The Zac Schulze Gang’s development strategy is simple: Play just about anywhere that’ll have you. Thus far, it’s amounted to about 250 shows a year and a well-earned reputation as one of England’s most electrifying live tickets.
Nowhere is that chemistry more apparent than on “Hellhounds On My Trail.” Recorded live with producer Ian Sadler, the song was written by late, great British blues rocker Tony Dowler and his Hellhounds, who took their inspiration from (who else?) Robert Johnson. The Gang’s take on the tune happened almost by accident, though it immediately found a permanent place in Schulze and Co.’s set.
“We were first introduced to the song when our friend Petra Burns asked us to perform it at the Rory Gallagher Festival in Holland,” says Schulze, who’s backed by his drummer brother, Ben, and bassist Ant Greenwell. “When we play the song live, it can take on many different forms—and we’ve found ourselves improvising sections and adding new ones.”
What you hear now is the band’s best attempt to wrangle the live version into a slightly shorter format. For Schulze, it was also a chance to officially recognize the song’s creator. “It really sums up how we sound as a band at the moment,” he says. “And we also wanted to pay tribute to the writer of this brilliant song.”
We’re proud to premiere the Zac Schulze Gang’s “Hellhounds On My Trail.” Look for a new album in January.
—Hobart Rowland
See the Zac Schulze Gang live.