Tag: premiere

WATCH: Bonnie & Taylor Sims, “Texas Again”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Bonnie & Taylor Sims
Hometown: Longmont, Colorado
Song: “Texas Again”
Album: Bonnie & Taylor Sims
Release Date: September 15, 2023
Label: BonTay Enterprises

In Their Words: “‘Texas Again’ started out to be an epic, Grapes of Wrath-esque story of the Sims family, but it soon turned into a love story for the motherland. The diversity of Texas geography has always been in my heart and you can see it all – if you’re willing to drive 18 hours. I love Colorado, but nostalgia is a helluva drug and Texas will be forever home… it will get these ashes when it’s done.” – Taylor Sims

Photo Credit: Natalie Jo Grey

LISTEN: Rachel Garlin, “Madelyne Why”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Rachel Garlin
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Song: “Madelyne Why”
Album: The Ballad of Madelyne and Therese
Release Date: July 21, 2023

In Their Words: “During a family vacation at the beach, I saw a pair of tattered macrame sandals in the waves. They were tied together with a strip of linen, as if someone had carefully attached them before wildly abandoning them. Interested in this tension – care, attachment, abandon, abandonment – I strummed some chords in a Joni Mitchell-esque ‘open tuning’ while spinning out a tale of a fictional beach-goer who had left me this clue to her life-story. The original version was called “Caroline Why,” but I tired of singing Caroline (so many songs with that name!) and so I asked a few friends to suggest names that had a similar cadence to Caroline and Madelyne rose to the top.” – Rachel Garlin

Photo Credit: Tiffany Murray

LISTEN: Handsome Ghost, “Tonight Comes Round Again”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Handsome Ghost
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Tonight Comes Round Again”
Album: Handsome Ghost
Release Date: July 14th, 2023 (single); August 25, 2023 (album)
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “Eddie and I were chatting through plans recently – tours, recording, etc. – and we realized that we’ve been making music together for over 10 years. Which, in band years, is more like a thousand, in my opinion. Most of the songs on our new record are about my life in music in one way or another. ‘Tonight Comes Round Again’ is about a time many years back, when we were in New York a lot. Neither one of us actually lived there, but we just kind of claimed it as our home base until there was a tour to do or a record to make. The song itself is about a brief relationship of mine during that time. She wanted casual, I wanted more – and frustration naturally ensued as we tried to make something work. It’s rich looking back on it now, given that I was hoping for something serious while I was crashing on couches every night.” – Tim Noyes

Photo Credit: Seb Keefe

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