Two Guitars, a Detroit Rhythm Section and a Third Man Master Shape the Track
Two guitars carry Reluctant Prophets by Happy Curmudgeons, and neither one is stuck on rhythm duty. The Detroit band chose the song to open 2nd Chances, their second album, and its music video is out now. They call the project new classic rock, and the recording earns the description.
Happy Curmudgeons are in the playlist below with Reluctant Prophets, and the band’s wider coverage lives on the Happy Curmudgeons artist page. The track came to this desk through PopHits.Co Music Charts, which verifies independent artists and places their releases across its network of music news sites. Put it on, then keep reading for how the guitars were built.
Happy Curmudgeons Share the Reluctant Prophets Guitar Parts Between Dave Hamilton and Vaughn Mortimer
Dave Hamilton founded Happy Curmudgeons in metro Detroit in 2015. He wrote Reluctant Prophets with guest guitarist Vaughn Mortimer, who also plays with The Outfit and Big Donut. The two did not settle into the usual lead and rhythm roles. Instead, they share the guitar parts, so the melodic lines pass between them as the song moves.
That choice sets the tone for everything else on the track. Underneath, Takashi Iio on bass and Todd Glass on drums hold a steady pocket. As a result, the guitars have room to move. The lyric opens on a line about the patience of Job. In addition, reviews of the album have singled out both the harmonies and the guitar work on this opener. Nothing here is decoration; each part has a job.
The nearest reference for that shared guitar approach is the Eagles. On Hotel California in 1976, Don Felder and Joe Walsh passed lead lines back and forth through the title track’s long coda. Then they locked into harmony. Reluctant Prophets works on a smaller scale, but the principle is the same. In both cases, two guitarists trade the melody instead of splitting into one soloist and one accompanist.
The Black Crowes are the other useful parallel. The Atlanta band spent the early 1990s making records rooted in the Rolling Stones and the Faces. By then, that sound was supposedly finished. Likewise, Happy Curmudgeons work from the same belief. They describe their own sound as new classic rock. Accordingly, the recording treats the old language as a working tool, not a museum piece.
A Studio Collective With a Live Line-Up
Happy Curmudgeons began as a collective of studio musicians that Hamilton brought together. That is why guest players such as Mortimer fit in so easily. However, the current line-up is broader still. Amy Dixon-Lavery sings, and Jeff Warner adds vocals, guitar and mandolin. Dawson Rogers covers keyboards, vocals, guitar, harmonica and saxophone. Meanwhile, Eli Campioni plays bass and Noah Campioni plays drums.
Mark Byerly’s Production and a Bill Skibbe Master at Third Man Records Give the Track Its Weight
The band’s writing process explains the finish. Hamilton brings lyrics, and Jeff Warner brings songs going back 30 years. The pair start each track as a demo with producer Mark Byerly. The other players then work on the song until the band can play it from start to finish. In a 2025 interview with Animal Rights Music, the band described Byerly as the secret member who keeps the wheels turning. Back in 2022, The Static Dive reviewed the single Rustic Glory. It placed Byerly at the board with engineers Josh Ford and Joel Bunkowske.
Bill Skibbe mastered every song on 2nd Chances at Third Man Records in Detroit. The connection came after Hamilton met Jack White at an event. Later, the band watched the same plant press a limited run of the album on red vinyl. On a guitar-led record, that final stage matters. A careful master keeps two guitar parts distinct instead of blurring them together.
In the end, the sound itself sits where the band say it does. Happy Curmudgeons describe their music as a blend of classic rock, country and blues. To them, it adds up to their own kind of Americana. Reluctant Prophets puts the guitars at the front of that blend. As a result, it works as a statement of intent at the top of the album.
From the RockRevival.News Curator Team: “What sold us on Reluctant Prophets is its discipline. Two guitarists could easily stretch this into a seven-minute jam. Yet the recorded version wraps up in three minutes and 26 seconds, and every guitar line earns its place.”
Where to Hear Happy Curmudgeons and Reluctant Prophets, From the Video to Seven SiriusXM Channels
The quickest route in is the video, which runs for three and a half minutes. After that, turn to the full album. 2nd Chances came out through Spectra Music Group in July 2024 with ten original songs. The band say its tracks have now passed a million plays on Spotify.
Radio has taken an interest too. SiriusXM has played Happy Curmudgeons songs on Underground Garage, the Chris Stapleton channel and The Loft. They have also aired on BB King’s Bluesville, North Americana, Deep Tracks and Tom Petty’s Buried Treasure show. That spread, in other words, says something about the record. Specifically, it sits beside garage rock, roots music, blues and deep-cut classic rock without changing its accent. Meanwhile, the band are already writing songs for a third album.
Stream Reluctant Prophets and the rest of 2nd Chances on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, Bandcamp and ReverbNation. The band also sell red vinyl copies through their official website.
Follow Happy Curmudgeons across platforms: Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, X and their YouTube channel.
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