RichmondGRID.com: RVA VIBE: The Recliners

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Songfest

RVA VIBE: The Recliners

Delivering velvety, lounge-style versions of familiar tunes, The Recliners draw audiences into their frothy cocktail world on most Friday nights at Cafe Diem.

7/14/2011 9:53:10 AM

Anika Imajo

Ironically, the driving force behind this celebrated cover band - with incarnations based in both Richmond and Austin -- is a composer by profession. Richmond native Russell Young writes music for commercials and films and played in a number of original bands before starting The Recliners in Austin about 15 years ago. "This is the first cover band I've ever been in," explains Young, whose current solo project, Liner Notes, features his original compositions. (Catch Liner Notes on Tuesdays at 5pm for "Heavy Hour" at Current, next to Hat Factory.)

According to Young, The Recliners devote considerable effort to transforming popular songs by diverse bands -- from ACDC to the B52s -- into both their signature elevator-ready offerings and their straight-up covers of dance music, such as Motown, 70's Disco & Modern Rock. "I think when people see us, they're surprised that we put so much into it. We actually totally restructure the songs."

And the effort is not lost on audiences or fellow musicians. The Recliners tour and enjoy commercial radio play across the country. "We have three songs in heavy rotation on Sirius radio," Young adds. Following two earlier CDs, Cosa Caliente and Raw Fish, their new CD, White Room, will be released this summer.

Also unusual for a cover band is the fact that members of The Recliners enjoy endorsements by manufacturers of musical instruments. (Young, for example, plays a "Studio Blade" keyboard produced by custom keyboard company Music Computing, Inc.)

Article from Issue #10