Still Flirtin’ With Disaster – Interview with Bobby Ingram of Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet have rocking hard for over 30 years. Since their debut in 1978, and despite their ups and downs, the band has been a mainstay in southern rock and heavy metal for their entire career. The band’s legacy is being preserved by founding guitarist Dave Hlubek, and long-time members John Galvin (keyboards) and Bobby Ingram (guitars). Ingram joined Molly Hatchet in 1987, and is largely responsible for keeping the band going to this day. I got a chance to catch up with Bobby after the band’s show at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA a while back.
Bobby and I talked about how great it is to still be touring after all these years. “We see all our friends. Veteran fans come to the shows. They bring they’re kids, and sometimes their grandkids!,” Ingram said. “This is why we’re here.” We also got to talk about the band’s setlist, and how they choose songs with such an extensive catalog of music. “We play the songs the fans wanna hear. If we have a new record out, we’ll play some tunes from that. Molly Hatchet is not a ‘greatest hits’ act. We are relevant.” Speaking of new records, the band has a new album in the works. Bobby said there’s going to be “a lot of surprises” on this one, and that it’s going to be tougher that 2010’s Justice!
Molly Hatchet have forged a legacy as one of the top southern rock bands of all time, and are credited with bridging the gap between southern rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal. The band’s first six studio albums, and their 1985 live album, all charted in the Billboard Top 200. Their sophomore album and masterpiece, 1979’s Flirtin’ With Disaster, hit #19 on Billboard Top 200 and went triple-platinum. The band’s debut album, 1978’s Molly Hatchet, and their third album, 1980’s Beatin’ The Odds, both went platinum.
The band is currently on tour, heading over to Italy and France in the summer months, and then back to the U.S. eventually. The new album, tentatively titled Regrinding The Axes, is due out possibly later this year. Be sure to go to www.mollyhatchet.com for all the latest tour info, and stay tuned for a new Molly Hatchet record coming soon! CRANK IT UP!