Tag: indie

LISTEN: Beth Lee, “Birthday Song”

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Artist: Beth Lee
Hometown: Houston, Texas, now residing in Austin
Song: “Birthday Song”
Album: Waiting on You Tonight
Release Date: February 12, 2021

In Their Words: “I wrote this just before my birthday in 2018 for a songwriter game I am a part of, given the prompt ‘close my eyes.’ I sent it to Vicente Rodriguez, my friend and eventual producer, on his birthday a couple weeks later, and he loved it. It seemed apropos that we ended up booking studio time the week of his and guitarist James DePrato’s birthdays the following year. The song came together quickly in the studio with some minimalistic percussion, James’ guitar magic, some hand claps, and my favorite finishing touch, the glockenspiel. It was the first song we really finished and I remember thinking, yeah, this is going to be a good record.” — Beth Lee

Photo credit: Eryn Brooke

WATCH: Colin Macleod, “The Long Road”

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Artist: Colin Macleod
Hometown: Isle of Lewis, Scotland
Song: “The Long Road”
Album: Hold Fast
Release Date: June 18, 2021
Label: So Recordings

In Their Words: “‘The Long Road’ is a song about the ins-and-outs of regret. The times when you can’t help but think you could have tried a little harder, maybe reached out a little further. It’s also about the redemptive powers of a good friend and some strong words.” — Colin Macleod

Photo credit: Jack Johns

LISTEN: Adam Klein, “Halfway to Heaven”

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Artist: Adam Klein
Hometown: Atlanta via Athens, Georgia
Song: “Halfway to Heaven”
Album: Little Tiger: Outtakes from Low Flyin’ Planes
Release Date: January 22, 2021
Label: Cowboy Angel Music

In Their Words: “’Halfway to Heaven’ was originally intended for inclusion on the Low Flyin’ Planes album, but wasn’t actually recorded during those sessions. It was always a key song for me from the collection, and a companion piece to the title track, which also premiered on The Bluegrass Situation. I figured we’d just put it on the opposite side of the record from the song ‘Low Flyin’ Planes,’ but there were such strong thematic strands connecting the two songs that it felt like it served the same purpose. So we decided to kick it down the road a bit, and it’s finally finding a home on this EP of outtakes from Low Flyin’ Planes.

“The track was recorded on a subsequent visit to Dial Back Sound studio and features producer and engineer Bronson Tew (who also mixed and mastered LFP and the outtakes EP) on acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, and harmony vocals, and Jay Gonzalez (Drive-By Truckers) on Wurlitzer. As usual, I sang and played acoustic guitar. And I want to highlight Bronson’s role in bringing my songs to life — our musical efforts are a real partnership, and producers like him, who build and shape the sonic landscape of songs and records, deserve more credit than they often receive. ‘Halfway to Heaven’ directly expresses the main themes and questions of Low Flyin’ Planes, as I sought balance between the precarious lifestyle of a touring musician and traveler, in general, and a more settled, domestic life with my then-girlfriend, now wife.” — Adam Klein

Photo credit: Jeff Shipman

WATCH: Taylor Ashton (Feat. Rachael Price), “Alex”

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Artist: Taylor Ashton (featuring Rachael Price)
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York via Vancouver B.C.
Song: “Alex”
Album: Romanticize
Release Date: February 5, 2021
Label: Signature Sounds

In Their Words: “Rachael and I traveled to On Deck Sound Studio in Connecticut to do a streaming show from their live room just after the new year, and before the show started broadcasting we filmed this stripped down version of ‘Alex,’ which is a song on my upcoming EP Romanticize (a companion to my album The Romantic which came out last year). The produced version is lush, with piano, electric guitar, drums, bass clarinet and synths, but I love the way this song feels just stripped down to the skeletal banjo part and the two voices. Rachael and I singing together has definitely been a hallmark of this quarantine time, since we would usually be too busy with our respective schedules to make it work. So the song ‘Alex’ and this stripped-down live video are a record of this time and this silver lining of an otherwise extremely weird year.” — Taylor Ashton

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

WATCH: The Burnt Pines, “Diamonds”

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Artist: The Burnt Pines
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Lisbon, Portugal
Song: “Diamonds”
Album: The Burnt Pines
Release Date: January 22, 2021
Label: Adraela Records

In Their Words: “This song offers a bit of a different twist on a typical love song, in that it’s told from the perspective of a faithful and committed partner, in a complicated and difficult relationship, as many relationships are. It’s an aching love song. Through the twists and turns and uncertainties of his relationship with his partner, and dealing with her indecision between wanting both a mutual commitment and a certain freedom that she imagines outside the relationship, he keeps returning to his intense and poignant feelings in the song’s chorus: ‘I bleed apart. Torment in the colorful rain. Diamonds, oh diamonds, I don’t mind getting old for you, babe.’ Love often isn’t easy.” — Aaron Flanders, The Burnt Pines

