The Zac Schulze Gang: Straight to It - COMPACT DISCS

The Zac Schulze Gang: Straight to It - COMPACT DISCS

The Zac Schulze Gang SKU: 45464546
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Title:

Straight to It

Artist:

The Zac Schulze Gang

Label:

Ruf

Product Type:

COMPACT DISCS

UPC:

710347132929

Genre:

Blues

Release Date:

2026-01-23

Number of Discs:

1

Gillingham, England - The Zac Schulze Gang is excited to announce the upcoming release of Straight to It on September 26, 2025, via Ruf Records. Straight To It is a fitting title for the Zac Schulze Gang's debut studio album: the trio doesn't mess around with niceties, preferring to play the kind of blues-infused rock'n'roll that grabs your throat and doesn't let go. There's no doubt that their frontman, guitarist Zac Schulze, is a world-class shredder, playing with precision, speed, and passion, but the focus of the trio isn't his solos. The Zac Schulze Gang is an undeniable gang, a group unified by a flinty sensibility that adds an electrifying charge to their rock'n'roll. Zac Schulze rides the thunder generated by the rhythm section of his drummer brother Ben and bassist Ant Greenwell, the three combining to create a massive roar, all without losing sight of their songs. The blend of melody and muscle gives Straight To It a visceral kick. Branching away from the blues that provided the trio their initial inspiration, the Zac Schulze Gang opens the album with "The Rocker, " whose breathless hooks almost feel like a rallying call, and sustain that energy through the blitzkrieg rush of "High Roller." This hard edge is complemented by the bright power-pop of "Angeline" and "Betterland, " an alt-rock anthem that soars toward the skies. Even with these softer touches, the Zac Schulze Gang retains a rough-and-tumble attitude, evoking the slash-and-burn menace of Dr. Feelgood and the fiery humanity of Rory Gallagher."High Roller" finds Zac channeling the slash-and-burn style of Feelgood's guitarist Wilko Johnson, but it was Gallagher that inspired him to form his gang. During the early days of the Coronavirus Pandemic, he discovered footage of the Irish blues legend playing "Bullfrog Blues" on YouTube. Astounded, he brought the clip to Ben, who was also struck by the raw passion captured in the performance. By that point, the brothers were already part of the music scene centered in their hometown of Gillingham, Medway, Kent, in South England, playing a variety of styles as they cycled through different bands. Cutting their teeth on the DIY punk circuit that ran through Europe and the UK, Ben, Ant, and Zac became enamored of the idea of wielding that modern energy within the context of blues. After two years of gigging and woodshedding, the trio got their big break, fittingly enough, at Rory Gallagher's Tribute Festival in 2022, playing a set that helped push them into the thick of the UK Blues scene. Soon, the Zac Schulze Gang established a reputation as road warriors. By the middle of the decade, they played upwards of 250 gigs a year, touring throughout Europe and the UK, sometimes playing clubs, sometimes snagging prestigious gigs like opening for Eddie 9V, Samantha Fish, or a slot on Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Los Angeles in 2023. All this hard work, combined with the 2023 EP Made of Three and 2024's Live and Loud, helped the band win the Best Emerging Blues Band at the UK Blues Awards in 2024. The following year, the UK Blues Awards named the group as Young Artist of the Year. Produced by longtime associate Ian Sadler, Straight to It finds the Zac Schulze Gang poised to break out of Britain's blues scene. They remain dedicated to amplifying tradition-witness "I Won't Do This Anymore, " a high-octane houserocker graced with greasy harmonica from Nigel Feist-but the record is proof that the trio are hardly revivalists pining for yesteryear: they're a dynamic, aggressive outfit that exists entirely in the now, making some of the most exciting rock'n'roll around.

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