Album Premiere: The Black Lillies, Hard To Please

We’re pleased to premiere the latest release from The Black Lillies, Hard to Please, ahead of its Oct. 2 release.

The 10-track album was the product of a succesfull PledgeMusic crowdfunding campaign and a time of change for the band. After the amicable departure of two band members at the beginning of the year, frontman Cruz Contreras was forced to push himself to finish writing and get into a studio has soon as possible.

“In the past, I might write a song once a month when I felt inspired, and at a much more leisurely pace,” Contreras said in a release, “but this time around, I realized I would have to write an entire record in two weeks before we hit the studio. I felt confident I could do it, but I also had no proof.”

Hard to Please also featured a new production strategy for the group, as production was handled by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Avett Brothers producer Ryan Hewitt, as opposed to the band themselves. The result is a soulful mix of upbeat Americana and tender ballads that makes the album a rejuvenating fourth release for the group.

Listen to The Black Lillies’ Hard to Please below:

To read our 2013 profile of The Black Lillies, click here.