Hard Believer

Tracks:
1. Definition of Insanity
2. It Is What It Is
3. Hard Believer
4. Monkey’s Paradise
5. Ninety-Nine and One Half
6. Backup Plan
7. Gotta Serve Somebody
8. Trimmin’ Fat
9. Make It Back To Memphis
10. Victims of the Darkness
11. My Babe
12. The Trouble With Soul

Alligator Records has announced an August 11, 2009 release date for Hard Believer, the label debut from Tommy Castro, the 2008 B.B. King “Entertainer of the Year” Blues Music Award winner. Working with noted blues producer John Porter (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo’), Castro stayed in his hometown of San Rafael, California to put together a twelve-song collection of his trademark blues, rock, and soul music.

Castro told About.com Blues about the upcoming album. “We had a lot of fun making it,” says Castro. “We did what I always try to do…find something different, something that I haven’t done already, and try not to repeat the same formula, but remain true to ourselves and the tradition of the style of music that we play, which is blues, soul music, and rock ‘n’ roll, a combination of those things.”

“So it’s all in that bag, so when I write new songs I try and come up with a new twist here and there. I even took some guitar lessons the last few months,” Castro adds, “just to try and stretch out a little bit. I think things are going to go well with us, the combination of us and Alligator. It’s a good time for us to be hooking up with them.”