Artist: Adam Klein
Hometown: ATL-via-Athens, Georgia
Song: “Bright Rails Shine”
Album: Holidays in United States
Release Date: April 7, 2023
Label: Cowboy Angel Music
In Their Words: “For more than a few years I’d had some three-word phrase I’ve already forgotten tied to the brief melody the words ‘bright rails shine’ are sung to, and out of nowhere during the process of writing songs for the album the ‘bright rails’ lyric came to mind and blended with that melody. Then it was off to the races (over the course of some weeks) on a mystique-filled travelogue in my mind upon the rails of the varied expanse of America in hopes of writing an ode to the promise of this great land and its people.
“The song was originally recorded by Will Robertson at his Gallop Studios in Atlanta, and he’s on upright bass. Bret Hartley played some gorgeous swell-filled electric guitar and Colin Agnew’s drums have a bounce that’s somewhere between a train chug and a gallop. We recorded together live and it felt good. Then to lift it up, Bronson Tew further produced, mixed, and mastered the song (along with the rest of the album). Jay Gonzalez added some high, light piano and a spacey organ sound he called a ‘Gypsy Grinder,’ or something of the sort, which added a really unique tone.
“I couldn’t imagine ending the album with any other song. Holidays is a bit of an intense ride and these songs challenge us in a way. But ‘Bright Rails’ reminds us of what we can be, what we have to lose, and leads us off gently into a place of age-old hope and promise. It’s as good a place to start as finish, I think, so I’m pleased it can be shared here and help usher in the record on the brink of the album release. The lyric video was created by filmmaker Jeff Shipman, my good friend and longtime collaborator.” — Adam Klein
Photo Credit: Sean Dunn