Photo credit: Rui Major, The Burnt Pines

WATCH: Hiss Golden Messenger, “Sanctuary”

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Artist: Hiss Golden Messenger
Hometown: Durham, North Carolina
Song: “Sanctuary”
Release Date: January 13, 2021
Label: Merge Records

In Their Words: “Over the past year, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we care for ourselves and each other, and how hard it is to live truthfully in a world that is so tangled. ‘We sell the world to buy fire, our way lighted by burning men,’ says the poet Wendell Berry. The song ‘Sanctuary’ is one small piece of my own personal reckoning with what it feels like to search for some kind of shelter in the storm. Fare thee well, John Prine, AKA Handsome Johnny, a speaker of truth if ever there was one.” – M.C. Taylor / Hiss Golden Messenger

Photo credit: Chris Frisina

WATCH: Buck Meek, “Candle”

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Artist: Buck Meek
Hometown: Wimberley, Texas
Song: “Candle”
Album: Two Saviors
Release Date: January 15, 2021
Label: Keeled Scales

In Their Words: “Have you spoken to your god through a seashell? Have you ever instinctually called a loved one the instant after a near-death experience? Has a nosebleed ever sprung at the definitive moment of personal growth, like a threshold? Has a friend felt you light a candle from 1000 miles away? Do you drive with the windows down and the heat on full blast? Have your eyes changed color?” — Buck Meek

Photo credit: Robbie Jeffers

WATCH: Scott Mulvahill Shows His ‘Creative Potential’ in the Studio

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Some instruments tend to have a pretty specific role in the world of roots music. It takes a great deal of ingenuity and skill to challenge these roles, create something truly unique, and expand the capabilities of an instrument. That is exactly what singer-songwriter Scott Mulvahill has done with his growing catalog of solo material. Not only is he a talented both singing and songwriting, but he is also a world-renowned bass player, previously fulfilling low-end duties for Ricky Skaggs’ legendary bluegrass band Kentucky Thunder.

Mulvahill’s creativity and uniqueness shine in his 2020 release, Creative Potential, a project filled with songs that put a smile on your face. Love, happiness, and joy are each subjects of several of the tracks, making this EP a bright spot in a dull year. Smooth singing and skillful playing abound, but an extra treat in this release is the wonderfully thought-out arrangement and presentation of the music. If you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to Scott Mulvahill yet, we highly recommend you get on the train and hear just what is so special about Creative Potential.

Photo credit: Lindsey Patkos

WATCH: Sierra Hull Draws on Animation in “Beautifully Out of Place”

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Sierra Hull, an accomplished instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter who also co-hosted the IBMA Awards this year, notched another career highlight this fall. In her first fully animated music video for “Beautifully Out of Place” she offers a refreshed meaning to the song, now set to the story of a girl walking through her day and noticing beauty in many modest places. Be it a flower growing through the sidewalk or silhouettes forming in the clouds, the main character finds herself more open to the lyrical message of “Beautifully Out of Place.”

Hull’s latest album, 25 Trips, features several heavy-hitting songs such as this, featuring positive themes, skillful singing, and weightless picking. In an interview with American Songwriter, Hull echoes this song’s sentiment, saying that the message holds true in the world even now; during an unprecedented time of uncertainty and unrest, there is still abundant beauty to behold. By the way, her song “Ceiling to the Floor” (also from 25 Trips) is up for a Grammy Award in the category of Best American Roots Song. Watch “Beautifully Out of Place” below.

Photo credit: Gina Binkley

WATCH: Teddy and Richard Thompson Swap Songs on ‘Woodstock Sessions’

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As we begin to roll into a new year, it is important to remember the important things in life and to be thankful for the goodness around us, like health, family, and music. In this edition of Friends & Neighbors, father and son Teddy Thompson and Richard Thompson grace the camera and perform a lovely set of songs for a Woodstock Sessions crew. With familiarity and comfort that only kinship can produce, the two share laughs, smiles, and charming songs that have decorated each of their respected careers.

The sessions kick off with the title track from Teddy Thompson’s new album, Heartbreaker Please. It’s his first solo release since 2011 and a complete representation of what he describes as a catholic taste in music, enjoying sounds and styles from many eras and genres. In addition, this Woodstock Session includes two of Richard Thompson’s landmark songs, as well as a cover of “Cut Across Shorty.” The fun and joviality this duo has while performing together is enough to warm the heart and kindle the flames of thankfulness and reflection. Watch these British icons share the frame here.