The Road Hammers
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The Road Hammers are a Canadian country rock group composed of Jason McCoy, Clayton Bellamy and Chris Byrne. Formed by McCoy as a side project, the trio's music is influenced by 1960s and 1970s trucker music and Southern rock. Their first self-titled album included remakes of several classic truck-driving songs. It was recognized with a Juno Award in 2006, along with numerous Canadian Country Music Association awards. After five years together, the group went on hiatus after one last show on December 31, 2010, in Langley, British Columbia.The group reformed in 2013 and released Wheels in 2014.[1] In May 2017, The Road Hammers released their latest album, The Squeeze.[2]
The Road Hammers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Canada |
| Genres | Country rock |
| Years active | 2005–2010, 2013–present |
| Labels | Open Road (Canada) Montage (US) |
| Members | Jason McCoy Clayton Bellamy Chris Byrne |
| Past members | Corbett Frasz |
The Road Hammers was founded in 2004 as a project by lead singer and guitarist Jason McCoy, a multiple-time winner of Canadian Country Music Association male vocalist of the year. He stated the idea was to play trucker music, and came together with two other musicians with similar views on music - country-rocker Clayton Bellamy, whose father is a truck driver, and bassist Chris Byrne, a Newfoundlander. In addition to recording their self-titled album, the Road Hammers was also the subject of a reality show of the same name on Country Music Television in Canada.
The album The Road Hammers was released in 2005, and received strong reviews for its Southern rock sound and covers of classic songs.[3] It debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian country albums chart.[4] Covers on the album included "Girl on the Billboard," the 1965 number-one hit for Del Reeves, "East Bound and Down" by Jerry Reed, and Little Feat's "Willin'." In the wake of the album release, The Road Hammers swept to the upper end of the Canadian country charts; four songs reached the top 10 through 2005 and 2006, and the band was nominated for six CCMA Awards[5] winning Group or Duo of the Year. It was also recognized at the Juno Awards for Country Recording of the Year. The album's success continued into 2006, with the Road Hammers receiving two CCMA awards, Group or Duo of the Year and Best Video.[6]
In July 2007, McCoy stated that the band will be part of a second season of its reality show, following its attempts to secure a recording deal with an American label.[7] In late 2007, The Road Hammers signed to an American record label, Montage Music Group and the group's debut American single, "I Don't Know When to Quit" was released on December 10. Their second album, entitled Blood, Sweat, and Steel, was released on June 24, 2008.
The Road Hammers released their second Canadian album, The Road Hammers II, on February 24, 2009.[8] The album's first single, "Homegrown," has reached the Top 20 of the Canadian country singles chart.
Bellamy and McCoy were contestants on the reality show Mantracker on September 6, 2010, where they both beat the hunters to the finish line.
On October 8, 2013, The Road Hammers released a single titled "Get On Down the Road" on iTunes in Canada and the United States.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Canadian Country Music Association | Group or Duo of the Year | Won |
| Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award | Nominated | ||
| Album of the Year – The Road Hammers | Nominated | ||
| Single of the Year – "I'm a Road Hammer" | Nominated | ||
| CMT Video of the Year – "I'm a Road Hammer" | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Juno Awards of 2006 | Country Recording of the Year – The Road Hammers | Won |
| Canadian Country Music Association | Kraft Cheez Whiz Fans' Choice Award | Nominated | |
| Group or Duo of the Year | Won | ||
| Single of the Year – "East Bound and Down" | Nominated | ||
| CMT Video of the Year – "East Bound and Down" | Won | ||
| Top Selling Album of the Year – The Road Hammers | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Juno Awards of 2010 | Country Album of the Year – The Road Hammers II | Nominated |
| Canadian Country Music Association | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Juno Awards of 2015 | Country Album of the Year – Wheels | Nominated |
| Canadian Country Music Association | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Canadian Country Music Association | Group or Duo of the Year | Won |
- ^ Road Hammers end their run at Cascades Casino
- ^ "New Country Releases You Need To Know - May 12, 2017". Top Country Music | Country Music News, Charts, Playlists, Videos. 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
- ^ Hammers give country a Southern-fried injection, Georgia Straight, October 6, 2005
- ^ Road Hammers truck on through Blood Sweat & Steel, Country Standard Time, June 2008
- ^ Brandt, Road Hammers lead Canadian country nominees, Billboard.com, August 3, 2005
- ^ Canyon, Road Hammers, Lund Band Lead CCMA Winners, Billboard.com, September 12, 2006
- ^ Country rockers' reality show returns for Season 2, Edmonton Journal, July 9, 2007
- ^ All Roads Lead Home for the Hammers, CMT, January 20, 2009
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Road Hammers – The Road Hammers". Music Canada.
- ^ a b "The Road Hammers - Canada Country". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Road Hammers - Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "The Road Hammers - Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – The Road Hammers – Mud". Music Canada.