BIOGRAPHY
Knoxville, TN rock act Count Pariah brings haunting melodies and biting guitar riffs backed by a driving rhythm section. Vocalist James Croft’s captivating vocals bring the audience catchy hooks, over-the-top tonality, and lyrics that leave you begging for more. Guitarist Jason Breland sonically pummels with in-your-face riffs, exceptional musicality, and rhythms that are sure to get heads banging and fists in the air. Dustin Barousse locks in with rhythmically driven bass lines, smooth low-end melodies, and the type of aggressive punch needed to carry the undertow. Drummer Adam Tilley offers the kind of intensity and hard-hitting madness that delivers an arena rock experience. Pulling from different musical backgrounds, each member brings a diversity to the group’s sound, adding to the overall experience for the listener. You can hear influences from almost every corner of musical genres in the songs they write and perform. They bring a layered sound of rock to their listeners that is refreshing but, at the same time, pays homage to those that paved the way before them.
While some band monikers are so random they seem to have been pulled from a hat, others, like Count Pariah, are so cleverly enigmatic that they serve as a mission statement, telling us everything relevant about the band’s vibe, musical purpose, unique flow of contrasting styles, and defiant sense of what it means to be independent, creating their multi-faceted powerhouse rock on their own terms.
In an insightful 2022 interview with the Music Existence blog, the Knoxville, TN-based band – frontman James “Shibby” Croft, guitarist Jason Breland, bassist Dustin (“DB”) Barousse, and drummer Adam “BiRD” Tilley – explained, “By definition, the count is of nobility. A pariah is a social outcast. We like to look at ourselves as the kings of the outcasts. That’s who we are. We don’t play by your rules. We don’t let big money and music tell us what we can and can’t do. We do what we like because the passion is there. The passion is in the music.”
Since venues have opened again post-Covid, the band has gigged consistently in their hometown, drawing big crowds at clubs like the Open Chord Stage and The Concourse – as well as 90 minutes up the road in Asheville, NC, and as far north as Jersey. They’re planning another hometown show this spring and have Alabama and beyond on the docket for 2023.
Due to Covid, Count Pariah skipped over breaking in material at live gigs and went straight to the studio to record their songs. After a time with another label, they connected with Gary Bernard of Blue Collar Records and were able to secure the rights to their earlier material, which they subsequently re-recorded with higher production values. They are currently working on new material with Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum engineer and producer David Ivory (Halestorm, Silverside).
“We love the camaraderie and sharing like-minded goals,” Dustin says. “We genuinely enjoy getting together and rehearsing, and feeling that energy when we get in the studio on stage and see where the creativity will take us.” BiRD adds, “In addition to being part of a tightly knit band, we’ve enjoyed hearing, since the release of Hymns for Heathens, from fans who share how much our music means to them. That’s the best of both worlds for all of us.”
Count Pariah's EP, "Hymns for Heathens," received an enthusiastic response, gaining airplay on over 100 FM and college radio stations across North America. Now, anticipation mounts for their much-awaited debut full-length album, scheduled for release in the fall.
