Tag: ep

WATCH: Josephine Johnson, “Where I Belong”

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Artist: Josephine Johnson
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
Song: “Where I Belong”
Album: Double High Five EP
Release Date: April 16, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Where I Belong’ is inspired by characters from those Patrick O’Brian British Navy novels set during the Napoleonic wars. Love and high seas adventure, to be sure. Andrew Sovine and I recorded the song in hopes of paying homage to the ethos and spaciousness of Daniel Lanois. Andrew plays electric leads, slide guitar, and Omnichord over my acoustic guitar. Mike Kapitan adds subtle keys and did the final mix and master. Alison Davis, a crew of local Savannahians, and I filmed the video in 18 hours all in one day on Tybee Island and Thunderbolt, Georgia.” — Josephine Johnson

Photo credit: Bailey Davidson

LISTEN: Bridget Rian, “Trailer Park Cemetery”

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Artist: Bridget Rian
Hometown: Long Island, New York; currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Trailer Park Cemetery”
Album: Talking to Ghosts (EP)
Release Date: July 9, 2021

In Their Words: “While driving through rural Florida on a road trip, I saw the trailer park cemetery that inspired this song. Something about how death was so close to the living was fascinating to me. At the time I was also reading a book that mentioned kids meeting in a cemetery to party and it reminded me of my reckless teenage years. ‘Trailer Park Cemetery’ is much more a commentary on life than it is death. It’s about how I want to be close to the living and don’t want to miss out on opportunities, even in death. I think I have this fear of being forgotten, of not making a difference with my life, and this song was a way to kind of express that.” — Bridget Rian

Photo credit: Libby Danforth

WATCH: Sonja Midtune, “Los Angeles”

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Artist: Sonja Midtune
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Los Angeles”
Album: Dreams Melt Away (EP)
Release Date: April 2, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Los Angeles’ is a song with multiple meanings. What starts as a love song quickly turns into an analogy about the relationship; pretty on the surface, but messy underneath, just like Los Angeles. It asks the question, ‘Are WE Los Angeles?’ and ends with me accepting L.A. as my home, but wow, I am lost here. The music video was shot by my boyfriend at all of my favorite unique L.A. spots that I’ve discovered through the years. He loves the song. 🙂 We had a blast!” — Sonja Midtune

Photo credit: Michelle Lanning

WATCH: Johnny Chops, “Trouble with the Truth”

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Artist: Johnny Chops
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Trouble with the Truth”
Release Date: April 2, 2021 (Single)
Album: Yours, Mine and the Truth EP
Label: Johnny Chops Music

In Their Words: “One September morning in 2019, I got up early, before the dogs or my wife were awake, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down in my writing room. This song fell out of the sky into my lap and was basically written in about an hour. It’s a departure from most of my material and some of the ‘songwriting rules’ I usually stick with. It isn’t a sing-along or an anthem, but more of a lament. I think of it as a sad little poem. Aside from my vocals and acoustic guitar, the rest of the track is producer and multi-instrumentalist David Abeyta. He put a lovely finish and a beautiful solo on this song.

“While I was writing the video treatment, I wanted to lean in to that lonely feeling by filming in some dark and bleak locations. I came across these dramatic spaces by researching abandoned buildings on YouTube and was lucky enough to contact the property owners through the Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce and get their permission to film. The video wouldn’t have the same visual depth or resonance without their assistance and patience. I also have to give some extra credit to the camera expertise of my DP, Brian Monnone (Big Flavor Films) for helping to capture the atmosphere of the song, as well as braving some structurally questionable locations. Creating this story has been an exciting exploration into videography, film and screenwriting. I have been telling tales through song for almost 20 years, so it’s an exciting next chapter that I hope to pursue more in the future.” — Johnny Chops

Photo credit: Brandon Aguilar

WATCH: Cole Quest and The City Pickers, “The Bitcoin Gambler”

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Artist: Cole Quest and The City Pickers
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “The Bitcoin Gambler”
Album Title: Self [En]Titled EP
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Label: Omnivore

In Their Words: “As a software engineer by day, a folk musician by night, and someone who lost a chunk of money in the Bitcoin crash of 2018, I felt I had a unique connection to this modern day dilemma. I wanted to write a song that would show the parallels of this moment to the gambling sagas folks have been telling for hundreds of years. First came the melody line written on guitar, and the rest of the song wrote itself in a matter of minutes. As the band laid down the tracks, I fell in love with the ending of the recording. You can hear how each musician found their own wonderfully unique voicing to this melody. As I was writing the song, I found myself reflecting on things that are important. Surely, gambling a few dollars was nothing to worry about, especially in contrast to the problems created by an ill-equipped fool in the White House.” — Cole Quest

Photo credit: James Salzano

WATCH: Tommy Emmanuel, “Flatt Did It” (with Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)

