Tag: premiere

WATCH: Runner of the Woods, “Acadiana Girls”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Runner of the Woods
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Acadiana Girls”
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Label: Twinpost Music

In Their Words: “Who doesn’t love watching a bunch of accordions being smashed to bits? I wanted to celebrate the release of our new single, ‘Acadiana Girls,’ with a video depicting the chaos that ensues when children discover a stash of prized instruments. Acadiana is the Cajun region of Louisiana and the home of the song’s narrator. With its rich musical heritage, cuisine, and close family ties, it’s a place he loves deep down but needs to leave for now. This need to escape from Lafayette, Louisiana, ties in with the video’s theme of accordions being destroyed. I can definitely relate to this as an accordionist who loves Cajun music but also writes tunes for different genres. I feel that same push-pull between the urge to write original songs and the need to perform traditional music that never fails to pack a dance floor. That said, smashing these instruments with my two sons is probably the most fun I’ve ever had!” — Nicolas Beaudoing, Runner of the Woods

Photo credit: Michael Ernst

WATCH: Cave Twins, “Walk Together”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Cave Twins
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Song: “Walk Together”
Album: Best Friends For Now
Release Date: March 15, 2019
Label: Tiger Spa

In Their Words: “Atheists do got songs! We love everything about gospel music, except the message. So we worked up a little ‘humanist gospel tune’ about the glory of friendship and the power of human kindness. We paired it with this 1983 good old-fashioned family vacation to Cedar Point, all shot on a super 8 camera. Hot dog!” — Cave Twins

Photo credit: Roger Hoover

LISTEN: Uncle Walt’s Band, “Your Father’s Frown”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Uncle Walt’s Band
Hometowns: Spartanburg/Austin/Nashville
Song: “Your Father’s Frown”
Album: Uncle Walt’s Band
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Label: Omnivore

In Their Words: “This Walter Hyatt tune shows the band’s folk roots with its acoustic picking and three-part harmony. This song was one of the first ever recorded by the band on their original 1970 demo recordings.” — Mark Michel, executive reissue producer

“A real favorite that we played live for a while. I remember us talking about this song and the line ‘the moon comes up in the west.’ He (Walter Hyatt) used words to capture the feeling, which he did very well in his songs. Great lyrics as always.” — David Ball

Photo courtesy of Omnivore Records

LISTEN: Wolf van Elfmand, “Not Pretty”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Wolf van Elfmand
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Song: “Not Pretty”
Album: Gypsum
Single Release Date: March 1, 2019
Album Release Date: September 2019

In Their Words: “‘Not Pretty’ is the debut single off our upcoming album, Gypsum. It’s a bit of a toe-tapping, rockabilly number that the band and I arranged over the past few months. I was listening to a lot of Roger Miller when writing it and wanted to nod to his tongue-in-cheek yet thought-provoking style. Lyrically, ‘Not Pretty’ is expressing the old idea that you won’t know unless you try. You can’t let insecurity or fear run the show. You’ve got to be bold and you’ve got to believe.” — Wolf van Elfmand

Photo credit: Ben Larroquette

LISTEN: Julie Belle, “The Only Way to Mend Is to Forgive”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Julie Belle
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Song: “The Only Way to Mend Is to Forgive”
Release Date: March 1, 2019

In Their Words: “‘The Only Way to Mend Is to Forgive’ is a really long title, and I’ve been particularly stubborn about abbreviating it because I believe so strongly in the message. I love that people are talking about heart-work and wholeness, and I think forgiveness is the most important part. And for sure the worst part. I’ve learned (the hard way) that pain only serves to keep me tethered to the thing that hurts me most, and forgiveness is the only way to get free. This song is really about the idea of exploring that freedom.” — Julie Belle

Photo credit: Julie Belle

LISTEN: Dustin Bentall, ” If Yer Willin'”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Dustin Bentall
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “If Yer Willin'”
Album: High in the Satellite EP
Release Date: March 1, 2019
Label: Roaring Girl Records

In Their Words: “This is a song about being willing to take that chance in love and those feelings you get when you’re falling in that direction. Sometimes you get on that highway blindly and hope that you can make someone’s life richer in hopes that the same thing returned back to you. And maybe that love is just returning to a place you’ve been going to since childhood.” — Dustin Bentall

Photo credit: Stefan Berrill

LISTEN: Lovers Leap, “Love Is Gonna Live”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Lovers Leap
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee / Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Love Is Gonna Live”
Album: Lovers Leap
Release Date: April 19, 2019
Label: Indidog Records

In Their Words: “This song was written by our band members Joel and Shelby during the early days of their courtship, while Joel was living on James Island, South Carolina. Joel was renting an old farm house that had fallen into disrepair, and he was noticing the similarities between his neglected home and his broken heart. The song is a hopeful plea, that love could once again inhabit that old house. The lyrics draw on a deeply personal experience, but began to feel like a political anthem during the run-up to 2018 mid-term elections, with the lonely house symbolizing our broken, loveless political system. The Lovers Leap recording captures a joyful performance with Joel and Shelby swapping lead vocals, Mary chiming in on the choruses, and Billy’s dobro taking flight during the bridge.” — Lovers Leap

Photo credit: Steve Atkins

STREAM: The Honey Dewdrops, ‘Anyone Can See’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Honey Dewdrops
Hometown: Virginia, but now living in Baltimore, Maryland
Album: Anyone Can See
Release Date: March 1, 2019

In Their Words: “Anyone Can See came out of wanting to record the feeling of our live show. It’s the sound of us playing and singing together side by side and letting the songs unwind themselves down the paths they wanted to go. This is a record about what we’ve been thinking and feeling over the last few years. The songs are about what we can and cannot see, and the process of trying to see even when we’re not sure what we’re looking at.” — The Honey Dewdrops

Photo credit: Michael Patrick O’Leary

WATCH: Bluegrass Pride, “Live and Let Live”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Bluegrass Pride
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Song: “Live and Let Live” (feat. Justin Hiltner, Melody Walker, and Laurie Lewis)
Release Date: February 22, 2019

In Their Words: “This song was written in honor of Bluegrass Pride during our first season and almost immediately became our unofficial anthem here in San Francisco. Its message of inclusion and unqualified acceptance speaks to the exact mission of Bluegrass Pride and the way we want the world to be. Making this music video was really a way for us to show people what Bluegrass Pride is really about. When you watch this video and listen to this song, you can truly feel the community that made it and all the love that makes Bluegrass Pride so special. As we continue to grow, we hope that folks can take this message with them, and maybe, in the end, we can spread a little more unconditional love throughout the world and make tomorrow a little bit better.”

Photo credit: Michael Pegram

LISTEN: Silver Lake 66, “Ragged Heart”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Silver Lake 66
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Ragged Heart”
Album: Ragged Heart
Release Date: April 5, 2019

In Their Words: “‘Ragged Heart,’ the title track on our new album, was inspired by a documentary we watched about the tragic life of the late, deeply talented Townes Van Zandt. What resonated for me were the consequences brought on by the road taken in the pursuit of the dream. The narrator in ‘Ragged Heart’ yearns to reconnect with an estranged love, even though she realizes that the sacrifices made for the pursuit of a dream demand a heavy price. She’s been through hell and back with her partner, and her heart is worn and ‘ragged,’ although there is still a hint of hope in her words. Musically, the arrangements and instrumentation are stripped down and straight ahead to highlight the vocals. I think of this tune as having a modern California country vibe with a dash of the Bakersfield sound of the ‘60s thrown in for good measure.” — Maria Francis

Photo credit: Jason Quigley