The Gasoline Gypsies combine influences to make their own sound

While The Gasoline Gypsies practice in the Blue Water area, their creativity can't be contained to one county.

Over the years, their live performances have ranged from Lynch's Irish Tavern in downtown Port Huron, to Detroit's WDIV-TV, Channel 4, to Arts, Beats, and Eats in Royal Oak, to 440 South Radio in New Jersey, and that is just a small sampling.

A winning recipe of style and genuine hard work

It is clear that there are multiple influences interwoven into the fabric of their sound. Individually, they bring quite a collection of music genres to the table.

What do you get when you blend a generous portion of classic rock with a touch of southern rock, a pinch of blues, and a distinct splash of soul, bluegrass, and funk?

That would be the band The Gasoline Gypsies.

Meet Caleb, Steve, Joe, and Neal, the four creative minds behind the eclectic rock and roll band that has created its own unique sound.

"We all draw from our own musical influences for sure," says Steve, the bass player, "Joe, the drummer, likes hip hop, as does Caleb. I do a little bit, too. I'm also into metal and bluegrass."

Guitarist Neal, chimes in. "I'm the hard-core blues guy. I'm influenced by a lot of that. And Caleb and I have a lot of Allman Brothers guitar playing influences, so southern rock is definitely a component there."
Guitarist and lead singer, Caleb, adds, "But we all meet on classic rock."

A refining process over the years

The band has gone through a handful of iterations over the years, and has been refined to their current four-member electric rock group.

Caleb and Steve have a history that goes back years, and are well seasoned at making music together. They were in little bands together here and there, and eventually co-founded The Gasoline Gypsies.

When current drummer, Joe, joined the group in 2013, he brought his own flair for the unique. He showed up to his first practice with a crayon drawing of his own name scribbled on his drum, complete with a good luck charm in the form of a stuffed Fozzie Bear from the Muppets.

In the spring of 2016, Steve posted a call on Facebook for a fourth member, and fate would have it that Neal's mother first noticed the posting. She alerted Neal, and he responded to the call immediately.

The rest is history.

"That's the story, and here we are. We're writing new music and getting stuff done," reminisces Caleb.

A creative dynamic

The four men clearly have their individual personalities, and it makes for an interesting dynamic that works.

"I like to say I'm the wildcard," says Joe, deviously looking around. "I definitely have the most fun in the group.

Steve laughs immediately.

"Oh whatever. Collectively we're all wildcards, depending on what night you meet us."

Joe points to Caleb, "He's the leader for sure."

Caleb grins, "Sometimes you have to do it. I've started to embrace it a little more."

It's definitely a group effort. Steve handles much of the social media, while Neal is considered the "shy, awkward little brother of the band." Meanwhile, they all have their hands in running the business.

Exciting plans for the future

The band is planning on releasing its next album, titled "Salem," in early spring, and has already recorded much of it live in Port Huron. They are also working on a subsequent album for down the road.

The group also just released a new music video from their upcoming album "Salem."
It was shot in their local practice space, and was actually played and recorded live simultaneously. The video and audio track were completed in the same take. You can watch it on The Gasoline Gypsies YouTube channel.

In addition to putting out new albums and making music videos, the band is on a mission to continue performing around the state, and also take the show on the road, traveling the country even more.

"We're excited for all the new music we're writing and the festivals coming up, like the Dunesville Music Festival this summer and the Stoned In Hell Music Festival. We're really getting into the festival circuit," says Joe.