Mushroom Music Publishing

"We have been coming down and playing in Australia for about 15 years now and I can honestly say its one of my favorite places in the world to be. I would definitely live there if y’all weren't so far from hometown Philly!"

It's hard to believe that G Love and Special Sauce have been touring Australia for 15 years. In that time he has toured here with his Xaviar Rudd, Jack Johnson, Donavan Frankenriter, Katalyst, Ozomatli, performed on the East and West Coast Blues and Roots Festivals, the Falls Festival – in fact he has toured Australia 7 times, with 5 in the past 6 years – definitely a favourite destination of Garret ‘G Love’ Duttons’.

It’s been a long, successful run for the Philadelphia native and self-described “hiphop blues artist,” whose self-titled 1994 Okeh/Epic Records debut was certified Gold on the strength of the MTV hit, “Cold Beverage,” and a non-stop performing ethic that still has them playing more than 150 shows a year.

Hits that have spanned the last 15 years have been all over Australian radio and have made G.Love a much loved character on our soil. From debut singles ‘Cold Beverage’ and ‘Baby’s Got Sauce’ to the worldwide hit that was “Kiss and Tell” to the most recent ‘Hot Cookin’. Add to this, collaborations with Ben Harper, Blackalicious, and Brushfire Records label mates Donavan Frankenriter and Jack Johnson, and G. Love is one busy fella.

For his tenth long player release, G Love has decided to make an Australian only independently released album, titled Long Way Down. As G Love explains, "We wanted to do a special release for Australia and include a number of different tunes haven’t been released anywhere else. The record you are getting is totally exclusive to Australia"

“It’s with great pleasure that we are able to release another record custom fitted for our friends in Oz. I hope you all enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed playing it.”

“We’re a hard-working band,” says G. Love of the group’s live work ethic. “Every time we hit the stage or the studio, we make sure we give 150%. Playing in front of people is just such an integral part of the experience for us.We love to ride that energy and get that instant reaction”.
” “I think of us as a rock and roll group,” explains G. Love. “We definitely incorporate a lot of different flavors, which is why we tried to focus on what we’re known for this time… Making sure the backbeats are funky. Each song tells a unique story,both in subject and musical style.”

Tracks like “Peace Love and Happiness” and the title cut deal with social issues,something G. found hard to ignore. “The US elections were coming up and the war on everybody’s minds, there’s no way some of those feelings could’ve escaped being on this record,” he says.

“Peace Love and Happiness” was inspired by a trip G. Love made to the same slums of Rio de Janeiro depicted in the movie City of God, asking pointed questions like “How come the presidents just build more bombs/When they should start disarming?/With all that money spent on guns/Instead of food and education.”

“The experience just hit me really hard,” he admits. “We had this great day playing music for the kids. I just went straight back to the hotel and wrote the song before the show, then performed it for them.” “Superhero Brother” finds G. Love playing the role of savior, with tongue firmly in cheek and harp in mouth as he name-checks Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden, Britney Spears, Jesus and the whole cast of Friends, vowing to solve the myriad of problems in the Middle East by sending the troops on the first plane home to their moms.

G. Love acknowledges the band has been helped over the last few years by their association with Jack Johnson, which began when they invited the then-unknown surfer to play on their 1999 album Philadelphonic.

“He’s definitely returned the favor a thousand times,” says G. “He’s always had our backs. Creatively, it’s been terrific because I’ve really connected with Brushfire and the crew there”

Taking advantage of the vast new ways to connect with his fans, G. Love now consistently blogs and fanatically posts videos on YouTube, which track him rehearsing songs in various stages of development. He’s also penned a children’s book, appeared in an independent film, Rigged, and produced blues legend John Hammond’s recent album, Push Comes to Shove.

With the release of Long Way Down, though Philadelphonic in Australia, G. Love & Special Sauce are feeling lucky.“This is the age of the independent record label,” he acknowledges. “It’s an exciting and scary time to be doing what we’re doing. We feel we’re in a great place both musically and being part of this great musical community. The fans have been very supportive. As a touring band with a great base, that’s the rock on which all this is built.”

Long Way Down only strengthens that foundation.

LONG WAY DOWN IS OUT SEPTEMBER 11, 2009

1. PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS
2. SOFT AND SWEET
3. WONT'CHA COME HOME
4. CRUMBLE
5. WHO’S GOT THE WEED (*W/ SLIM KID TRE FROM THE PHARCYDE)
6. JENNY CRASH
7. LOTTERY
8. GRANDMOTHER
9. DREAMZ
10. LONG WAY DOWN
11. HONEY*
12. SUPERHERO BROTHER

Produced by Chris DiBeneditto