Shines Like Gold

Roots rockers The Weight Band announces their forthcoming studio album to be released on April 1st, 2022.

On their 2nd studio album, The Weight Band looks at our troubled world, ponders the passage of time, and ultimately conveys a sense of hopefulness for the future. The Weight Band presents a dynamic set of classic americana with "Shines Like Gold" that draws upon roadhouse rock, funky swamp pop, blues, country soul, and folk.

Composed of bandleader, renowned guitarist Jim Weider (The Band, Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Band, Jim Weider Band), keyboardist Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Band), bassist Albert Rogers (Jim Weider Band, Jimmy Vivino), drummer Michael Bram (Jason Mraz) and keyboardist Matt Zeiner (Dickey Betts), the veteran quintet shares a deep appreciation and knowledge for this music, which Weider describes as the 'Woodstock Mountain Sound'.

The Weight Band continues to serve as its torchbearer, with "Shines Like Gold" representing a sublime example of these masterful roots musicians at work. Featuring 9 original songs and a cover of a Willie Dixon gem, the band recorded the album live at Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, NY, over 4 days, with minimal rehearsal during the height of the pandemic in 2020 while producer Colin Linden, an award winning musician and Weider's longtime collaborator and co-writer on several of the album tracks, was in Nashville. "He had a big hand and footprint on this record", says Weider. "We go back, so there is a comfortableness working with him".

The Weight Band's musical kinship is evident throughout the album, giving it a more cohesive and funkier sound than its acclaimed 2018 debut, "World Gone Mad". Billboard hailed it 'excellent' while Goldmine Magazine cited "World Gone Mad" as one of the year's best indie albums.

The Weight Band's origins are tied to Woodstock and some of its most famous inhabitants, The Band. Weider, a Woodstock native, served as The Band's lead guitarist from 1985-2000, following Robbie Robertson's departure. In the late 00's, he replaced Jimmy Vivino in the Levon Helm Band, which already included Mitchell. The connections extend further, as Rogers shared the stage with Helm and Hudson while in The Jim Weider Band and Bram drummed in the Chris O'Leary Band, an off shoot of Helm's band The Barnburners.

Following Helm's death in 2012, Weider performed a few 'Songs Of The Band' concerts, which included Vivino, Byron Isaacs, Randy Ciarlante, and Garth Hudson. The shows were so well received that Weider started the 1st version of The Weight Band with Cialarlante, Isaacs, Mitchell, and keyboardist Marty Grebb. Over the next several years, the group shifted from mainly Band songs to their originals. Along the way, band membership shifted too. When Isaacs left for The Lumineers, Rogers came aboard. Bram joined the group after Cialarlante's departure. Following "World Gone Mad's" release, Grebb bowed out, and Zeiner stepped in.