After nearly two decades in the shadows, New Jersey’s legendary Stoner Rock pioneers Shovelhead (originally known as The Lemmings) are back with a vengeance. On September 12, 2026, the power trio will unleash their self-produced heavyweight album, “A Place of Dead Roads.” We sat down with the band to discuss their rich history in the NJ underground scene, their evolution over the last three decades, and the secrets behind their crushing new record.
You formed back in the early 90s under the moniker The Lemmings, well before Stoner Rock had fully formed as a defined genre. What are your memories of those early days, and how did you start crafting your signature Stoner Rock’n’Roll sound?
When we started back in the early 90s, we were kinda in a rut with our gigs because every band we would play with was trying to sound like whatever was popular at the time. And these bands were constantly chasing what they thought people wanted to hear. But we were playing what we liked, and what we wanted to play. We would just jam in the basement, come up with riffs, and create songs out of that. And that was a lot more fun than trying to sound like anybody else. We just played what came natural.
Shovelhead was at the vanguard of a groundbreaking New Jersey underground scene that birthed Heavy giants like Monster Magnet, The Atomic Bitchwax, and Solace? What was the creative chemistry and energy like within that local community back then?
In reference to the first question, our first several gigs were with bands that were playing music that they thought was going to be popular. And then we met the Bitchwax, Slap Rocket, Solace, etc., and we were like, finally, we found our tribe! Once we started playing with those bands, a comradery developed. Also, the same crop of people started coming out to the shows, because they were into that 70’s inspired heavy rock sound we were all playing. By the time the 90s were wrapping up, it seemed for the most part that more local bands were shifting away from “chasing what was popular,” and were now embracing a heavier rock approach. But in the beginning, it was a little rough until we hooked up with like minded bands/people. And after that, we thought, god this is killer!
During your initial run, you released three regionally notorious albums as Shovelhead and one as The Lemmings. Looking back, how do you feel your musical and stylistic approach evolved during that transition?
As musicians we grew, and hopefully got a little better on our instruments. But during that transition, stylistically not much really changed. Even the songs that were written recently, over the past couple of years, they could’ve been written 30 years ago.
After decelerating in the late 2010s, you’ve returned “full open throttle” in 2026. What was the spark that brought founding members Mike Scott and Jim LaPointe back together to kick up the dust once more?
As the previous decade was wrapping up, we weren’t really doing much. Then in late 2022 George was passing around a charity album he had recorded for a local animal rescue, and he happened to send a copy to Mike. (Mike and George had actually jammed together a few times many, many years ago, and they kind of stayed in touch). After receiving that album, Mike kinda got everything moving by seeing if George would be interested in jamming some Shovelhead tunes. George was a huge fan of the band and when we first got together it all clicked pretty much instantaneously. And everything took off from there!
Your upcoming album, “A Place of Dead Roads,” marks your first full-length release in 19 years. What is the meaning behind this evocative title, and how does it reflect the band’s long journey?
That was actually an album title we had floating around for a while. As we were finishing up the album, we thought it would work well for this release. Honestly, we hadn’t intended for it to be an evocative title, reflecting the band’s long
journey… however, now that you bring it up, it kinda does!
For this new chapter, you fused with George Pierro (known for his work with Solarized, Maegashira, and Tarpit Boogie). What did George bring to the band’s dynamic, both as a musician and a longtime member of the Heavy scene?
He brought jet fuel to the drag race! George’s playing style is so perfect for this band…he has really brought new life to
Shovelhead. He has also kinda taken the reins of the “business” or “other” side of things, which is helping propel the band into an exciting new phase. We all love to write and play music, but we were never really good with that end of being in a band.
George also took on the roles of recording, mixing, and mastering the album. How did having a band member handle the entire production process shape the raw, heavyweight sound of this self-produced record?
The last record (Spitting Oil, 2007) was actually also self produced and self recorded, mixed, and mastered by Mike.
