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LISTEN: Amber Rubarth, ‘Ball and Chain’

Apr 12, 2016

Artist: Amber Rubarth
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Song: "Ball and Chain"
Album: Scribbled Folk Symphonies
Release Date: April 15
Label: Chesky Records

In Their Words:  "I wrote this on a long drive to Memphis and first laid it down on my little four-track with just harmonies and a sung bass line — one hand on the steering wheel, the other pressing record. The original demo has a lot of wind and car noises. My heart had been fully invested for some time in a half-relationship with someone who didn't want to commit and, for the first time there, I came to peace with this idea that, if you are not on the same page on a commitment level with someone, it's best to let it go. Maybe obvious, and easier said than done, but in that moment writing this, I felt like a weight I'd been carrying for years was left behind.

In the old church in Brooklyn where we recorded, we played this one first early in the morning, all live around one microphone, with Jeff Taylor on vocals, Dave Eggar on cello, Victoria Paterson on violin, and myself on guitar and vocals. My favorite part of this entire album is that, artistically, it's so intertwined with many of my favorite musicians in New York." — Amber Rubarth


Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

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