(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Kim Wilson, founding member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, feels that he's just now getting this whole music thing…after more than 30 years of pumping out classic American rock'n'roll.
Energized by a fresh lineup and a brand new album that came out in early June, the group is at its strongest point in years.
"This is the first time in many many years that we've had a real band all on the same page," Wilson told The Free Lance-Star.
The T-birds released a few studio albums int he mid-'90s, but they were done during a time when Wilson thought the group was in a transitional phase. A live album that "wasn't really representative of the band" followed in 2001.
"Now everything is kind of running on eight cylinders, luckily," he told the paper.
The current incarnation of the band that had hits with "Tuff Enuff" and "Wrap It Up" in the mid-'80s solidified last year when guitarist Nick Curran joined Wilson, who sings and plays harmonica, guitarist Kirk Fletcher, drummer Jimi Bott, bassist Ronnie James Weber and keyboardist Gene Taylor.
"As soon as these new guys got in, we were ready to go in the studio, and everybody really bonded," Wilson said.
The studio sessions resulted in "Painted On," the group's first album for Tone-Cool/Artemis Records.
"I can safely say this is the best band I've ever had," Wilson told the paper. "People like to build up the old days, but I think now that you can't compare any incarnation of this band to this one. I'm really looking forward to developing it."
Speaking of younger members Curran and Fletcher, Wilson likened the Fabulous Thunderbirds to a sports team where the rookies suit up alongside the "grizzled veterans."
At 54, he swears that he "can outrock any of these kids," but he says listeners can hear the future of the band in these younger members.
"It's going to get a lot better even than what it is," he said. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
