Imagine a musical road trip through Memphis and Muscle Shoals with side trips to Texas and Detroit, ending up in Macon, and you have an idea of the distinctive American rock and roll of Old Union. With musical influences as varied as the individual members, the music of Old Union has been described as fresh and new, yet with a cool retro vibe.

Old Union, from Nashville, Tennessee, consists of Chuck Foster (keyboards and lead vocals), Johnny Zvolensky (guitars), Steve Spotty Swertfeger (guitars and vocals), David Bryndal (drums), and Professor "JDubb" Williams (bass). The strong, well-crafted songs and soulful, gritty vocals of Foster remain the heart and soul of the band. With additional songwriting from Zvolensky, and Swertfeger, Old Union has acquired the reputation as one of the best song-oriented bands working today. With superb musicianship from the twin guitar assault of Swertfeger and Zvolensky and the locked-in, solid-as-a-rock rhythm section of Williams and Bryndal, Old Union hits the stage with an aggressive rock edge drenched in Southern soul.

Old Union’s debut CD; Forgiveness or Permission, released in December of 2003. Their touring schedule has taken them from coast to coast with appearances at such high profile festivals as Bonnaroo, High Sierra Music Festival, Blue Ridge Harvest Festival, Chattanooga’s Riverbend Festival, Nashville’s Riverstages and Dancin’ in the District, Terrapin Hill, Down On The Farm and Uphonia. They have appeared with such artists as Karl Densons Tiny Universe, North Mississippi All Stars, Ratdog, Govt. Mule, Allman Brothers Band, Black Crowes and The Charlie Daniels Band. The intensity of their live shows has earned them a loyal fan base that is growing with every show. Their hometown Nashville club shows are legend, drawing a who’s who of musicians on stage to jam.

It is always a long, hard road to do anything in this business, including releasing an album independently; thankfully for Old Union fans, the wait is over with "Motels & Highways” co-produced with Grammy-nominated engineer, Jake Burns. The songs chosen for the 11-tracks all reflect Old Union's strong songwriting ability that lyrically reflects their journey on the road and musically reflects their rock, Americana and country influences. The songs feature many guest musicians such as the legendary Charlie Daniels, Johnny Neel, the Dynamites' horn section, and many more who help solidify the roots expressed in "Motels & Highways." There are no gimmicks or over-produced aspects; none of the songs are presented out of context of what Old Union does at a live show. This is a recording "straight outta the box" from the musicians to you, subtle, raw, aggressive, and soulful.

When it’s all said and done, Old Union are just five guys trying to write songs that honor their heroes and play good music for good people. They are simply carrying on the grand tradition of celebrating the glorious joy of American rock and roll at its purest.

Old Union will be performing Saturday night, and will have their new CD for sale, as well as other merchandise available for you to take home. Check them out online at www.myspace.com/oldunion

Audio from Mercy Lounge 2007-09-14 - http://www.archive.org/details/ou2007-09-14