Every Mother's Nightmare
Long Haired Country Boys Hit the Road

Though vocalist Rick Ruhl says that the band usually plays at least three tracks off their first album, their time on stage was cut considerably short that evening.

The band opened with the first track from their new album Smokin' Delta Voodoo (Perris) which is called "Push" and finished with an their classic cover of Charlie Daniels "Long Haired Country Boy," which can be found on their 1990 self-titled Arista debut.

For those who are wondering what EMN has been up to for the past five or six years, lead vocalist and founding member Rick Ruhl explains that after releasing their second album, Wake Up Screaming (Arista), the band was writing for a third release when they chose to let bass player Mark McMurtry move on to pursue other interests. 

The separation continued when shortly thereafter, guitarist Steve Malone quit from the pressures of touring and working in the studio for five years solid and the strain that it had placed on his marriage. As a result, Ruhl called up guitarist Travis Hall, who he had been watching perform since the age of fourteen and been writing with for about two years prior. 

He explains that “Pray (for You)” was something that he and Jim Phipps, the band’s original drummer, had written along with a few other tracks, when Hall had first joined the band.  And the other older track “Sympathy” was written while the old band was recording in Detroit.  

When the new band came across the latter track, they totally revamped the song to the point that Ruhl says it actually sounds nothing like the original.  Though, he felt that since Steve Malone had come up with the main riff, it was appropriate to give him and Phipps credit for the songs on the album.

Now, the band has a new line-up and is sort of going by a new name.  Ruhl explained that the band’s name Every Mother’s Nightmare actually started out as kind of a joke.  

“Just because we had our little love ballad that went good over the radio, that’s what we’re considered - a ballad band... basically anyone who had long hair back in those days is considered a ‘hair’ band or whatever.”

Ruhl jokes,  “I’ve had long hair since I was in the sixth grade. My mom is a barber.  My head is way too stupid lookin’ without no hair to cover it up (laughs).” 

Prior to signing with Tom Mathers at Perris Records, the band had done some material for Warner Brothers in Nashville, and had actually recorded songs that were straight forward rock ‘n roll with a country twist, which Ruhl attempted to describe as a somewhat heavier version of Travis Tritt.  However, as time went on, the label had attempted to mold the band into something they were not and they chose to move on to pursue other possibilities that would allow them to maintain their identity.

And while they had several offers from different labels, Ruhl says that Mathers took the time get in touch with him personally.  Actually, the band had already been signed to a very small label called Hard Drive when Perris made the offer, but Ruhl had signed the agreement with them with the stipulation that if something better came along, he would leave.  And since things were moving very slowly with the small label, and something better came along before they were even finished with the album cover, the band moved forward with the deal on Perris.

“Anytime we need anything, we call him (Mathers) and it’s done.  That’s what I was looking for someone who wanted to do the same thing I’m doing. 

I really don’t care about the big label thing anymore, cause I know what that’s all about…There’s no loyalty to them.  They just like to throw you out there If it goes, fine.  If not, they drop you or whatever.” But, for "better or worse, richer or poorer" Ruhl says this is his full-time job.  In fact, he owns two studios and spends most of his time writing and recording for both EMN and other up and coming artists.

Even with their deal on Perris, it seems that many doors our opening for the band.  A CEO from a TV network caught one of their performances and is considering using their new song “Somehow” on a show or two, and Ruhl has also been contacted by BMI, because there is interest for using the song on a movie soundtrack. 

"The songs are a little more deeper than they used to be.  There's a  lot more guitar work and a lot more thought behind them, but it's still just rock 'n roll.  Every song on there is about something that happened to me or around me in the last two years or so," explains Ruhl.

On February 3, EMN will be hosting a hometown album release party in Nashville, and after that, they may be doing some additional dates with Dangerous Toys and then a five week tour across the Southern Coast of the US. 

All dates should soon be available on the band’s official site at www.emnonline.com. After checking out their latest release, fans can also look forward to another full studio album from EMN album in September and perhaps even an album of unreleased material written during their second and third releases.

Also Reviewed Lillian Axe and Dangerous Toys.

All photos and review by Kara Uhrlen.  Property of The Pure Rock Shop.

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