From Tyler Hyde's gold Mustang bass to Georgia Ellery's shape-shifting between violin and mandolin, we break down the instruments powering Black Country, New Road's bold new era.
Since the release of their debut album For the First Time in 2021, Black Country, New Road have gained a well-earned reputation for being a band that has perfected the art of musical reinvention. Whether it be due to a global pandemic or the sudden departure of a prominent member, Black Country, New Road are a band that takes inconvenience in their stride and has not allowed themselves to be chained to any particular sub-genre.
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In 2025, the band released their third studio album, Forever Howlong, their first since parting ways with their guitarist and lead vocalist, Isaac Wood, resulting in vocal duties being shared between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw.
We take a look at how the band are crafting their sound in this new era of Black Country, New Road.
Bass
In a band with such an interesting array of instruments, it says a lot when it’s the bass guitar that first captures your attention and makes it hard to look away. The Fender Player Series Mustang PJ Bass in a striking Firemist Gold takes centre stage with Tyler Hyde at the helm.
Hyde’s signature style of effortlessly smooth basslines, which grow into powerful driving moments while she takes charge of the vocals, often serves as the focal point of the mix, underpinning many BCNR songs.
Hyde’s playing style is complemented by the bass’s “C” neck design, which is often attributed to comfort and fluidity, as we can see in her laid-back but precise playing. With a versatile PJ pickup configuration, Tyler can hone in on a wide range of frequencies as she blends between the Alnico 5 Single-Coil Jazz Bass® bridge pickup and Alnico 5 Split Single-Coil Precision Bass® middle pickup.
Guitars
Guitarist Luke Mark is often seen performing with a range of Fender guitars. According to various interviews and features with Guitar World, Mark appears to be no stranger to heavily modded guitars referencing a gold strat which belongs to former frontman Isaac Wood stating “it still has a Mojo Pickups Gold Foil in it, and now I’ve put an anodized metal pickguard on it: Gold Foil in the middle and the Creamery Firebird pickups in the neck and bridge.”
In the article, it is speculated that the guitar was originally built by Isaac using the remains of a Mexican Stratocaster, which we can see has now been further modified with a Telecaster neck. Mark has also recently toured using a Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster, however, with the pickguard removed, alongside a Sigma 000-15S acoustic guitar. Luke Mark’s strong sonic control and skill to cycle between soothing sounds and abrasive tones appear to come down to a desire to shape his output at the source.
More stringed instrument fun
Georgia Ellery is BCNR’s not-so-secret weapon in creating a truly unique shape-shifting sound. As well as sharing vocal duties, Ellery switches between violin and mandolin depending on what the song needs. Her staccato mandolin playing perfectly juxtaposes the long drawn-out notes of Lewis Evans’ saxophone and Luke Marks’ guitars, most evident on the track ‘Happy Birthday’. Drummer Charlie Wayne also gets in on the action, momentarily putting down his sticks to play banjo on the live fan-favourite ‘Mary.’
Brass, woodwind, keys and piano accordion
A key piece in Black Country, New Road’s signature sound is Lewis Evans’ saxophone and flute playing. Evans’ playing sweeps in and out of their songs, often harmonising with the vocals and occasionally providing a counterpoint melody. His saxophone playing is used as a way to embellish the big moments. On the title track of their latest offering, Forever Howlong each member, aside from pianist May Kershaw, plays a recorder while Kershaw sings and plays piano accordion, further showcasing the band’s shapeshifting talents.
