Gary Douglas has long been waging battle with the forces of greed and injustice, both as rebel rocker and as a Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame attorney who spends each and every day fighting for workers rights and the victims of corporate greed. Now, with The Gary Douglas Band’s bracing new single release of DEEP IN THE WATER, Douglas has crafted his most powerful statement thus far, a clarion call of passionate rock ‘n’ roll fueled by expertly crafted melodies, stadium-sized choruses, and Douglas’ uncompromising lyricism. Songs like “Nothing Ever Goes As Planned” and the forceful title track find the singer-songwriter-bandleader opening up his rousing American sound to better explore the social and emotional effects of politics and power on living, breathing people.

“Law is about fighting for people who have been exploited or taken advantage of,” Douglas says, “people who have been harmed and hurt by the powerful elites in our society. Music is just a different medium to get to the same result. These songs, they’re about the same people, their struggles and their lives. Both things, it’s about giving voice to the voiceless.”

Indeed, DEEP IN THE WATER’s remarkable title track reflects Douglas’ recent efforts on behalf of multiple plaintiffs battling DuPont for injuries sustained by the chemical giant’s illegal dumping of the dangerous chemical C8 into the Ohio River. Douglas spearheaded the milestone litigation, representing the unsuspecting communities along the Ohio River Valley to whom DuPont referred in internal documents to as “‘human receptors.”‘ Much like the recent ruling against Monsanto in California, Douglas won a series of record-shattering settlements in the multi-district litigation, earning more than $700 million in punitive damages after juries agreed DuPont had acted with a “‘conscious disregard”‘ for the health and well-being of the families living along the river in Ohio and West Virginia. “‘We connected all your dots/And we’ve become your worst nightmare/Agitators/And we’re rising up…”‘ Douglas sings on “‘Deep In The Water,”‘ using his extraordinary music to reaffirm his powerful message to corporations who destroy communities with little care for those who live there.

“I don’t usually write about my work as an attorney,” he says. “’Deep In The Water’ is an exception. Darrell and I worked really hard on the lyrics, converting my literal experience into something poetic, ‘Deep in the water/the truth is lying.’”

Along with landmark legal victories against such monolithic foes as Big Pharma and the tobacco industry, Douglas – who was inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame earlier this year, joining such legal giants as Thurgood Marshall, Morris Dees, and William Kuntsler – has somehow found equal time to lead The Gary Douglas Band for more than four years, lighting it up night after night in barrooms, clubs, and theaters across the country. Produced and mixed by Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Warren Zevon) and co-produced by chart-topping songwriter/producer Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, Radney Foster), DEEP IN THE WATER pushes his earnest approach further than ever before, resulting in a richer, more meaningful, sound and vision that rings out with its craft, confidence, and striking conviction. Douglas spent more than a year working with Brown on songwriting sessions in New York and Los Angeles, writing and retooling melodies and lyrics until he had finally achieved his desired goal.

“It was definitely a growth experience for me as a songwriter,” Douglas says. “Most of my time playing in bands, from high school onward, I was always the songwriter. But you’re always in your own head, your own world. You can box yourself in. Darrell’s knowledge, his talent and ideas, the way in which you can look at a song, pick it apart, turn it upside down, all of a sudden the possibilities were infinite.”

Armed with the strongest songs of his career, Douglas began recording with Bolas, largely at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios. The sessions took more than a year to complete, with Douglas backed by an all-star band that includes his longtime saxophonist Nicholas Biello, as well as Gary Douglas Band tour mate Southside Johnny and his Asbury Jukes keyboardist Jeff Kazee, The Mavericks’ Raul Malo and Paul Deakin, The Jayhawks’ Jennifer Gunderman, guitarist Josh Leo, and a host of Nashville’s finest session players.

“It can be little intimidating working with such amazing players,” Douglas says. “You have to have a comfort level to let the creativity freely flow. Working with new people, it can take a little while to break the ice. On the other hand, it’s great to work with people with different perspectives. People who can take things in a different direction. There’s something very good about being in an uncomfortable situation.”

DEEP IN THE WATER is marked by Douglas’ utterly distinctive perspective, a pragmatic worldview born of the duality of his life’s work. Songs like “River Road” and “Devil In Her Soul” balance that unique outlook with propulsive rock n’ roll and finely crafted Americana, intertwining a subtle political bent that avoids easy solutions in pursuit of bridging the increasingly fray bonds of American society.

“We play a lot of red states.” Douglas says, “and whether you’re a Trump supporter or a Bernie supporter, what we focus on is all the things those folks have in common. That is, the feeling of isolation, the sense that people have been left behind by the economy. People feel like they’ve been forgotten, they feel a sense of worthlessness. You might have a different political idea about how to end that disparity, but we don’t talk about that. We’re singing about love, heartbreak, and the daily grind. We’re singing about real life.”

Douglas wrapped work on DEEP IN THE WATER and almost immediately began writing new songs that reflected his ongoing creative evolution. Energized and eager to get back at it, he reached out to producer Anthony J. Resta (Duran Duran, Collective Soul, Shawn Mullins) and headed to Los Angeles to record them, backed by studio stars like session guitar hero Tim Pierce (Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Rob Thomas).

“I’d had this incredible growth experience with Darrell and Niko,” Douglas says, “and I started writing new songs. It was an awakening and I couldn’t hold back. I just wanted to get them recorded. I did it for my own head, really. I needed to see what I could do now, on my own.”

Non-LP songs like “Monkey On My Back” meld the craft and resourcefulness of DEEP IN THE WATER with an electric energy closer to The Gary Douglas Band’s fiery onstage performances. The NYC-based band has staked a claim in recent years as a truly stirring live outfit, with headline dates and national tours supporting such like-minded artists as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Paul Thorn, and John Eddie.

“The live show is much more of a rock ‘n’ roll party,” Douglas says. “It’s a great outlet for me because obviously there are restraints in the courtroom; I can’t say everything I want to say, I’d get myself in trouble. And believe me, I’ve gotten myself in trouble with judges for crossing the line on more than a few occasions. I wear that as a badge of honor. Those restraints are off when I’m leading the band.”

Whether he is standing in front of a rapt jury or a sweat-drenched saloon, Gary Douglas has but one simple goal in mind. From DEEP IN THE WATER to his commitment to fighting the good fight on behalf of those who cannot fight for themselves, his defiant spirit and rebellious music are all in service to something important, true, and universal.

“Rock ‘n’ roll, to me, is all about connecting with people,” Gary Douglas says. “Playing songs and talking to people. People come up after our shows and say, ‘That’s me that you’re singing about.’ It’s the connection. That’s the reward, for me and for the audience as well.”

THE GARY DOUGLAS BAND

Gary Douglas (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keys)

Jeremy Goldsmith (Guitars)

Tom Curiano (Drums)

Trevor Coen (Bass)

Jessica Antonette (Backing Vocals)