Billy Gibbons Plots New ZZ Top and Solo Music for 2025

Billy F. Gibbons says his new single, “Livin’ It Up Down in Texas,” is the beginning of a spate of music he hopes to be releasing this yr together with his personal BFG’s in addition to with ZZ High.

“We have been within the studio engaged on what might be new BFG’s materials in addition to working with Frank (Beard) and Ellwood (Francis) on a ZZ High piece, and this was a bit aspect journey,” Gibbons tells UCR concerning the new music, which debuted through the season finale of Paramount+’s Taylor Sheridan drama Landman. He says that recording is “about midway executed” on the opposite endeavors and provides that, “I think 2025 could reveal one thing new on each the BFG’s entrance in addition to ZZ.”

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That mentioned, Gibbons additionally cautions that dwell plans for each teams will definitely affect on after we hear any extra of the brand new music. “We nonetheless take pleasure in stepping aboard the tour bus and making the rounds,” he acknowledges. “The problem is discovering time to get all of it collectively in a recording studio as a backdrop.”

Followers have definitely been ready for each teams to drop one thing new. For the BFG’s — which now contains authentic member Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin on keyboards and new drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Bother — it has been 4 years since {Hardware}, the troupe’s third album. ZZ High, nevertheless, hasn’t had something new out since La Futura in 2012, and Gibbons has mentioned among the materials he, Beard and Francis are engaged on was began with the late Dusty Hill, who handed away throughout 2021.

Gibbons says the grinding, uptempo “Livin’ It Up Down in Texas,” which he co-wrote with Landman star Billy Bob Thornton and singer-songwriter Mark Collie, “was moderately sudden. They wanted a particular music for (the present) and I used to be very happy to scratch my head and say, ‘Gimme an concept of which route you wish to go in.’ They despatched me {a photograph} of a burning oil effectively and mentioned, ‘Let’s make one thing that seems like this…'”

The music, Gibbons provides, helped jostle the BFG’s into highway motion once more this yr. “The subsequent factor you realize we have been going full-steam forward, after which the administration workplace mentioned, ‘Nicely, pack your baggage; it seems to be just like the BFG’s are effectively on their approach to herald some loudness…’,” he says. The trio started with reveals final weekend on the Blue Observe Hawaii in Honolulu and is on the Observe Napa in California this week, with 17 extra dates throughout the nation earlier than wrapping up Feb. 20 in Bristol, Tenn.

Hear Billy F. Gibbons Carry out ‘Livin’ It Up Down in Texas’

The repertoire, Gibbons guarantees, is “a bit little bit of this, a bit little bit of that — and numerous loudness,” drawing on each of his bands’ materials. “The excellent news on a artistic entrance is the power to work with new compadres and form of taking steps in several instructions,” he says.

“In fact having mentioned that, it is no secret that one of many (band’s) cornerstones is it retains one foot within the nice American artwork kind known as the blues. Y’know, the ZZ High sound developed with the minimalist method by, I believe, Jimi Hendrix after which (Eric) Clapton and Cream. It forces a aspect of creativity that calls for 100%, 110 p.c — everyone’s gotta be pumping. While you restrict it to the sparity of a trio, it retains everybody on level.

“With these guys, actually, all I’ve to do is stroll out, rise up and let it rip.”

ZZ High will hit the highway in early March. The remaining dates for Gibbons and the BFG’s embrace…

Jan 21-24 – Blue Observe Napa @ Napa, CA
Jan 25 – Agua Caliente On line casino Cathedral Metropolis @ Cathedral Metropolis, CA
Jan 26 – Musical Instrument Museum @ Phoenix, AZ
Jan 28 – Vilar Performing Arts Heart @ Beaver Creek, CO
Jan 31 – The Pageant @ St. Louis, MO
Feb 1 – Park West @ Chicago, IL
Feb 2 – Home of Blues @ Cleveland, OH
Feb 4 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille @ Warrendale, PA
Feb 6 – Kentucky Theatre @ Lexington, KY
Feb 7 – The Paramount Theater @ Charlottesville, VA
Feb 8 – Borgata Theater @ Atlantic Metropolis, NJ
Feb 10 – The Bardavon 1869 Opera Home @ Poughkeepsie, NY
Feb 12 – The Music Corridor @ Portsmouth, NH

Feb 13 – The Cabot @ Beverly, MA
Feb 14 – Ridgefield Playhouse @ Ridgefield, CT
Feb 15 – Mahaiwe Performing Arts Heart @ Nice Barrington, MA
Feb 19 – The Birchmere @ Alexandria, VA
Feb 20 – Paramount Bristol @ Bristol, TN