Tag: premiere

WATCH: Wood Belly, “Gone Are the Days”

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Artist: Wood Belly
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Song: “Gone Are the Days”
Album: Man on the Radio

In Their Words: “‘Gone Are the Days’ is a project we’ve been working on, well, for a lifetime. The video features some of Wood Belly’s childhood home movies interlaced with moments from the last few years playing music across the country. We wanted to pay homage to our roots and express our undying gratitude to the people that helped us get to where we are and will go. There’s a clip towards the end of a couple of our moms hugging during our set in Telluride, Colorado, which pretty much sums up the whole idea. Much love to everyone who made us who we are.” — Chris Weist, Wood Belly

Photo credit: Emily Sierra Photography

LISTEN: Cold Chocolate, “Gone”

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Artist: Cold Chocolate
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Gone”
Album: Down the Line
Release Date: June 26, 2020

In Their Words: “‘Gone’ was the last track we wrote for the album and will be the final track on it. Of all the songs off the new record it actually has the most similar of a vibe to our previous recordings, tapping into that high-energy bluegrass feel that we love. But we really ended up fusing a lot of genres within this short song, stretching from bluegrass and hillbilly country to disco funk. The song started out in rehearsals as an upbeat country groove with some simple, cheeky lyrics, and we immediately gravitated toward its playfulness. When we brought it into the studio, Sam Kassirer, who played keys on the record, threw this cool gospel organ on top which heightened the intrigue of the song tenfold. We’re delighted by how it all came together and psyched for its release!” — Ethan Robbins and Ariel Bernstein, Cold Chocolate

Cold Chocolate · Gone

Photo courtesy of Cold Chocolate

WATCH: Distant Cousins, “Angelina” (Live)

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Artist: Distant Cousins
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Angelina”
Album: Here & Now
Release Date: June 5, 2020 (single); June 26, 2020 (album)
Label: Jullian Records

In Their Words: “A few months back, B.C.E (Before Coronavirus Era), we rented out one of our favorite studios for the day and we recorded and filmed it all — nine songs in the day. The vibe in the room was really special. All day long, our musician friends kept coming and going to lend their special talent to our music. It’s hard to believe that that was just a few months ago. Now it all feels like a dream. Certain songs ask for a feeling of intimacy and ‘Angelina’ felt like it needed just that. We found a quiet moment somewhere towards the middle of the day while no one else was around and in the dimly lit room, the song almost played itself. We are very pleased with the result and love how our director, David Schlussel, captured that sense of intimacy that the song represents to us.” — Distant Cousins

Photo credit: Ehud Lazin

WATCH: Crandall Creek, “This Heart of Mine”

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Artist: Crandall Creek
Hometown: Moundsville, West Virginia
Song: “This Heart of Mine”
Album: Headed South
Release Date: May 15, 2020
Label: Bell Buckle Records

In Their Words: “The song ‘This Heart of Mine’ is a coming-of-age ballad about acceptance and moving on when love doesn’t work out as planned. Crandall Creek works together as a team to write, record, and arrange our bluegrass music style, which has become a crossover, acoustic country style. Lilli Gadd, who is singing lead, really knocks it out of the park when it comes to delivering a song. Our harmonies are our own, it almost feels like a family band, but we are not… we are just connected musically.” — Jerry Andrews, Crandall Creek

Photo credit: Bruce Winges

LISTEN: Mark Olson & Ingunn Ringvold, “Black Locust”

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Artist: Mark Olson & Ingunn Ringvold
Hometown: Joshua Tree, California
Song: “Black Locust”
Album: Magdalen Accepts the Invitation
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Label: Fiesta Red Records

In Their Words: “I moved to the desert in ‘95 and bought a cabin that had been abandoned in the Landers earthquake. There was a water tank for delivered water, a pretty porch and a lot of stray debris in the yard — plus a number of broken aquariums scattered throughout the landscape!

“To make the place livable I hired a local legend by the name of John Edwards. He was a very talented carpenter and mind reader of the natural fauna and flora that live and grow in that high UV environment. One of his many lessons that stuck with me was his method of planting trees in the desert. Suffice it to say, the process of defeating the terrible raging Mojave’s desert sun with prized cool-down trees is rather complicated and labor intensive — and even requires some plumbing and trenching skills to redirect gray water lines.

“On many occasions, John proclaimed that the fruitless mulberry tree was the best for fast growth and significant shade — and that the black locust was an acceptable alternative. To prove his point he took me over to his family home to see his pride and joy: a giant Yucca Valley mulberry that covered his entire front yard, house and half the street.

“The black locust tree is in my mind the subject of this song because of the knowledge that was passed on during that not-forgotten reconstruction project. The black locust grows wild in the Owens Valley along the stream beds where we go camping in the summer to escape the heat. The general outlook of the song is one of starting a new life, building from scratch and hoping it all works out for the best.” — Mark Olson

Photo credit: Sandra Goodin

LISTEN: Lowland Hum, “This Will Be Our Year” (The Zombies Cover)

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Artist: Lowland Hum
Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Song: “This Will Be Our Year” (The Zombies cover)
Album: Singing Other People’s Love Songs
Release Date: June 5, 2020

In Their Words: “‘This Will Be Our Year’ by the Zombies grabbed us immediately with its simplicity and unfettered sweetness, not to mention its intuitive melodies and positive energy. We chose to record our version as simply as possible, with closely mic’d, bare vocals and simple nylon string guitar. At the time when we recorded it, we were feeling all kinds of optimism and excitement about what the year might hold for us, having just put the finishing touches on our recording studio, and feeling more adjusted than ever to life out in the countryside.

