Welshly Arms

They’re not Welsh and they don’t sell beer. So please don’t ask: “What flavour crisps you got?”

“We’re usually mistaken for pubs or arms dealers,” says Welshly

Arms frontman Sam Getz, laughing. “We’ve had airport incidents where we’re carrying guitar cases that look like they could contain guns, and security have said: ‘What are you doing here? You can’t bring that in!’ ‘No no no – it’s a bass guitar.’”

Incidents like that are bound to happen when you lumber yourselves with a name like theirs (it’s cribbed from a Saturday Night Live sketch). But perhaps Getz and the rest of the Ohiobased band won’t have to worry for too much longer. Their chestthumping mix of classic rock, blues and gospel has been gaining admirers for a few years now, and upcoming third album, Wasted Words And Bad Decisions, could be where they reach critical mass.

The group formed more than 10 years ago through jam sessions among old school friends. Even before that, Getz had been something of a guitar prodigy, playing in his father’s classicrock covers band and supporting Peter Green when he was just 14. But his own group only really started gaining momentum when they brought in vocalists John and Bri Bryant

“They had sung on our first full-length record and we loved them, so they started playing some gigs with us after that and

I don’t think we ever let them stop.”

The duo’s gospel vocals provide a soulful element that makes tracks like their 2018 breakthrough single Legendary sound like a 21st-century update on the Stones/Zeppelin template.

“I think more rock bands should not ignore the soulful part of rock’n’roll,” Getz suggests. “When the Stones brought in the gospel on tracks like Gimme Shelter, those were the songs I really dug by them. With ourselves there was a point where we were wondering whether to have a second guitarist, or double down on vocals. I’m glad we went down this route. When you put a lot of voices hammering home a big line of ‘aaah’, it sort of makes you feel like you’re making a lot more noise than you really are.”

One of those anthems is recent single Are You Lonely which, with its ‘Does anybody talk any more?’ refrain, is an emotive plea for true connection.

“I was specifically thinking about how we all sit there with the phone in our hands, our heads down. I also think that we do get lonely. I don’t think smart phones are really fulfilling our souls.”

Don’t get the impression that Welshly Arms are soul-baring, hair shirt-clad puritans. How could they be with that name?

“If ever things get too serious, or we’ve been on the road too long or a record is being difficult to finish off, one of us will make a comment about the name. It reminds us to keep it fun.” WS

Wasted Words And Bad Decisions is out on September 23 via Snakefarm Records.

“I think more rock bands should not ignore the soulful part of rock’n’roll.”