Tag: premiere

LISTEN: Clare Bowen, “Tide Rolls In”

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Artist: Clare Bowen
Hometown: South Coast, New South Wales, Australia
Song: “Tide Rolls In” (featuring Buddy Miller)
Album: Clare Bowen
Release Date: July 12, 2019
Label: BMG

In Their Words: “‘Tide Rolls In’ is about people and things that seemed like a good idea at the time. We’ve all put our love in the wrong place at some point — my romantic career before I met my sweet, wonderful husband Brandon was a proverbial train wreck, with napalm on top. Brandon and I have the most incredible love story that people ask me about all the time, and I want everyone to know that we didn’t just find each other immediately. It started with self love, for both of us. If you’ve made dreadful romantic choices in the past, you’re not damaged goods, like I thought I was — you are a beautiful, unique creature who deserves to be loved so very much. Especially by your own heart.” — Clare Bowen

Photo Courtesy of Activist Artist Management

LISTEN: Michael Paul Lawson, “Memories and Throttle”

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Artist: Michael Paul Lawson
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Song: “Memories and Throttle”
Album: Some Fights You’ll Never Win
Release Date: July 12, 2019

In Their Words: “Driving has always been a kind of therapy for me. It’s where I do a lot of personal reflection and allow myself to sink into thoughts and feelings that I need to work through. Around the time I wrote ‘Memories and Throttle,’ I was trying pretty hard to win back the affections of someone that was pretty resolute in their position. I would get in the car and a thousand different scenes would play out in my head, each one ultimately leading to the same outcome. But even when I’m in a better place and not longing for some lost love, I still find myself going back through past relationships when I’m on the road. It’s a nostalgia trigger, and it’s addicting.” — Michael Paul Lawson

Photo credit: Rico Marcelo

LISTEN: Whitey Johnson, “If It’s Really Gotta Be This Way”

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Artist: Whitey Johnson (aka Gary Nicholson)
Hometown: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Song: “If It’s Really Gotta Be This Way”
Album: More Days Like This
Release Date: June 7, 2019
Label: Blue Corn Music

In Their Words: “‘If It’s Really Gotta Be This Way’ was co-written with Donnie Fritts and Arthur Alexander. One of Donnie’s treasured memories is of being present at the studio above the drugstore in Florence, Alabama, when Arthur walked in snapping his fingers and singing ‘You Better Move On.’ I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write and play on a new record by one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his time, revered and covered by Beatles, Stones, Dylan, and many more. It was so sad when Arthur passed before he could tour for the record. I played his last show with him, and we did our song. It’s so great to finally record my own version. I’m forever grateful to my dear friend Donnie Fritts for getting us together.” — Whitey Johnson

Photo credit: Stacie Huckaba

LISTEN: The Iveys, “Whatever Comes”

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Artist: The Iveys
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Song: “Whatever Comes”
Album: Colors of Honey
Release Date: June 7, 2019

In Their Words: “This song was a work of love. ‘Whatever Comes’ came to me as an idea I had of a parent talking to their child and telling them to not listen to any negativity from others, to not ever doubt themselves, and to believe with all their heart that they can, and will, accomplish great things in life. My co-writer and sister, Jenna Ivey, deserves a lot of credit for bringing this song to where it is now. I almost gave up on it at one point! But she is a great lyricist, and as we talked through the song, she reminded me that parents want their children to grow up strong, to climb mountains, take on challenges, and face the fears…whatever comes. After all, there’s no such thing as a dream too big.” — Arlen Ivey

Photo credit: Fernie Ceniceros

LISTEN: Lindsay Lou, “Ready”

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Artist: Lindsay Lou
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Ready”
Release Date: June 7, 2019

In Their Words: “‘Ready’ is about coming out of the darkness of doubt into the jubilation of knowing love is within us and all around us. Living in that light is empowering, but in the haze of hate speech and the endless broadcasting of bad news it can be easy to lose sight. Reclamation of love and finding faith in the ebb and flow feels like Mother Nature breathing new life into barren branches after a long winter.” — Lindsay Lou