“Obviously there have been some unexpected turns since then. When we scheduled the release of this song, we had no idea the entire world would be in the midst of a pandemic, and all of the fear, financial strain and pain of isolation that has ensued. We had no idea our nation would be reeling from yet another wave of murders, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and now David McAtee and others as police continue to employ the use of military weapons on protestors. To release a song entitled ‘This Will Be Our Year’ at such a time as this feels perilously incongruous at best with where the nation is at, where we are at personally, and offensive at worst.

“Before the past few weeks we thought to ourselves, ‘Well, this is not the year we imagined when we recorded this song, but maybe there are things in store for us and others who are suffering, which we couldn’t have chosen or anticipated had all gone according to our ideal plans.’ At this point we hope that this is a year when things really begin to change. Perhaps this will be the year when people like ourselves, who have long been sympathetic to the cause of justice for black and brown people in America but haven’t taken the time to learn how to properly engage and act toward a better future, might finally buckle down and discern how to step up as allies. Perhaps this year will mark a turning point for many, that will start our nation down a road resulting in lasting and true change. We hope. — Lauren and Daniel Goans, Lowland Hum

Lowland Hum · This Will Be Our Year [Zombies cover]

Photo credit: Tristan Williams

LISTEN: Michael McDermott, “Until I Found You”

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Artist: Michael McDermott
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “Until I Found You”
Album: What in the World
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Label: Pauper Sky Records

In Their Words: “I have always been cautious about writing flat-out love songs. I’ve never written one without some type of conflict, criminality, nefarious undertones, or felonious elements. Rare is the song that is void of conflict, self-doubt, or questioning. I wanted to write a song about my wife. About the kind of love that can save you from yourself. In the process of writing it, I kept waiting for the conflict to arise, I could have steered it that way, but I followed the song instead of trying to control it, I let it happen. I wanted to celebrate her and what she has done for me, and how without her, I never would have known me.” — Michael McDermott

Photo credit: Sandro

LISTEN: John Baumann, “Second Wind”

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Artist: John Baumann
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Second Wind”
Album: Country Shade
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Label: The Next Waltz

In Their Words: “When I think of myself from ten years ago, I recall a much more naive and unaware version. Blindly ambitious, I was willing to chase a carrot as far as needed, to feel validated as an artist and writer. It was before I had taken a few licks and gotten knocked down. It was before my expectations had been tempered, before my sight had been adjusted to reality. The highs and lows, the ebbs and flows. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I could only bottle that feeling of invincibility, and take a dose of it every day for the rest of my life. It really speaks to the power of youth and the strength that people have when they are motivated. This song is about questioning your motives, where you have gone right and wrong, remembering who you can lean on, and ultimately finding how to harness that long lost feeling of unbridled motivation to push forward and find that validation.” — John Baumann

johnbaumann · John Baumann – Country Shade – 09 – Second Wind

Photo credit: Jordan Fischels

LISTEN: Grizzly Goat, “Wallowa, OR 1877”

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Artist: Grizzly Goat
Hometown: Provo, Utah/ Knoxville, Tennessee
Song: “Wallowa, OR 1877”
Album: Bound to Go to Waste
Release Date: May 29, 2020

In Their Words: “While in Oregon, performing in the Joseph Mountain Jubilee festival, I spotted a statue of Chief Joseph. This sparked my curiosity as a history enthusiast and I soon listened to the 18-hour audiobook, Thunder in the Mountains. I learned that the area had been home to Joseph’s Nez Perce tribe which the US government wanted to claim for white settlers. Despite Chief Joseph’s efforts to negotiate rights for his people peacefully, a war broke out causing the tribe to flee 1,170 miles before they were surrounded near the Canadian border. When this ‘spaghetti western’ melody came to me, I was inspired to shed light on the story of Chief Joseph and a neglected piece of American history.” — Nate Waggoner, Grizzly Goat

Photo credit: Ryan Carter

LISTEN: Nell & Jim Band, “Travelin’ the Road West”

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Artist: Nell & Jim Band
Hometown: Berkeley, California
Song: “Travelin’ the Road West”
Album: Western Sun
Release Date: May 29, 2020
Label: Whippoorwill Arts

In Their Words: “The new album has an exciting new band sound, as we have added accordion and keys to the ensemble with Rob Reich, plus the broad array of musical styles mastered by him, our bassist Jim Kerwin and percussionist Alex Aspinall. It took us a few years to really settle into the sound we wanted and this is it. We have the depth to move from folk to polkas to driving bluegrass — but what I really love is that we are just any one of those genres. We are our own blend.” — Jim Nunally

“Lowell Levinger (Banana from the Youngbloods) co-produced the album with us. He was very influential in the recording studio — with tasty, spot-on suggestions and guidance about when to stop. Lowell is a man of few words, and when he speaks we all truly listen. He even suggested lyric changes in two songs and we took his advice and the songs are better for it. What a pleasure!” — Nell Robinson

Photo credit: Kalie Capadona