Saddle up that stallion and break out those dancing boots — Houston Bernard and his fiery country ensemble are rolling out singles from their 2018 Lucky Man EP in style. “Wait For It”, the leading single from the album released late last year by four-time New England Country Act of the Year nominee is a driving, riff-heavy Carolina country anthem sure to kickstart any country playlist this summer.

Growing up in Oklahoma and now based out of the Northeast the band’s frontman and namesake Houston Bernard has been recording and performing country rock tunes with his crew since 2012. Having been brought up in a musical household, he can’t easily remember a time when he wasn’t writing or playing music.

But while country music was pervasive throughout his childhood he admittedly remembers postponing the country music path for a while, instead focusing on rock and electronic music for some of his formative years. Later on he began to further embrace country music’s ubiquity and impactful nature and presently, revels in its crowd-drawing nature while touring across the country as an artist.

“Country music has always been a big part of American music and though we all love many genres the internet connects us all more than ever before; we all have similar emotions that country music is able to represent in us all.”

The latest record, Lucky Man, is a six song EP that features rowdy rock-heavy songs like “Never Grow Old” to the love-soaked power ballad in “What a Man Should Do.”  The record, which was entirely co-written by Bernard, was further brought to life in the studio by his backing band consisting of guitarist Samuel Crawford, bassist Jameson Stewart, Ben Blanchard on the keys, and drummer Matt Salvo.

Since their 2015 Knockin’ Boots LP, HBB has become more polished and creatively powerful. Attesting their refinements to time, practice, and sharing the stage with so many other talented artists over the years, Bernard coneys that his experience with recording this album was one of learning, compromise, and hard work.

“I started writing for [Lucky Man] in 2016; we recorded at several different studios in Boston and finished it up at Zippah Studios in Brighton with Brian Charles….It was originally workshopped and mostly recorded by Geoff Nilsen, who did [our] first two albums.  It was a bit tough of a process but I learned a lot….It’s never an easy road for an independent act [but] it’s a labor of love.”

Taking the new album on the road this year, HBB just finished a California tour and has shows booked across the east coast in the coming months. Currently working on new music for an upcoming 2020 record release, Bernard still finds time to have some fun on the music video set with his team. The “Wait For It” video, which was released earlier this year, showcases the free-range side of Bernard and his bandmates and concludes satisfyingly with a booze-infused country throwdown.

“We shot [the video for “Wait For It”] at North Star Farms in Norwell, MA…Michelle North is an amazing person and was generous enough to partner with us [and] have a good time with our fans. It was a long and exhausting day, but I remember there being an awesome energy and feeling really proud of the work.”

With more music videos set to release later in 2019, Houston Bernard Band is a country group to look out for. Their layered albums and energetic delivery make them a great add on any themed country playlist. As for their bright future ahead, we can’t wait for it.

To catch Houston Bernard Band on tour this spring head to their website here and follow them on their social accounts below.

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Houston Bernard’s “rhythm and boots” of choice: “I love some fuzzy leather slippers next to my bar with my Gibson J-45 guitar or playing my Korg piano with some thick warm socks…it’s cold here in Boston!”