Painkiller Hotel to release “Black Roses” in October

Chicago-based alternative rock band Painkiller Hotel is a rock quartet that lets the music do the talking, and with the release of the band’s debut, “Black Roses,” with Rock Ridge Music, that’s exactly what they’ve done. Painkiller Hotel has worked hard to create a batch of melodic rock songs with emotive, distinctive vocals and hooks the size of Illinois.

Chris Henderson, guitarist for 3 Doors Down, and a principal at Rock Ridge music, was so captivated by the unique sound of PainKiller Hotel that he personally inked the band to the label. “For me, it was all about their songs,” Henderson says. “They’ve got huge hooks. Great music gives me chills, and their music did that for me immediately. Their sound is unique, and they are such a hardworking band.”

“We made our name by making good music,” explains Painkiller Hotel’s vocalist and primary songwriter, Kevin Presbrey. “I’m extremely proud of what this band has been able to achieve without the help of some crazy image. People are drawn to the band based on the strength of the music.” With the forthcoming release of “Black Roses” and subsequent tour, Presbrey believes people will begin to put a face with Painkiller Hotel’s music. The album’s ten explosive tracks were produced by Chris Sevier (Eliot Morris) and mixed by George Tutko (Duran Duran, Rod Stewart, John Cougar, and The Rolling Stones).

Drawing comparisons to such artists as Tonic and Live, and boasting a sentimental songwriting style, Painkiller Hotel is quickly making a name for themselves on the national scene with the appearance of their song “So Far Away” on MTV’s “Real World Sydney,” performances at the 2007 and 2008 South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, TX, a 2007 tour through Australia, 13 additional TV placements on other major network shows such as “The Hills” and “Living Lohan,” and airplay on 160 radio stations nationwide including 93 WXRT Chicago. Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year candidate Colby Rasmus makes PKH part of his pre-game and post-game ritual when he’s not patrolling centerfield for the St.Louis Cardinals. “Just crank it up,” Rasmus explains, “and you’ll get it. Great talent jumps out at you… in baseball or music. Lots of guys go out and play; a few elevate, separate, and become All-Stars, like PainKiller Hotel.”

While the lead single on “Black Roses,” “How Was I Supposed to Know,” displays Painkiller Hotel’s use of dynamics, huge choruses, and tight arrangements, the band was eager to throw away the map and explore various sonic avenues. That adventurous spirit is evident in the tripped-out textures of “Changes,” a song that Presbrey and Sevier came up with by experimenting with the melody first instead of a guitar riff. “I didn’t plan for it to sound like a roots-rock song,” says Presbrey, “but that’s the way it came together naturally so I decided to go with it.” That attitude, serving the best interest of the song instead of the songwriter’s own ego, became an important part of the recording process.

Painkiller Hotel, the epitome of the hard-working Midwestern band, earned its stripes playing over 200 regional shows a year over the past few years at regional clubs throughout the Midwest, sharing the stage with such greats as Train, John Fogerty, Michael Glabicki (Rusted Root), Sister Hazel, and Everclear. Their grassroots support for the band caught the attention of Rock Ridge Music, who signed Painkiller Hotel in the summer of 2009, with “Black Roses” scheduled for release on October 27, 2009.

Painkiller Hotel is: Kevin Presbrey on guitar and vocals; Nate Greene on drums; Adam Harker on bass; and Klaus Luchs on guitar.