“The Garage Tapes came about after we discovered long-lost analog copies of demo/rehearsal tapes that were recorded in a garage studio in Lexington, Kentucky, from the late 1970s/early 1980s, including early versions of some of our hits,” they said. “After having them digitally remastered, we thought they provided a great insight into an interesting period of Exile’s history.”
On their induction into the coveted Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, they said, “It was one of the highlights of our career. We are really honored to be part of a great collection of entertainers, from all genres of music.”
Regarding their future plans, Exile said, “Our future plans are to just keep on touring. Hopefully, recording some more, in the next year or so. We don’t plan on slowing down.”
On their musical inspirations, they noted that each Exile member would probably list a different personal musical inspiration, ranging from The Beatles to Merle Haggard, gospel to jazz and R&B. “This diverse background is probably what gives us our unique ‘Exile’ sound, which we’ve given up trying to define,” they said.
On the impact of technology on the music business, they said, “The current music business is totally different now than when we started going from 45s, LPs, CDs, to an almost completely digital download era.”
“It’s difficult to keep up with the new technology, but in a way, it can work to our advantage: we’re not at the mercy of record companies/Top 40 radio anymore, and there are lots of alternative ways to reach our fans, online and otherwise. Thankfully, we are also still able to tour a lot, which is a great way to keep in touch with our fans,” they said.
The band listed such Rock and Roll Hall of Famers as Paul McCartney and Elton John as their dream collaboration choices.
For young and aspiring artists, their advice is as follows: “Be prepared for hard work and rejection; the odds are against you, but if you truly believe in yourself you have to give it your best effort.”
“You must have a real passion for your music, love what you do, approach your career with a businesslike attitude, surround yourself with people you can trust to help you, not ‘BS’ you. The music business can be heartbreaking, but it can also be the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do,” they said.
The Garage Tapes by Exile is available on Amazon and on Apple Music.
“We’re really proud of The Garage Tapes. We thought these recordings had been lost and were really happy to be able to recover these 30 tracks. It’s a different and unique kind of project, because it includes early versions of a couple of our hits, rehearsal tapes, writers’ demos, some obscure album cuts, other cuts that were never released, and, for the first time, a ‘cover’ version of another artist’s song (Tennessee Ernie Ford’s ’16 Tons’). It’s a really fun recording,” they said.
To learn more about Exile and their music, check out their official website and their Facebook page.
