Tag: premiere

LISTEN: The Gina Furtado Project, “The Things I Saw”

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Artist: The Gina Furtado Project
Hometown: Winchester, Virginia
Song: “The Things I Saw”
Release Date: April 24, 2020 (single)
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘The Things I Saw’ is just a song about my experiences of growing up on the Shenandoah River. All throughout my childhood I went to the river when I needed comfort of any kind. No matter what happened in my life, good or bad, the river stayed the same. The plants and critters and smells and sounds became like old friends; always welcoming and beautiful in every way, and utterly unstoppable.” — Gina Furtado

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: Rising Appalachia, “Stand Like an Oak”

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Artist: Rising Appalachia
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Song: “Stand Like an Oak”
Release Date: April 22, 2020 (Earth Day)

In Their Words: “I wrote this song for a loved one going through the wave and arc of depression and anxiety, someone whom I wanted to sing a reminder to to find her roots and footing when the wind blows strong. Mental health is a gripping mountain for so many people to climb, and this song honors that journey as well as the people who pull us up out of it. Now, in the time of corona, we are seeing the necessary roles of music and healing practices in our abilities to see through this pandemic and stay steady on our course of compassion and strength. This song sings, like the mighty oaks, of claiming your little piece of earth fiercely when the storms pass through.” — Chloe Smith, Rising Appalachia

“‘Stand Like an Oak’ is a song to remind us of our innate sturdiness and deep roots in this vital dark soil of earth, the innate presence and stability of the oak tree as our model and muse of calmness in the great storms. In a time of so much unknown and anxiety around what is to come we must remember that we always have the tools of the deep ground beneath us, and the ritual for rushing waters to wash away that which does not serve us. Lean into this quiet, earthly realm to fortify and strengthen. ‘Leave it by the angels of the water…'” — Leah Smith, Rising Appalachia

Photo credit: Hemmie Lindholm

LISTEN: Pam Tillis, “Dark Turn of Mind”

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Artist: Pam Tillis
Hometown: Plant City, Florida (born) + Nashville, Tennessee (lives)
Song: “Dark Turn of Mind”
Album: Looking for a Feeling
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Stellar Cat via OneRPM

In Their Words: “While the album is called Looking for a Feeling, I was drawn to ‘Dark Turn of Mind’ because it’s about owning your feelings. Letting yourself slow down long enough to acknowledge the shadows in your soul helps you experience the light in a deeper way. In this era of everybody trying to keep up some facade on social media, I loved that this song unapologetically says, ‘Yes I reserve the right to have my good old meltdown, pity party, wallow-in-my-misery moments and that will probably keep me way saner than having to fake-smile my way thru these crazy-ass times.'” — Pam Tillis

Photo credit: Matt Spicher

LISTEN: Vanessa Peters, “Florida”

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Artist: Vanessa Peters
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Song: “Florida” (Patty Griffin cover)
Album: Mixtape
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Little Sandwich Music

In Their Words: “We began this covers album more than three years ago, and this was one of the first songs we tackled. It was winter when we began this project and we were cooped up inside for several days. The dreary, icy weather outside reminded me of this song and the lovely juxtaposition between the idea of Florida as a sunny, summery place and the actual song, which talks of escapism and sadness and has such a melancholy melody. I’ve always loved this song; the chorus of ‘Isn’t it hard sometimes/isn’t it lonely/how I still hang around here/when there’s nothing to hold me’ is just so perfect.” — Vanessa Peters

Photo credit: Giulia de Gregori

LISTEN: Pert Near Sandstone, “Castles in the Air”

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Artist: Pert Near Sandstone
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Song: “Castles in the Air”
Album: Rising Tide
Release Date: June 12, 2020
Label: Pert Near Music

In Their Words: “Although this is not a biographical song, it has reflections of the real experience moving away from my hometown. In this story the idea of a garden is used to represent the innocence and nostalgia of youth, but is shadowed by castles in the air, the lofty ambitions that drew the character away from home but were possibly unfulfilled. I wrote the music to string the listener along a sonic journey — the blues-influenced main riff leads to a fiddle ensemble playing a theme based on a folk melody, while rock hooks and rhythms keep urging the song along. From this perspective it’s an exploration of my own musical background. Pert Near Sandstone has always been eclectic in our approach to string band music and ‘Castles in the Air’ is a great illustration of fusing influences that we succeeded with throughout the Rising Tide album.” — Nate Sipe (fiddle/mandolin)

