Black Stone Cherry are a band in the truest sense of the term. Almost twenty years on from their incendiary self-titled debut, plus eight albums – including six UK Top 20 hits as well as four top 25 US radio singles over the past two albums – and scores of devoted fans worldwide, the Kentucky foursome retain the fire and camaraderie of their teenage selves. They are a truly collaborative force, in a way that few other bands at this level are. Hard rockers of enormous heart. Four accomplished songwriters with rock, metal, roots, blues, soul and hip hop in their blood. Old friends with an instinctive, compassionate sense for what each other is feeling.
On Celebrate – produced by the band and recorded at High Street Studios in Bowling Green, Kentucky – they embody all this at the height of their powers. There’s happiness and heartache. Muscular hooks and raw soul. The life experiences of four men approaching forty (two of them parents), in one emotive, unpolished diamond of a record. Six commanding, stage-ready original tracks and an inspired cover of Simple Minds’ Don’t You (Forget About Me) featuring Tyler Connolly (Theory Of A Deadman).
Celebrate’s roots stem from the road, where (in true Black Stone style) riffs and lyrics cropped up in soundchecks and tour-bus journeys across the world. In early 2025 they began meeting at guitarist Ben Wells’ home studio, two days a week, to write together in earnest. It was a rewarding experience. Surrounded by band posters, Star Wars figures and Elvis memorabilia – and with Wells’ three beagles as their first critics – they fleshed out ideas, often swapping instruments to nail the best ones.
Celebrate grooves, flows and rocks with the passion and attention to detail of a band who care deeply – and who listen to a lot of music. It’s there in the issues they address. The poise and introspection of these songs, married with pummelling intensity. The sassy wordplay of Up Down, a sexy, bass-swaggering rocker peppered with nods to Nelly, Ludacris and other early 00s hip hop legends. The suckerpunch Audioslave-style production values, implemented throughout the record by Chris, who mixed it with longtime engineer Jordan Westfall and assistant Mark Owens.
“Hearing the final stream, you get giddy when you listen back to it,” Ben enthuses, “because you’re like, ‘man, I know that our fans are gonna love it because it is just as ferocious and old-school sounding, but also very new and adapted.’ I’m just really pumped about it.”
“I mean shoot, we’ve been making records for a long time now,” drummer John Fred Young says. “We’re so lucky to have so many great fans worldwide. People want to hear the old songs, but they also want us to keep making new music. So that’s a reason to celebrate, you know? We’re very thankful, and we’re super proud of this new music.”
No one in Black Stone Cherry takes what they have for granted, least of all their fans. They’ll play to thousands in an arena or festival field, followed by a 100-capacity pub, and put on the exact same show. You can feel it in Celebrate; the sense that their hearts are totally invested, their priorities clear. Time spent with loved ones. Supporting one another. Connecting with audiences. Music that makes you feel something. No polish, no faking it, just moments that matter.
“It’s an unpolished diamond,” Chris concludes, simply.