Life ain't Easy (for a Boy with Long Hair)

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, it’s your hippie DJs from THE ZOO cranking up the good vibes with “Life Ain’t Easy (For a Boy with Long Hair)” by The New Roses from their smokin’ album One More for the Road. This track’s a total anthem for rockers who’ve ever caught flak for their long locks, with Timmy Rough’s gritty vocals and those Southern-tinged riffs. Fun fact: frontman Timmy Rough got the idea for the song while flipping through old photos from his early days on tiny stages, as he shared with Louder. He laughed about the small gigs and even smaller paychecks, but said those tough times were “fun as hell.” The music video, filmed at a bar where the band used to play night after night, was a nostalgic trip back to their roots. Fans on The New Roses’ X account call it their go-to track for blasting on open roads, with one Zoo Freak in the The New Roses Fans Facebook group saying it’s like “Kid Rock meets AC/DC in a dusty dive bar.”

More cool stuff about “Life Ain’t Easy” — the song’s lyrics, like “I got the jeans on, I got a rock ‘n’ roll song,” capture the defiance of sticking to your guns, no matter what the mainstream thinks. In a chat with Maximum Volume Music, Timmy called it their anthem, a nod to every ponytail rocker who’s laughed off trends like grunge or nu-metal. The track’s got a Southern rock swagger, with reviewers on RockmusicRaider comparing Rough’s delivery to a young Steve Earle on “Copperhead Road.” The New Roses Fan Club site mentions how the band played it for multinational troops in Afghanistan in 2017, with soldiers headbanging along despite the desert heat. That’s some serious rock ‘n’ roll spirit! Plus, the song’s video, premiered by BraveWords, shows the band having a blast, poking fun at their scrappy beginnings. If you’ve got a long-hair story, Zoo Freaks, let’s hear it!

So, how did The New Roses get their start? These Wiesbaden, Germany rockers kicked things off in 2007, officially taking the name The New Roses in 2012. Frontman Timmy Rough and drummer Urban Berz were the core, soon joined by guitarist Dizzy Presley and bassist Stefan Kassner. By 2013, Norman Bites and Hardy hopped on board, rounding out the lineup. Their debut EP, a self-titled four-tracker with a Tom Petty cover, dropped in 2012, but it was their first full album, Without a Trace, that landed a track on the German “Sons of Anarchy” soundtrack, as noted on SonicHits. Early on, they played over 150 shows across Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, opening for big names like ZZ Top and KISS. A 2015 deal with Napalm Records took them global, and by the time One More for the Road hit in 2017, they were rocking festivals like Hellfest and even the KISS Kruise. Their sound, pulling from Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, and The Black Crowes, feels straight out of the American South, which is wild for a German band!

Ready to dive into The New Roses’ world? Check out their official website for tour dates and merch that’ll make your inner rocker grin. They’re on Facebook and Instagram, posting killer live shots and behind-the-scenes fun. Follow their X account for the latest news and cheeky banter. For fan vibes, join the The New Roses Fans Facebook group or swing by the New Roses Fan Club site to swap stories and hunt for rare vinyl. Keep those dials locked on THE ZOO, Zoo Freaks, and let’s keep the long-hair rock ‘n’ roll dream alive!