Self recording gave us total control, with no pressure. It gave us time, without watching a clock. And you’re not constantly seeing money fly out the door. Instead you can get creative. There is a definitive vocal evolution on this album, and to be honest, that was a direct result of having plenty of time to experiment when recording vocals. As far as the raw sound of the recording goes, all of the music was recorded live in our garage rehearsal space (including almost all of the guitar leads), and the vocals were recorded in the “woodshop” space of the same garage. Of course there are gonna be some potential sonic drawbacks to doing everything yourself, but we felt the positives far out weighed the negatives in this particular situation..
The introduction to the album is the crushing opening track and video single, “Witching Hour.” Why did you feel this was the perfect track to lead the charge for your big return?
You pretty much nailed it, it’s a “crushing track” (thank you for the compliment!), and it gets right to the point. We have actually been opening most of our recent shows with this song as well.
The official music video for “Witching Hour” features incredible footage from T.R.O.G. – The Race of Gentlemen, edited by George. How did the concept of vintage beach racing align with the aesthetic and sonic drive of the song?
We (Jim and Mike) had gone mountain biking on this gravel trail that led to a graveyard, and when thinking back to that trail while we were recording, it eventually led to the title and lyrics for “Witching Hour.” Initially, we wanted to use this footage just because it looked cool. And also because it was a good friend of George’s who shot the footage, plus he was totally cool with us using it for a video. But coincidently, the race footage actually does fit the vibe of the song. It’s sorta like this gathering of a bunch of old haunted vehicles, and all the people that originally built these cars and bikes are now deceased.
Songs on the tracklist like “Tempest” and “Dominion/Big Tex” sound incredibly powerful. Could you share some insight into the songwriting process and the lyrical inspiration behind these tracks?
Both of those tracks had been kicking around for a long time, like 15+ years. But the lyrics for both evolved during the “…Dead Roads” recording process. The lyrics for “Tempest” are based around the true story of a woman who was abused
and trafficked by her husband to a Billionaire, and eventually she escapes. The story conjured up this vision of her eventually, like, riding a motorcycle through the desert; sheis finally escaping, and now the storm is behind her. That vision led to lines like “She doesn’t need your lies or shallow prayers,” and “Flying high, wild and free.” “Dominion” is actually the name of another mountain bike trail, and the lyrics for the “Big Tex” section are kinda about us being around in this genre for so long, and still standing.
With track titles like “Ghost in the Garden” and “White Stag Ghost,” there seems to be a haunting, perhaps supernatural element in the album. Is there a thematic thread running through the record? Have you played the record backwards?
Actually, the same cemetery bike trail that inspired “Witching Hour” may have led to some of the song titles. But no, there is not a thematic thread running through the album.
The album closes with “Middle Man” and “Bombers.” How do these songs push Shovelhead’s sonic boundaries in 2026 compared to your 90s and 00s material?
“Middle Man” is actually an old Lemmings’ song, so that was a full circle moment for sure. “Bombers” is an homage to old/classic metal, which we are all huge fans of, and the vocals have certainly gone into uncharted Shovelhead territory. Really all the vocals on this whole album are sonically very different from previous releases. But Shovelhead has always unintentionally been pretty sonically diverse within the heavy rock spectrum. This album is a very accurate representation of where Shovelhead is at, and where Shovelhead are potentially going.
Jim, you’ve also contributed to Black NASA’s “Deuce” album. How did your experiences playing and collaborating with other Heavy underground projects influence your contribution to this new record?
It was an honor to be asked to contribute to that project, but that was a very long time ago (2004). However, any musical experience you have will at least subconsciously contribute to whatever you’re working on musically…plus it was awesome to jam with Hutter! (Duane Hutter, local guitar legend and friend of the band was the guitarist in Black NASA).
In July 2026, Shovelhead was featured in our very own “Progressive Rock Journal Presents ‘PRJ Compilation Vol. XXVI’: A High-Octane Journey Through the Heavy Underground” with the track “Shovelhead.” What was it like participating in that compilation, and how has the response been from the Progressive and Heavy underground community?
