The road to being hailed as the new torchbearers of Southern rock hasn’t been as glamorous as you might imagine for The Georgia Thunderbolts. It wasn’t many years ago that the guys busked at gas stations, fumbled through covers, and drove four hours to Alabama to play to a bartender and a three-legged dog sitting on a barstool.

These days, however, the Rome, Georgia-based quintet is a critically acclaimed and internationally touring band fending off the sophomore slump with its latest album, Rise Above It All, out on Mascot Records. The 13-track record is an artistically assured collection of hard-hitting Southern rock, blues, and heartfelt Americana.

“When you cut back on being a tough guy, more emotions can come through, and you hear that on this record,” says TJ Lyle, lead vocals, harmonica, and keyboards. “This album travels all musical genres.”

The Georgia Thunderbolts are rounded out by Zach Everett, bass, classical guitar, harmony vocals; Bristol Perry, drums; Logan Tolbert, guitar; and Riley Couzzourt, guitar. The quintet’s earthy and emotive aesthetic spans late 1960s singer-songwriter intimacy, the yearning of the blues, the mythological stories of country, and a bracing dose of arena-ready classic hard rock.

“I was raised by my dad and my grandma. He loved 1980s rock, and my grandma loved classic country, like Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard,” Riley says. “As soon as TJ opens his mouth you know we’re from the South.”

Previously, the band released it’s debut album, Can We Get A Witness, smack in the middle of the pandemic. Despite not having the opportunity to tour, the album amassed over 6 million streams across digital platforms, and earned critical acclaim from No Depression, Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, American Songwriter, Loudwire, Paste Magazine, and many others.