Tag: premiere

LISTEN: Alyssa & Wayne Brewer, “Golden Ring”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner
Artist: Alyssa & Wayne Brewer
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Song: “Golden Ring”
Album: Alyssa and Wayne Sing George and Tammy
Release Date: July 14, 2023
Label: SGM (Stretch Grass Music) Records
In Their Words: “Collectively, ‘Golden Ring’ is our favorite George & Tammy duet that we’ve loved singing together through the years. That made it a very fitting choice for the first single with it also being their biggest #1 hit song and most identifiable duet! We are so proud to have included it on our debut album. If that wasn’t already a dream come true, we recently had the pleasure of meeting one of the gentleman, Rafe Van Hoy, that wrote this song at one of our performances in Nashville, TN. We hope you enjoy it and that it transports you into country music’s euphoric golden era as it does us every time that we are blessed to perform it together.” – Alyssa & Wayne Brewer
“I love Alyssa and Wayne Brewer’s new recording of ‘Golden Ring!’ So proud to have this wonderful couple put their golden touch to my song. A lot of people have done different versions for sure, but theirs is a great new and fresh take that also retains the classic elements with absolutely awesome vocal performances. Not an easy challenge to live up to the originals for sure, but they nailed it!” – Rafe Van Hoy, “Golden Ring” songwriter

Photo Credit: Katie Kauss

WATCH: Mark Wilkinson, “Taking Our Time”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Mark Wilkinson
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Song: “Taking Our Time”
Album: Golden Afternoons
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “I co-wrote this track with Ben Cramer from Old Sea Brigade. We wanted to write a song that carried a sense of nostalgia mixed with an optimism about the future. The song is essentially about how our lives are constantly evolving and about learning to adapt and let go of the past. It’s almost like a quiet pep talk to yourself to stop chasing history and start embracing what’s in front of you. Memories can be beautiful things, but spending too much time looking back can stop you creating something new. For me, the track is a recognition or realization of that, as it moves from reflective thoughts in the verses to a point of resolution in the bridge, culminating with the line, ‘I won’t fall into the shadows of what I intend to leave behind.'” – Mark Wilkinson

Photo Credit: Maclay Heriot

WATCH: My Brother’s Keeper, “The Edge of the River”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: My Brother’s Keeper
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Song: “The Edge of the River”
Album: Field Guide
Release Date: July 6, 2023 (vide0); May 26, 2023 (album)
Label: Robust Records

In Their Words: “‘The Edge of the River’ is a lively song that combines elements of bluegrass, folk rock, and quartet gospel. The river in the song is a simple metaphor of feeling stuck and lost in a personal journey. The song was recorded at Neon Cactus Studio in Cedar Grove, Indiana, and it opens our latest album, Field Guide, released on Robust Records. The music video was directed by Joseph Cox (Average Joe Films), who was instrumental in bringing our ‘music video meets indie film’ vision to life. The hilarious ‘Harmonica Man’ was played by Judah D’Amico.” – Benjamin Luckhaupt

Photo Credit: Wyatt “Sawmill” Murray

LISTEN: Martin Simpson & Thomm Jutz, “Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies” (feat. Cara Dillon)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Martin Simpson & Thomm Jutz
Hometown: Sheffield, England & Nashville, TN
Song: “Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies” (featuring Cara Dillon)
Album: Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs Of Mary Sands And Jane Gentry
Release Date: September 29, 2023
Label: Topic Records

In Their Words: “‘Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies’ is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs that I know. It is one of the better-known songs from the Sharp collection that is still sung on both sides of the Atlantic. Depending on where it is sung and by whom, different shades of meaning are illuminated – only a truly great song has this quality. We ran through this song twice in Cara’s kitchen, then headed upstairs to her studio and recorded it in one take. I have been a fan of Cara’s singing for a long time. Playing this song with her and Martin Simpson, one of the greatest guitarists on the planet, has been a highlight of my musical life.” – Thomm Jutz

“I’ve long considered that ‘Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies’ was one of the brightest jewels of Anglo-American folk songs. It has a bitter lyrical intensity and an exquisite and poignant melody which serves it so well. This setting and performance was the work of no time in recording terms, but it is three lifetimes worth of musical and personal experience, which allowed it to be captured with such ease. I loved working with Thomm on Nothing But Green Willow, and Cara Dillon is simply one of the finest singers of traditional song, as she demonstrates here.” – Martin Simpson

Photo Credit: Booney Crawford

LISTEN: Jen Ambrose, “Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Jen Ambrose
Hometown: Elmira, NY
Song: “Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do”
Album: Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do
Release Date: July 7, 2023 (single); October 6, 2023 (album)

