“What happens when an anti-social petty thief, a male hustler, and a delinquent runaway come together to join forces in the streets of New York City? One of two things, usually. Either the birth of a gang of misfit criminals with a combined rap sheet longer than Bedford Avenue, or a legendary rock’ n ‘roll band. Luckily, for society’s sake, the latter has turned out to be true for Beechwood, whose authenticity , youth , energy, and unpredictability is unmatched in today’s music world. You may love them, you may hate them, but one thing is for sure… You won’t forget them!”
If that in-your-face statement alone is not a clear enough report to you on what this disarmingly bruising rock’ n ‘roll band is all about, then it’s most certainly going to be as the band fashionably struts their way downtown from inside the flesh hotel like they’re ready to paint the town similar to Edwin Greenwood’s 1920s crime film direction of red hell. The theory by critics who cry wolf stating that rock music of old New York City has been strangled to its last gasp has been refuted many times over, because with Beechwood, the super-stylish, loud snot-nosed rock’ n ‘roll band since the Stooges and the New York Dolls, it’s become a constant state of evolving throughout death-defying times.
While listening to Beechwood’s cover of the classic, “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” by the Kinks, a young man by the name Gordon Lawrence in his mid-twenties, with a moderately long, brown punk-rock haircut, a single ring earing with a Jesus cross hanging from his left ear, and who occasionally wears black blazers and trousers along with the trendy dress shoes and ‘high heel boots,’ responded to my request for an exclusive all-out interview saying, “Hey man! Yeah, we’d be happy to.”
A stage diving rapport of Beechwood
members are Gordon Lawrence (guitarist and singer), Russel Yusuf (drums), and Sid Simons (singer and bass guitarist), whose efforts for the future like almost every other American rock band is to write a hit single, sign to a major record label, do a car commercial and then get addicted to substances that’ll render them slightly unconscious and slowly vanish into obscurity. Lawrence, who in turn agreed, “Fuck yeah; we’re in it strictly for the money, baby.” Nonetheless, if it weren’t for them creating rock music together, one would either be playing Cricket for some local team, committing an act of self-destruction as most rock stars do, but not before taking some people down with them, and surprisingly in Russell Yusuf’s case, probably becoming a lawyer.
The anti-intellectual rock’ n ‘roll band, which started in the basement of where Gordon grew up, was actually named after a street called Beechwood and ever since then the name stuck like vandalizing graffiti on a hotel wall. When congratulated and asked about the inspiration behind their third studio album, Inside the Flesh Hotel, Lawrence took no time in seizing the opportunity. “Thanks, we had a song called “Flesh Hotel” as the opening track, so naming the album “Inside the Flesh Hotel” just made sense, if you’ve got a demented mind like me, I guess.”
The formation of friendship didn’t just start there in the basement of Lawrence’s childhood home, of course. “We were a two-piece,” expressed Gordon, “And Sid was at one of our shows because he was with a girl from the opening band. I ran into him on a subway the next day and he asked if we needed a bassist. That was it; it just feels natural.” Yusuf then said, “I met Gordon and Sid through a friend; it just feels good working alongside these guys.”
Growing up “selfish and ungrateful bastards,” as Gordon Lawrence mentioned, Beechwood made it plain and simple that they wish to acknowledge nobody for offering financial and emotional support. It is no revelation that their style is whatever they feel like wearing without any kind of intellectualizing behind it.
Rock’ N ‘Roll is Alive and Living Grimey in New York City
“It’s actually very anti-intellectual, feeling no thought. If I was to describe it, I’d have to think about it and we don’t do that.”
As musical products of grimey New York City rock’ n’ roll, Beechwood grew up idolizing the cultural impact of the New York Dolls, the Stooges, the Beatles, the Heartbreakers, Rolling Stones, the White Stripes, the Small Facess, and a love for the Hives. However, it wasn’t until Sid Simons started watching Steve Marriott of the Small Faces and Humble Pie beautifully trash it up on stage, the father of a young Gordon Lawrence blessing his child’s ears with a Beatles compact disc, and Russel Yusuf always being around music as a kid, enjoying a combination of both jazz swing bands from the 50s and the Stones.
Unlike certain rock’ n ‘roll bands that have bitten off of other iconic classic rock artists while paying homage, Beechwood naturally developed their own style of sound by dissecting the inspiration they felt from listening to all genres of music.
“Everything we listen to inspires us in a way, and we inspire each other to do our best. Regardless of whoever wrote the song, we all make suggestions and come up with ideas to get the song to where we think it should be. Sometimes the songs go through dramatic changes from start to finish, but it’s all for the best. Lyrics just come from everything – my experiences in life, what I’m reading, something I overheard someone say on the subway, stuff like that.”
When asked about the tribute cover of the Kinks’s ‘I’m Not Like Everybody Else,’ followed by the question of what musical time period would they rather make an uncontrollable scene in, Beechwood responded, “All good music scenes fill a void, and right now there is the biggest void of good music in the mainstream world probably ever, so now is as good of a time as ever to make shit happen.” Lawrence then shared, “I know where Dave Davies lives, I knocked on his door once but he wasn’t home. Guess I’ll have to try again.”
The emotional wreckage of “Pain, Love, Addiction, Hope, and Hopelessness” is the summoning subject matter that continues to take route towards creating glam/punk/rock songs like Milk, Heroin Honey, Amy, Our Love Was Worth The Heartbreak, and I Don’t Blame You Anymore. “One of us, usually me or Sid, said Gordon, “will bring a half-written fetus of a song to a rehearsal and we’ll just play it a 100 times a bunch of different ways until it sounds right. Good songs typically kind of write themselves in a supernatural kind of way.” Likewise, I then caught Beechwood’s nod towards Stevie Wonder’s ‘Songs in the Keys of Life,’ as they named their last album, Songs from the Land of Nod. “Wow, yes you’re good,” expressed Simons.
In the meantime, the disarmingly bruising rock’ n ‘roll band, Beechwood are currently signed to the label, Alive Records, and are concentrating their efforts on allowing their work to speak for itself while touring Europe, seeing old friends and gaining newfound inspiration from people, conversations and different perspectives. “A friend of ours used to play in a band that was on Bomp! Records back in the 70s. Alive is a continuation of Bomp, and that person sent our music to the label – we had already recorded Songs From The Land of Nod so we were looking for someone to put it out. They took a chance on us because of our music, not because we have a million Instagram followers and are models or whatever other bands do.”
Moreover on the creative process on what contributes Beechwood’s rugged downtown musicality, Sid Simons went on to reveal that Russel Yusuf (a favorite of large buttocks-buxom beauties), “is always trying to get us into these sex parties because he thinks we’ll get some good songs out of it. We’re good Russ, but thanks for the offer bud.”
Beechwood continues, “Europe is always good to us. We’re excited to see the friends we’ve made out there and just do what we do every night, which is play our music the best we can. Plus we’re playing some bigger festivals in France for the first time so we’re looking forward to that.”
On what message they would like to share with their crowd of civil disobedience, Beechwood deaded the report by saying, “Hello. Goodbye.”
