2/25/2017 – The Real Life Heavies are excited to announce the release of their long awaited debut album “If Breaking Bad Was a Band”! In addition, RLH released their first video from the new album on YouTube featuring mind-blowing video that uses vintage 8mm video footage compiled from a high school project in 1975 and themed to the universal plight of most high school boys in the world, the games we play to impress “that girl”. With additional video on this project to create dance and that “female energy” you’ll love this video by the Real Life Heavies! Check out the video “Little Flyer” below!
Get the digital album or sample tracks at CDBaby! click here
1/19/2017 – Real Life Heavies are in a contest to open for Bon Jovi in Greenville, SC! Wish us luck!!
To check out this cool opportunity, go to Bon Jovi’s official contest page HERE.
Jeff Lane rolls in a lane by himself – BY TOM NETHERLAND SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER | Posted: Thursday, August 11, 2016 8:00 am
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Jeff Lane took a swig from a longneck bottle of beer. A thought occurred to him in the moment, which he pondered and fired as if from the big iron of a gunslinger’s holster. “Comfort zones are boring,” said Lane in squint-eyed fashion. “Period.”
He ought to know. Hear Lane ply his songwriting trade on stage at Bristol’s Studio Brew on Aug. 14 and again at Elizabethton’s Jiggy Ray’s on Aug. 20. Catch him down the line any old time as a member of Hundred Acres and new
band the Real Life Heavies. Whichever, whatever and however — Lane resides in a lane that’s altogether beyond one of convention.
“I do the singer/songwriter thing when I’m solo,” Lane said. “The Real Life Heavies is classic rock meets soul meets funk meets R&B meets disco. I would classify Hundred Acres as more of an Americana, honky-tonk, mountain soul band.” Lane’s neither country nor bluegrass. He grew up learning rock of the 1980s, playing guitar for hours in his bedroom. For years thereafter, he rarely played music for folks other than close family and friends.
“I wrote songs for 20 years before anyone knew,” he said. About seven years ago, inspired by the loss of his farm amid the near depression of an economy, Lane and such buddies as Quentin Horton formed Hundred Acres. An outlet was born. “We recorded our first record before our first gig,” Lane said. “We released it on my 40th birthday. I was scared to death. That’s what I like about this new band (The Real Life Heavies), too. You can feel your heart
flutter a little bit.” Though he’s not a country singer, Lane’s life reads like a George Jones country song. He’s lived, loved and lost. He’s been up and he’s been down. “Over and over,” Lane said. “It’s things like that which make songs. Not all songs have to be true stories, but sometimes it’s only one little piece that’s happened in my life.”
To meet Jeff Lane one would never know of the hardship he’s encountered. He smiles like a bird who’s perched atop the world. The man seemingly never met a stranger. However, hear him on stage. Whether it’s his popular “I’m Gettin’ Married in Gatlinburg Again, the epic “Best Times” or a pensive “Rings” Lane’s songs touch upon a wide gamut of feeling. “Music is about one thing — creating emotion,” he said. “You can make people happy. You can make people sad.” Lane put his beer down. His wall came down for a moment upon mention of his mother. Water from the wells of home gathered in his eyes as he looked straight into the eyes of the reporter. “Yesterday was 15 years since my mother passed away,” Lane said. “She was my biggest supporter. Imagine hearing me try to learn Queensryche, Van Halen music on guitar, five hours a day. She always said she loved it anyway.”
From those initial mines of inspiration blossomed the music of Jeff Lane. He creates Jeff Lane music, a style within his own. It’s soul music as gathered from his deepest veins of substance. “I just want to be remembered,” Lane said.
6/21/2016 – “Sneak Peek” of the Heavies at Open Chord in Knoxville, TN – “If Breaking Bad were a band!” – random customer
In late 2015, the Heavies entered a contest to create a fresh new take on Tennessee Ernie Ford’s classic hit “Sixteen Tons” (written by Merle Travis) for the Birthplace of Country Music organization in Bristol, TN. After judging many entries, the Real Life Heavies received a 3rd place spot in the great event! Below are the judges comments:
From the contest narrative | Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The concert will also include performances by the winners of the museum’s “Sixteen Tons” cover contest held in December 2015. “We had so many delightful entries, and our panel of judges had a difficult time deciding the winners,” said David Lewis, the museum’s Curator of Collections and Digital Media. “We’re excited about the wide variety of entries we received and the ways the musicians made Ford’s most famous song their own.”
“Jeff – Congratulations! The judging panel has weighed in and your group won third place in the “Sixteen Tons” cover contest! Congrats – we all really appreciated the new feel you gave the song, and it worked really well. I’ve included some sample judges comments at the bottom of this email. We’re also planning to incorporate your YouTube cover version into some of our social media advertising for the concert and our current special exhibit, Tennessee Ernie Ford: A Life on Stage.”
“I love the look and feel of this group, and the interesting take they bring to the tune. In the hands of less-practiced musicians, this arrangement could have fallen flat, but these guys pull it off well.”
David Lewis | Curator of Collections & Digital Media
“Very fine overall. Good energy. Excellent vocals and creative effect. Well performed and in a style that the audience would like.”
Craig Combs | Artistic Director of The Paramount Chamber Players
“This ‘70s rock-country crossover arrangement is very effective and communicates the lyrics’ emotions very well. The final vocal phrases are especially moving.”
Evelyn Pursley-Kopitzke | Composer
“I love that they had Ernie on the TV in the background. Entertaining performance.”
Merlene Travis | Music publisher at Merle’s Girls Music and daughter of Merle Travis
“I liked the way he made the song kind of jazzy. He had a good voice and the rendition was somewhat different from the others.”
Leah Ross | Executive Director of the Birthplace of Country Music
“Very cool.”
J. Buck Ford | Actor and son of Tennessee Ernie Ford
below – 16 Tons submission by Real Life Heavies 2016