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Artist: Tommy Emmanuel with Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Flatt Did It”
Album: Accomplice Series Volume 1 With Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley EP
Release Date: May 7, 2021
Label: CGP Sounds

In Their Words: “My feelings about the sessions are they were very spontaneous, and in fact, I suggested ‘Flatt Did It’ and ‘Copper Kettle’ as pieces on the day we recorded them. That’s how it came about. It was very spontaneous. ‘Flatt Did It’ is a tribute to Lester Flatt and some of his classic kind of licks. We had the film crew in there for the day and they just rolled the cameras. We actually just played and ignored them almost.” — Tommy Emmanuel

“Well, it’s always great to work with Tommy. He’s such a great artist, and such a great person. There are always a lot of sparks flying when we play together, and all three of us are into lots of different musical genres, so that’s always fun to explore different musical territories when we get together. This song comes from an album that Chet Atkins did with Doc Watson. I love to hear Tommy and Trey play together. There’s a great respect between the two of them. They are both so brilliant. It’s great to hear them feeding off each other. And this song is just the perfect vehicle for a Dobro, so I’m enjoying the whole thing!” — Rob Ickes

“Yeah, this one was Tommy’s idea, and it’s a tune from the Doc Watson and Chet Atkins duo record. Rob and I both have a bluegrass background, and this song was written with the great bluegrass icon Lester Flatt in mind. (Hence the title.) It really was a natural fit and recording it with Tommy was so much fun! Getting to pick with Tommy and Rob any time is always a blast! Working in the studio with Tommy was so much fun, which I think is evident throughout this EP. The great vibe in the studio that day is prominent in the recordings. It was really just the three of us hanging out and playing tunes…what could be more fun?” — Trey Hensley

Photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen

WATCH: Samantha Crain, “Bloomsday”

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Artist: Samantha Crain
Hometown: Shawnee, Oklahoma
Single: “Bloomsday”
Album: I Guess We Live Here Now EP
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Label: Real Kind/Communion

In Their Words: “‘Bloomsday’ is the kind of song I never thought I’d be able to write. There is a certain peacefulness and stillness that I’d never thought I’d be able to write about, let alone experience personally. That old traditional gospel song ‘This Little Light of Mine,’ it feels so childlike and so ancient and wise at the same time and it has such a calming effect on me. I wanted to incorporate that feeling of hope and lightness in with my lyrical explorations of mindfulness and fortitude in my own life. With the video, I wanted to expand on that idea and show how easily those good and kind characteristics are passed on to others if we practice them in our own lives.” — Samantha Crain

Photo credit: Dylan Johnson

WATCH: Aaron Espe, “Take You Home”

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Artist: Aaron Espe
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Take You Home”
Album: Rock & Roll Man EP
Release Date: February 12, 2021
Label: Nettwerk

In Their Words: “I wish I could tell you this song is about rainbows and butterflies, but unfortunately it’s about a friend’s wife who died suddenly. Honestly, if you were to imagine any scene in Grey’s Anatomy where they’re rushing someone down the hallway on a stretcher, that’s the picture I had in my head while writing it. But thankfully songs can mean a lot of different things to different people. And those meanings are all valid. That’s why we all like songs. Between you and me, I kind of think songwriters sometimes ruin songs for people by telling us their thoughts on it. Just sometimes (and hopefully not this time).” — Aaron Espe

Photo courtesy of Nettwerk

LISTEN: Lizzie Weber, “Blue Wave Bloom”

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Artist: Lizzie Weber
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “Blue Wave Bloom”
Album: How Does It Feel EP
Release Date: January 22, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Blue Wave Bloom’ was the last song on the EP that I wrote in isolation during the shutdown. The red tide had just occurred in California and I was in awe of the bright blue colors enveloping the black sea. I began writing the lyrics, positioning the red tide as a metaphor for toxicity in one’s own mind, something that for me, arose with that extreme isolation. It served as my anthem, along with the other two EP songs, for overcoming adversity, reminding myself of my own willpower and strength in the face of any challenge. My hope is that this song resonates with the listener in that very same way, reminding them of their own power and personal strength, and their ability to survive the hardest of times.” — Lizzie Weber

Photo credit: Stephen Gilbert

LISTEN: Kandle and Kendel Carson, “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”

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Artist: Kandle and Kendel Carson
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Song: “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”
Album: Birds EP
Release Date: January 1, 2021

In Their Words: “As a ’90s kid surrounded by rock ‘n’ roll, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Neil Young. Many of his songs were the first I ever learned to play on guitar and his influence has always been a little bit present in my songwriting. Kendel Carson and I set out to do this project simply to bring a little joy into our lives and to those who choose to listen. These are dark times and often on a hard day, all I need to lift me up is a beautiful melody and a lyric I can relate to.” — Kandle

Photo credit: Jeff Mitchell