Before Atlanta show, Black Crowes say Rock Hall rejection ‘doesn’t affect us’

When asked about the current state of his once-tumultuous relationship with his older brother and bandmate Chris Robinson, the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson offered one word.

“Trust … like to be able to trust that (the group) is going to be a better thing,” the guitarist told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently via Zoom.

Since reuniting in 2019, the Black Crowes have hit the ground running: releasing two albums, garnering Grammy and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominations and embarking on massive tours. The group’s current trek includes Texas rock sextet Whiskey Myers. The tour, which began this week, will stop in Alpharetta on Saturday and Augusta in June.

“It’s always cool to get out and play new songs,” Rich Robinson said about the tour. “We change our setlist every night. Although we have a core number of songs that we play, we use the rest of the time to play new songs and old songs and rare songs and cover tunes and have friends come out and play.”

In March, the band (which also includes six backing musicians) released their 10th studio album, “A Pound of Feathers.” The 11-track project was recorded in roughly 10 days in Nashville, a practice Robinson described as “fast and furious (and) kind of the best way to make a record.”

“We’re constantly writing and constantly trying to push ourselves to write better songs,” Robinson said, adding that he’d sent his brother 45 songs by the time they started creating 2024’s “Happiness Bastards.” “We love the creative process, and we’ve both loved being in the studio and making records.

But there was a time when that love wasn’t tangible.

“We always love coming home to Atlanta, and it’s always a really fun show for us,” says Robinson, shown performing to a packed Fox Theatre crowd in 2024. (Robb Cohen for the AJC)

“It’s always cool to get out and play new songs,” Rich Robinson said about the tour. “We change our setlist every night. Although we have a core number of songs that we play, we use the rest of the time to play new songs and old songs and rare songs and cover tunes and have friends come out and play.”

In March, the band (which also includes six backing musicians) released their 10th studio album, “A Pound of Feathers.” The 11-track project was recorded in roughly 10 days in Nashville, a practice Robinson described as “fast and furious (and) kind of the best way to make a record.”

“We’re constantly writing and constantly trying to push ourselves to write better songs,” Robinson said, adding that he’d sent his brother 45 songs by the time they started creating 2024’s “Happiness Bastards.” “We love the creative process, and we’ve both loved being in the studio and making records.

But there was a time when that love wasn’t tangible.

After releasing a handful of albums that helped shape the trajectory of blues rock, the Black Crowes disbanded in 2015 over ownership and royalties disputes between the brothers. Four years later, the Robinsons reconciled, later touring behind the 30th anniversary of their debut and releasing “Happiness Bastards,” their first album since 2009.

Robinson said the hiatus was because of multiple factors, noting, “every band has a family dynamic, and when you have family inside of that family dynamic, it gets even weirder.”

The 56-year-old added: “I was 19 when I made that first record that was so successful. No one really teaches you how to deal with the success … And (when) you add some drugs, other issues and all of that s---, I think it can make people act really kind of unhealthy.”

“Every band has a family dynamic, and when you have family inside of that family dynamic, it gets even weirder,” says Rich Robinson (right), shown with his brother Chris. (Courtesy of Ross Halfin)

Since their comeback, the brothers are making a robust effort to prioritize their relationship while learning to navigate conflict in healthier ways.

“We’re going to talk about things,” Robinson said. “We’re not going to let them fester. It’s a much more positive experience, and while doing that, it’s kind of made being creative better, too. It’s a more positive element instead of this kind of negative slog that you go in, which sometimes can generate good art and good music, but other times, it’s miserable to live in.”

The Black Crowes’ return has aligned with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominations, the latest honor arriving earlier this year. Although the band didn’t make it to the final round for the second consecutive year, Robinson still views it as a “milestone.”

“Winning would be great, and not winning is great,” he said. “It doesn’t affect me on a day-to-day basis. There’s always another time. If that works, great. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t affect us.”

Regarding the current tour, Robinson describes it as “a next generation kind of collaboration,” adding that he’s known Whiskey Myers (which formed in 2007) for over a decade and wrote songs for them.

The Black Crowes rocked a packed Fox Theatre crowd on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 on their Happiness Bastards Tour. The Black Lips opened the show. (Robb Cohen for the AJC)

And for Rich, who (along with his brother) now lives in Los Angeles, returning to Atlanta is always a highlight.

“We always love coming home to Atlanta, and it’s always a really fun show for us,” Robinson said. “It’s just all of our friends and family and everyone that’s still there comes out, and it just always puts it in this great feeling.”