Photo credit: Nate Treedome

LISTEN: Liv Greene, “Wishing Well”

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Artist: Liv Greene
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Wishing Well”
Album: Every Bright Penny
Release Date: April 20, 2020 (single), May 8, 2020 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Wishing Well’ is the oldest song on the record. I started writing it in my junior year of high school about the age-old story of moving on, and all the ways heart and mind stay stuck during that process. Of course the story became more real to me as I got older, and I think it resonated even more deeply when that happened. To me, it speaks to that quiet glimmer of hope we hold on to in our mind, sometimes even subconsciously, that things will work out in the end. It’s about how coming to terms with that hope can help you to understand your own feelings, but it’s also about how that hope can hurt you. Sometimes we hold on because we won’t let ourselves let go, and sometimes we do it because we know our story with that person is not finished. This song speaks to that middle ground, and to the process of admitting, to yourself and others, that that’s exactly where you are.” — Liv Greene

Photo credit: Louise Bichan

LISTEN: Brian Wright & The SneakUps, “What You Don’t Know”

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Artist: Brian Wright & The SneakUps
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “What You Don’t Know”
Album: Lapse of Luxury
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Cafe Rooster Records

In Their Words: “‘What You Don’t Know’ was one of three songs written in an afternoon/evening a few days after I got back from a particularly long tour. The other was ‘Heavy Metal Shed Kids’ and the third got chopped up and used for parts. I was nearly finished with LOL (Lapse of Luxury). It needed a simple song to bring it back down to earth. I was burned out. I had taken on too much and couldn’t keep up. You can hear it. Moving too fast and missing out. The song was a way to let the people I loved know I that I knew something had to change. While I was writing it there were people over; I could hear them outside the shed. They’re in the recording if you listen really close. I walked outside and our guests were naked, dancing around a fire pit to something perfect. It was light and free. It was cool. I felt better. I was home and I was lucky again.” — Brian Wright

Photo credit: Stacie Huckeba

LISTEN: The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, “Leave Town”

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Artist: The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Leave Town”
Album: I Will Rise
Release Date: TBD (2020)

From the Artist: “‘Leave Town’ is an anthem for the brokenhearted. It’s a cathartic crying out for a change. This song is about dealing with the emotional aftermath of a bad breakup and holding onto hope for a new beginning. Steeped in American roots music, the song is built on a foundation of foot stomps, hand claps, and good old-fashioned shouting. The fierce choruses are sung by a full choir. The pedal steel, organ, and 12-string guitars weave themselves into the song and set a backdrop for a mellow lead vocal on the verses. ‘Leave Town’ is about wanting to get away from anything familiar… including oneself.” — Will Wadsworth, The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers

Photo credit: Grant Westhoff

LISTEN: Aaron Burdett, “Dirt Poor”

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Artist: Aaron Burdett
Hometown: Saluda, North Carolina
Song: “Dirt Poor”
Release Date: April 17, 2020 (watch the teaser)
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Dirt Poor’ is about nostalgia and hope and the passage of time. We’re all doing the best we can with what we have each day, and trying to look ahead and plan, but for the most part we’re all adding up tiny decisions and moves day to day with the hope that they add up to something we want in the end. My family moved into an old summer cabin in the woods in Saluda in 1979, when I was four and my brother John was a newborn. My brother Joseph was born a few years later. This song is in part about my parents and our family and my experience growing up there, but it’s also about their friends and the community in aggregate. It was a simpler time. Or at least I think it was. That’s another element of this song I hope comes across: our perception and memory of times past. The nostalgia element, if you will.” — Aaron Burdett

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: David Bromberg Band, “Lovin’ of the Game”

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Artist: David Bromberg Band
Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware
Song: “Lovin’ of the Game”
Album: Big Road
Release Date: April 17, 2020
Label: Red House Records

In Their Words: “’Lovin’ of the Game’ was written by Pat and Victoria Garvey. They were on the coffeehouse circuit a little bit before I was, so I never met them or saw them perform. The song, however, was still around. I can’t remember where I first heard it, but I can’t think of another song that says the same thing. It works.” — David Bromberg

Photo credit: Ria Burman