Oklahoma based HILLBILLY VEGAS are a high energy southern rock band that mixes outlaw country with a healthy dose of the blues. As lead singer Steve Harris says “We’re a band from the South and we play music that comes from the South”. Originally formed in 2011, the band has been steadily building a global fanbase through successful songs at rock radio, backed up by constant touring in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe. Influenced by classic rock legends like Bad Company, Free, and ZZ Top, along with soul and American roots music, they are releasing “I Hope You Know” on February 20th, the first single from their upcoming album “A La Mode” on Quarto Valley Records.
The band’s dynamic sound caught the ears of an independent label in Nashville in 2011, and their first album “Ringo Manor” was released and sold more than 10,000 copies – driven by the hit single “Little Miss Rough and Tumble”. The band has gone on to chart 5 songs on Billboard’s Rock charts, including “Let It Ride” – which remained on the chart for 13 weeks and reached #10, “Feels Good”, “High Time For A Good Time”, “Hell To Pay”, “Two Gun Town”, and fan favorite “Shake It Like A Hillbilly”.
The band has earned a reputation for rousing live shows – bringing a loud, party-like atmosphere that is all-inclusive. They’ve shown they have a broad appeal across different genres, pleasing crowds while performing shows with rockers Blackberry Smoke, The Kentucky Headhunters, Wolfsbane and Ted Nugent; along with country icons Alabama, Travis Tritt, Blake Shelton, and Wynonna Judd. Hillbilly Vegas has played before huge crowds at NASCAR events, as well as many major bike rallies, including the legendary annual Sturgis Motorcycle rally. They have a strong UK following, and have played the Maid of Stone and Steelhouse festivals.
When asked about the name of the band, Harris explains “Where we come from, you can hit the local Grub-n-Suds…they’ve got it all. You can grab a fried Crispito, fill the tank, drop a couple bucks in the slots, and walk out with an airbrushed wolf T-shirt. 10 years ago you could still rent a VHS and get some color in the tanning bed. A one-stop redneck shop! If that ain’t Hillbilly Vegas I don’t know what is. Truthfully – Rock n Roll is littered with goofy names… We certainly aren’t going to break tradition.”
As Hillbilly Vegas heads into the new year, the sky’s the limit on what they can achieve with their positive attitude and blue-collar work ethic. Harris says of the band’s goal’s “We want to do our best to keep real, human created music alive.
And we want to keep doing what we love for as long as we love it.” The band is managed by David Spero (Joe Walsh, Cat Stevens, Bad Company). Tour dates are being booked in support of the album release for later this year.