John Surge and the Haymakers - Your Wonderful Life (2019)

If Tom Petty had been raised on Bakersfield classics rather than the Byrds, his songs might have laid the foundation for Your Wonderful Life, the debut release from John Surge and the Haymakers.

A mix of West Coast country and heartland rock & roll, the album breathes new life into older traditions. Surge’s songs are rooted in pop hooks, amplified guitar riffs, layered harmonies, and lyrics that shine a smoggy light on the modern-day American experience, using his home state of California — its cities, interstates, barrooms, and studio apartments — as a stand-in for the country at large. This is an album about weathered characters who refuse to lose momentum, delivered by a lifelong musician who’s logged plenty of highway miles.

The album was recorded in Venice, California and co-produced by Surge and Kevin Jarvis (Steve Wynn, Mark Olson, Rick Shea). The Haymakers were joined by notable guests from the Los Angeles roots-rock community.

Your Wonderful Life represents Surge’s debut as a frontman, a diverse artist whose past includes garage-rock bands and harmony-heavy duos. He also hangs up his Telecaster electric guitar — a staple of his previous bands — in favor of a Gibson acoustic, leaning on bandmate Randy Volin to supply the Haymakers’ deep-seated guitar riffs. The result is a country-rock record that blends West Coast twang with fresh roadhouse energy.

The spirit of the album, says Surge, was inspired by his earliest visits to Los Angeles where he witnessed influential ‘80s shows by celebrated country-influenced bands such as Rank And File, the Long Ryders, and Lone Justice. Your Wonderful Life carries on the tradition of LA roots music, nodding to the past one moment and carving its own niche the next.