Photo credit: Scott Simontacchi

LISTEN: Liz Vice, “It Was Good”

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Artist: Liz Vice
Hometown: Portland, Oregon (currently Brooklyn, New York)
Song: “It Was Good”
Release Date: Single — May 31, 2019

In Their Words: “We are more alike than different. I like to erase the line between the stage and the audience by bringing some people on stage (when possible). When I perform ‘It Was Good,’ I always break the ice by saying this is my ‘Make America Great Again’ song. The crowd reaction is about 50/50 haha. My hope is to transport the audience back to a time, that I believe describes the creation of the world and humans in a poetic way; a short time of innocence before humans decided to play god and draw the line between good and evil/’us vs. them.’ If I only have 5 minutes to remind a group of people that they are made from love to love freely, then I hope ‘It Was Good’ does the job and in the process, through their faces, I, too, am reminded to love.” — Liz Vice

Photo credit: Chimera Rene

LISTEN: Isaiah Breedlove, “Save Your Pennies”

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Artist: Isaiah Breedlove
Hometown: Cashiers, North Carolina
Song: “Save Your Pennies”
Album: Save Your Pennies
Release Date: July 26, 2019
Label: Gold Ship Records

In Their Words: “I wrote this song on an old Kay small body, looking at the big flag on our porch. A friend had told me a few months back, ‘Save your pennies and I’ll take you fishing out west.’ And I had kept that line in my hip pocket since.” — Isaiah Breedlove

Photo credit. Amber Breedlove

WATCH: Anthony da Costa, “Shadow Love”

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Artist: Anthony da Costa
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Shadow Love” (Acoustic)
Album: Shadow Love EP
Release Date: Single – May 31st; EP – June 14th

In Their Words: “This is a song that has followed me around for years. I first wrote this song back in 2015 and have performed it live with my band many times… I always had fun playing it, but never felt like it was all the way there. My friend Ruth Moody (of The Wailin’ Jennys) and I had recently been discussing the possibility of writing songs together. While working on the EP, I decided to send ‘Shadow Love’ to Ruth and asked her to write another verse. She sent me that second verse while on the road, and it haunted me for days afterwards. ‘Maybe I knew you long before I met you / a hologram, a winter mist / Not everything can last forever / Not everything can feel like this.’ The song was done. What was once a loud Weezer-rock shredder became a duet between two loves, two ghosts. I wanted to share this live, acoustic version of the song (featuring Ruth as well as Sam Howard on bass) as a capture of friends sharing a feeling in real time. Enjoy!” — Anthony da Costa

Photo credit: Jacqueline Justice

LISTEN: Lizzie Weber, “When You Look at Me”

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Artist: Lizzie Weber
Hometown: Seattle, Washington via St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “When You Look at Me”
Release Date: May 31, 2019 (single)

In Their Words: “This song is an intimate reflection on the physical and emotional feelings that arose when I found myself falling in love. When composing it, I wanted that intimacy to be palpable; for it to feel as though it were a poem written from one lover to another. I kept the arrangement simple, leaving space for the vocal to be surrounded by the warm tones of the open tuning on my acoustic guitar and melodic embellishments from piano, strings, and the electric. My hope is that it inspires the listener to reflect on a moment in time when they felt enraptured by another.” — Lizzie Weber

Photo credit: Tony Hammons

LISTEN: Damn Tall Buildings, “I’ll Be Getting By”

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Artist: Damn Tall Buildings
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “I’ll Be Getting By”
Album: Don’t Look Down
Release Date: June 7, 2019

In Their Words: “‘I’ll Be Getting By’ harkens to a summer day, almost assuredly finding yourself in a boat on a river. You glance at the wake behind you, unable to prevent memories flooding back from miles upstream. You reach into the water and realize the very same river slipping quickly through your fingers is faithfully carrying you with it. As the river and you barrel forward together, time’ll get you where you’re going whether you think it’s wasted or not.” — Avery ‘Montana’ Ballotta, Damn Tall Buildings

Photo attached: Scott McCormick