The feature on the PRJ comp was quite a surprise, thank you so much for that! It’s always an honor when someone shows interest in the band’s music, especially when it’s a song that was written almost 30 years ago and first released way back at the turn of the century!
Over three decades, the number of live shows you’ve played is practically uncountable. Do you have any particularly wild, legendary, or memorable gig anecdotes that still stand out to you today?
There may have been a few crazy incidents, but it really wasn’t too wild (we started in the 90s, not the 80s). Some of the more memorable gigs that stand out are, probably the time we played CBGBs in the early 2000s w/ the Bitchwax and Lord Sterling. We opened for funk legend T.M. Stevens a few times here in NJ. Once when we were booked to open for him, Jacko (Jack Monahan, a legendary local promoter, and quite honestly the main architect of this, and almost every other underground scene that formed in the central New Jersey region during this time) told us Ziggy Marley actually called him up because he wanted to open the show. So Jacko told us he asked T.M. Stevens “Who do you want on the bill, Ziggy Marley or Shovelhead?’ And T.M. said he wanted Shovelhead! Also, playing with Monster Magnet at the Brighton Bar (the home base venue for pretty much all the bands in the local scene at the time) was also pretty legendary. And really, witnessing the evolution of bands like Solace and the Bitchwax everytime we played with them was special.
To celebrate the album’s release, you have a Record Release show in Jackson, New Jersey, alongside Shut Up and Black Horse Pike. How does it feel to perform these new songs live, and what can fans expect from a 2026 Shovelhead show?
It feels great to play the new songs live, and the reception has been super positive. Pretty much every song on this album has been performed live multiple times…some songs (like “Tempest” and “Dominion/Big Tex”) for many years, and one song (“Middle Man”) since the early 90s! We’re even at the point now, that the second half of “White Stag Ghost” has evolved into a much more prolific jam when we play it live, as opposed to the version that is on the album. But our live shows are pretty much what they’ve always been, and will continue to be: loud tube amps, heavy jams, and of course the all mighty Mike Scott drum solo!
The underground landscape has changed dramatically since the 1990s. How do you view the state of Stoner and Heavy Rock today, both locally in New Jersey and on a global scale?
“The State Of…” all seems pretty cool from our perspective. Sure there aren’t as many local places to play as back in the 90’s, but in a way that helped kickstart Shovelhead to start playing more regionally. We had a killer show earlier this summer in Baltimore, Maryland (the US “Doom Capitol”) that was set up by the incredible Locust Point and our good friend and scene champion Dave Benzotti! And currently we are in the process of getting a few more “out of towners” booked for 2027. But also back in June, we played on a bill right here in New Jersey with both Solace (who also recently released a killer new album) and The Atomic Bitchwax… it definitely doesn’t get much better than that!
What is the most crucial piece of advice you would offer to the new, rising generation of musicians trying to make their mark in the Heavy Rock underground today?
Well, we probably shouldn’t be giving advice, as we are the band that waited almost 20 years between album releases…but we have seen and heard quite a few heavy music “trends” come and go during our existence, and it seems to us the bands that make the biggest impact are the ones that are truly genuine. And of course, “Have a good time, all the time!” -Viv Savage
Now that the engine is running at full throttle and “A Place of Dead Roads” is officially arriving on Saturday, September 12, 2026, what are the next steps for the band?
In addition to our record release show on September 12th, we have a few more shows lined up through October, and we have a few things on the fire for future live gigs. We also have a few new songs kicking around the jam room, so there is a real good chance that there will be another new Shovelhead album sooner than later…or at least before another two decades go by! Thank you again PRJ for the interest in the band and in the new album, appreciate it!
We want to thank the band for sharing their time and stories with us. Make sure to pre-order “A Place of Dead Roads” on Bandcamp, and don’t miss their Record Release show in Jackson, New Jersey, for a true masterclass in heavyweight Stoner Rock N’ Roll!
Read our review of their new album “A Place Of Dead Roads” here: [Review] Shovelhead – A Place Of Dead Roads