In Their Words: “An evergreen blues tune and tempo, a smoking and biting band, and a voice as smooth as molasses. A winning recipe and you all are not ready to be swept away from it. ‘Plenty Of Nothing Nothing To Do’ is the second single from the homonym album, a feel good song to get over that nasty heartbreak.
“The level of catchiness is over the roof, thanks to the biting guitar riffs from the mind of Ken Orsow, co-writer on the album, and the lyrics, sung with a Shania-Twain-arrogance.” – Jen Ambrose

Photo Credit: Craig Alan

LISTEN: Jeremy Garrett, “How Low” (feat. Bonnie Sims)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Jeremy Garrett
Hometown: Loveland, Colorado
Song: “How Low” (featuring Bonnie Sims)
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘How Low’ is a cover of a solo artist named José Gonzalez. He describes the song as being about ‘mindless consumerism.’ I fell in love with the vibe this song encompasses and had a vision to see what it would be like to produce the song as a bluegrass-type ensemble piece. I brought in a couple of special guests for this one — Bonnie Sims of Taylor and Sims, Everybody Loves An Outlaw, and Big Richard is my singing partner (and she tears it up!) I also had Ryan Cavanaugh guest on banjo. I hope you dig it!” – Jeremy Garrett

Photo Credit: George Trent Grogan, Mountain Trout Photography

LISTEN: The Two Tracks, “Canyon Wren”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: The Two Tracks
Hometown: Sheridan, Wyoming
Song: “Canyon Wren”
Album: It’s a Complicated Life
Release Date: August 25, 2023

In Their Words: “I started writing ‘Canyon Wren’ as a series of two poetic pieces inspired by pictures from our place in Baja, Mexico, one of which is the cover of the single. From our place there, the sun rises over distant mountains and shines right into the faces of breaking waves along the Pacific coast. You check the surf while the arroyos and hillsides buzz with the sound of birds. The canyon wren is one of those birds. Often there can be fog, or dew hanging in the air – an elusive hint of moisture in this otherwise dry place. We love the calm, quiet, empty feel of those mornings as the landscape wakes up and I tried to capture a bit of that scene, and our time spent down there. Julie and I love empty, wild places as much as we love the busy life of performing music. I was musically inspired by the laid back, chill vibes of early J.J. Cale records, which I’ve listened to a lot over the years while driving through Baja, and tried to channel that sound into this track.” – Dave Huebner

Photo Credit: Jenae Neeson

WATCH: Leon Creek, “High Hopes”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Leon Creek
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “High Hopes”
Release Date: June 28, 2023

In Their Words: “The origins of Leon Creek as a band stems from our love of story songs in the country tradition. ‘High Hopes’ incorporates this approach, creating a song that is our ode to perseverance. We got the band together in the studio and cut this to capture the energy of our live show blending newly-mined honky-tonk influences with our singer Chris Pierce’s powerful soul vocals.” – Leon Creek (Chris Pierce, Matthew Stevens, and Erik Janson)

Photo Credit: Caitlyn Phu

LISTEN: The Chuck Wagon Gang, “I Will Not Cry Today”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: The Chuck Wagon Gang
Hometown: The current members are pretty scattered, but The Chuck Wagon Gang originated in Fort Worth, Texas
Song: “I Will Not Cry Today”
Album: Come Go With Me
Release Date: June 30, 2023
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Our main focus for this Chuck Wagon Gang recording was to find new songs. We had received several from writer Tami Pockstellar, who had written ‘Two Gardens’ from our previous project. Tami’s lyrics and melodies capture the freshness we were searching for, and ‘I Will Not Cry Today’ is a perfect example. It was challenging but fun to add this exciting bluegrass-styled song. I really believe these lyrics will be uplifting to listeners because they encourage us to keep pressing on, no matter the situation we find ourselves in.” – Shaye Smith, The Chuck Wagon Gang

“’I Will Not Cry Today’ was a great opportunity to feature The Chuck Wagon Gang as a trio and bring in some bluegrass-styled accompaniment, which the group wanted to feature on this album. The bluegrass world has always had a kinship with the music of the original Chuck Wagon Gang and it was special to be able to blend the two worlds together on this new song for the Gang.” – Jeremy Stephens, producer

Photo Credit: Jared Pyfer

LISTEN: Christian Parker, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Christian Parker
Hometown: Canton, New York
Song: “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
Album: Sweethearts
Release Date: August 18, 2023

In Their Words: “I first heard this song by Bob Dylan on an acoustic guitar. But I was hooked when I listened to the opening pedal steel guitar from The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. This song has been in my repertoire for decades, and it felt like I was recording an old friend! Tracer James’ interpretation of Lloyd Green’s pedal steel guitar perfectly opens the Sweethearts tribute. Earl Poole Ball played piano on the original album; hearing him on this tribute is a testament to his influence on the 1968 classic album! ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ is the opening track on the Sweethearts album, and it sounds like a train leaving the station and moving on down the tracks.” – Christian Parker

Photo Credit: Morgan Elliott