GA-2.0

GA-20 — everyone's favorite bass-guitar-free Boston-based blues trio debut a new guitarist and drummer on their latest EP, Volume 2

- JOE BOSSO

MUSICAL DIFFERENCES” IS Matt Stubbs’ explanation for his recent split with his GA-20 co-founder, co-guitarist and singer Pat Faherty. When pressed for a bit more detail, Stubbs remains mum. “We've got to leave it at that,” he says. “There's powers above me, and it’s been made clear that’s where we're at — musical differences.”

Up till last year, Stubbs was on a rocket ride with the wild and woolly, stripped-down Boston-based trio (two guitars, drums, no bass) he and Faherty formed in 2017 that specialized in a jacked-up version of vintage Chicago electric blues. Their five albums (three studio discs and two live sets) debuted at either Number 1 or Number 2 on Billboard’s Blues Albums charts, racked up a boatload of wins and nominations at the Blues Music Awards and the New England Blues Awards, and the group’s crackerjack concerts attracted a loyal and growing legion of fans. And then things started to go wonky: Just as he was cutting ties with Faherty, Stubbs also saw drummer Tim Carman pack it in. The guitarist faced the prospect of rebuilding his band and brand from the ground floor up without losing steam.