think it’s totally because people around the world are waiting for a new legendary rock band that are going to bring it back full on, together with the fans. You can feel it starting already.. and once the record and the live shows hit, its gonna be massive!
KG: You were playing guitar and touring with Sebastian Bach for a while and the split seemed rather sudden. Are you guys still friends?
JG: Yes, of course we are. I had a blast playing with Sebastian over the past year and a half. We played a ton of sold out shows all around the world and playing those songs with the man himself was a real honor.
I also worked with him for a bit on his new album which I believe comes out in April. But my heart is in Harlot! And Harlot was starting to get crazy busy with signing our new record deal and recording all the time. So I had to follow my heart and playing with my best friends in WeAreHarlot is my future.
KG: Back in April, Harlot Tweeted pics of you recording acoustic tracks. Will there be acoustic songs included on the album?
JG: Yes, there is one song in particular, a song called ‘I Tried’ that is primarily acoustic, though the solo section of the song is electric.
Also – I use acoustic 6 and 12 string guitars, often underneath electric parts, to add texture. And we also have acoustic versions of all the album songs as well. We’ve been busy..Haha!
Harlot is definitely a hard rock n roll band, but we will be doing some acoustic shows and radio performances. On tour, we will be throwing in one off acoustic shows all over the world.
KG: Who are your favorite bands currently?
JG: Oh man… well of course I still love all the classics and they are still on heavy rotation daily. Kiss… AC/DC… Van Halen… Ozzy/Sabbath… Judas Priest… Rush… Iron Maiden… Guns n Roses… Aerosmith… Deep Purple… Def Leppard… Led Zeppelin… Foo Fighters, etc. This list could be crazy long!! Haha. But newer bands that I really dig and listen too, often are bands that my buddies are in like Black Veil Brides, Memphis May Fire, and Of Mice and Men. I also listen to a ton of country as well. My buds in the Jake Owen Band and Brad Paisley and Keith Urban are both killer songwriters and guitar players. So ya.. this list could be endless. Music is definitely around me 24 hours a day.
KG: Who are your influences as guitarists?
JG: Again. this could turn into a pretty long list as there are so many players that are just incredible and whom I learned so much from.
But my main 5 dudes are always the same:
1) Ace Frehley (Kiss) – Kiss and Ace are the reason why I ever even picked up a guitar and he’s still my all time fav!
2) Randy Rhoads (Ozzy)
3) Angus Young & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
4) Eddie Van Halen
5) Darrell Abbott – Dimebag (Pantera)
KG: What was the best concert you attended?
JG: Hands down it would be the actual first concert I ever went to, KISS! There wasn’t any makeup. There were no Ace Frehely or Peter Criss in the band at that point.
I went with my Mom (bless her heart) and we had the absolute worst seats in the house. The very last row all the way in the back. But none of that mattered…it was rock and roll and it changed my life forever!
And I knew that all I wanted to do from there on out was play music. It was awesome. I don’t think I slept for like a week after that night.
KG: What time’s the God Damned Show?
JG: Hahaha… OK… I guess its time to let everyone know what this actually means. Anyone who knows me knows that I always come up with sayings and nicknames.
So “What times the show?” came about for two different things. The first was when I would see someone and they would be all dressed up or rocked out to the top and I would always say to them… “Whoaaa… what times the goddamn show?” haha.
My incredible drummer Bruno and I would always go get coffee or lunch and sometimes he’d be totally rocked out…looking cool as fuck… and of course I was in jeans and a hoodie. So as soon as he walked in I would yell and blast him with a “WHAT TIMES THE FUCKING SHOW BRUNO!”
The second way it is used is while on tour. What most people don’t understand is touring is a lot of ‘Hurry up and Wait’. Get to the venue and sometimes you have to wait 8 hours before you even play. So again we would yell “WHAT TIMES THE GODDAMN SHOW”.
But.. over the past 2 years myself and the guys and our friends pretty much use it as a way of saying hello..haha. Trust me, if you walk on the Black Veil bus you’re gonna get hit with a “WHAT TIMES THE FUCKING SHOW’! Awesome!!
KG: Thanks so much Jeff….talk to you soon!
JG: Thanks Kelly.. its been killer talking with you! Tons of love and see ya soon – It’s gonna be a wild summer!
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