Everyone notices a confident man, and lone wolf musician Billy Roberts has plenty and then some. Born and raised in Moree, Australia, you have to wonder what would lead an Aussie to a love of American country music…..young Billy Roberts was heavily influenced by American artists… Buddy Holly,Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, later Bruce Springsteen.
A musician who “will not be someone, that he is not” Roberts chose to write and perform music not readily played on Aussie radio stations or in bars. Australia was not a hotbed of teeming American country music fans prior to fellow Aussie Keith Urban’s emergence and then meteoric raise on the country and folk music charts.
Before the formation of his Rough Riders band, Billy played music with a non conformist view, shared by few and rejected by many in his native Aussie-land. Billy chose not to be hemmed in by the limited, narrow views of others, choosing instead to create a new sound with his guitar, melding together his thoughts, with pieces of those whose talent he admired. His influencers were to some degree, and still are… in addition to the aforementioned….The Black Keys, Neil Young and a bit of Pearl Jam, quite a mix isn’t?
Billy was basically singing country rock, folk and Americana country on his own or in a tiny pool of brethren in Australia, in leaving Australia for the heart of Texas via Nashville, Billy Roberts and The Rough Riders were born. The Rough Riders came into their own under the professional hand of Billy Anderson of Cumberland Studios in Nashville, TN.
Now the open range country of Billy Roberts’ soul can find like-minded others.
Recommended tracks: “No More Mr Nice Guy”, “Not That Special”, “Gonna Get That Girl”
Billy and The Rough Riders consists of :Billy Anderson – piano, Ed Glass Drums, Billy Roberts – Guitar, Vocals, Alex Quinn guitar on one track.
The album “The Last Originals” was released in August 2014 .
Listen here: http://billyrobertsandtheroughriders.bandcamp.com/