Tag: premiere

LISTEN: Julian Taylor, “Love Enough”

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Artist: Julian Taylor
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Love Enough”
Album: The Ridge
Release Date: May 8, 2020 (single); June 19, 2020 (album)
Label: Howling Turtle Inc.

In Their Words: “The thing about this song is that melody has lived with me for over a decade, but this one scared me — I never felt like I could get behind it and deliver this song honestly until everything in my world had essentially been taken away from me. The lyrics were first written by my friend Robert Priest, but I mixed and twisted them around to fit what I truly felt I needed to say on a personal level. We had always talked about it being a breakup song, but ironically it’s not; it’s about being a bit off and then on and then off again.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Los Lobos and The Mavericks and that Tex-Mex feel — it’s so evocative, so restless — and I wanted this song to be live in a room, like a kitchen party. I love that sound — the sound of realness, flawless in all its imperfections. ‘Love Enough’ has that feel because that’s how it was recorded: we all sat really close to one another and gave it our all, live off the floor, two acoustic guitars, and upright bass and congas. It’s authentic and real.” — Julian Taylor

Photo credit: Lisa MacIntosh

LISTEN: Balsam Range, “Richest Man”

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Artist: Balsam Range
Hometown: Haywood County, North Carolina
Song: “Richest Man”
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Who has not thought about being the richest man? But what defines being rich? To have a life without regrets is easier said than done. The sacrifices made for gain can seldom be undone. The things lost and those won will only show with time. The old saying ‘You can’t take it with you’ comes to mind when I hear ‘Richest Man’ and the theme resonates throughout the song as it states, ‘We’re all going out the same way that we came in…with nothing. So why in the world are we always worried about nothing, for nothing?’” — Buddy Melton, Balsam Range

Crossroads Label Group · Balsam Range – Richest Man

Photo credit: David Simchock

LISTEN: Zoe & Cloyd, “Where Do You Stand”

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Artist: Zoe & Cloyd
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Where Do You Stand”
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Where Do You Stand’ is a commentary on the state of our national discourse. Often, it’s the farthest ends of the political spectrum that make the news and it seems like inflammatory rhetoric is the only thing that gets heard these days. I’d like for us to remember that we’re all connected and are more alike than we are different, no matter who tries to convince us otherwise. For us to move forward, we have to find common ground on which to build a path toward a sustainable future.” — John Cloyd Miller

Crossroads Label Group · Zoe & Cloyd – Where Do You Stand

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: Chelsea Williams, “Cornerstone”

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Artist: Chelsea Williams
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Cornerstone”
Album: Beautiful & Strange
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Blue Élan Records

In Their Words: “Not all of my songs are heartache and drinking songs… just most of them. ‘Cornerstone’ is a real shift from this, it’s more of a ‘heartache gone wrong’ song. It tells the story of a girl who is used to being dealt all the wrong cards. When her luck changes she must learn to trust the universe and trust the new happiness she’s found.” — Chelsea Williams

Photo credit: Piper Ferguson

WATCH: Appalachian Road Show, “Goin’ to Bring Her Back”

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Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Hometown: Southern Appalachia
Song: “Goin’ to Bring Her Back”
Album: TRIBULATION
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Billy Blue Records

In Their Words: “Jim Van Cleve wrote this one. It tells the tale in a humorous way of an ol’ mountain boy who fell in love, but unfortunately, the poor fella doesn’t realize that the object of his affection may not feel quite the same … seeing as how she ran off on a train across ‘them yonder mountains!’ We had a lot of fun with this one in the studio and I think it shows through.” — Barry Abernathy, Appalachian Road Show

Photo credit: Micah Schweinsberg

LISTEN: Glenn Thomas, “Give a Damn”

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Artist: Glenn Thomas
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee by way of New England
Song: “Give a Damn”
Album: Reassure Me There’s a Window
Release Date: May 15, 2020 (album); May 1, 2020 (single)
Label: Palace Flophouse Records

In Their Words: “I wrote this song in the beginning stages of a new relationship I was in. I really cared about the person and wanted it to work, but still carried the ghosts of past relationships and dating woes. I felt like I didn’t really have anything new to bring to the table, but ultimately what mattered was I cared and was going to do what it took to make it work. Ultimately, the past is exactly that — the past. I remember sitting on a friend’s speedboat a couple of summers ago getting bounced around by the waves, and the fast up and down movement put this melody into my head. I had the lyrics in my phone notes and sang it into a voice memo right there on the boat. Stranger things have happened!” — Glenn Thomas

Photo credit: Chelsea Mandes

LISTEN: The Okee Dokee Brothers, “Raise a Ruckus”

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Artist: The Okee Dokee Brothers
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Song: “Raise a Ruckus”
Album: Songs for Singin’
Release Date: May 1, 2020

In Their Words: “This is our ‘rewrite’ of an old traditional tune with new verses and some new chorus lines too. As The Okee Dokee Brothers, we like to take standards, dust them off a bit and add a bit of our own style. For this one, we wanted to keep the energy of the original responses (‘Raise a ruckus tonight’), but just change the melody a bit and add a bit more chaotic imagery. Hence, the broken vase, rotten tomatoes, and the tornado! This track leads off disc two on our new album, so we really wanted it to be a rowdy ruckus, a rompin’ rouser, and a singable stomper.

“We asked our buddy, Anthony Ihrig (three-finger bluegrass banjo picker from The High 48s bluegrass band in Minneapolis) to record a second banjo part on top of Justin’s clawhammer part, because who says a clawhammer-er can’t coexist with a Scruggs-style picker! So a big thanks to Anthony who laid down a smokin’ track for us. The more the merrier in this tornado of a tune. We knew we got a good take in the studio when all of us were good and sweaty and our voices were hoarse. So stomp, sing, and sweat along with us while we all raise one heckuva ruckus in this bluegrass situation we somehow got ourselves into.” — The Okee Dokee Brothers

okeedokeebros · Raise A Ruckus

Photo credit: Nate Ryan Photography

LISTEN: G.F. Patrick, “Tennessee”

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Artist: G.F. Patrick
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Song: “Tennessee”
Album: One Town Over
Release Date: May 29, 2020
Label: Need To Know Music

In Their Words: “As a musician, Tennessee is one of those places to which all roads seem to lead. Still, to find happiness, we sometimes pump the brakes and pull over before reaching our planned destination. This song examines the tropes of love beyond sense and the draw of bright lights in far-off places. Instead of ending in the fantastic dreaming where these stories most often stop, the song continues to the undreamt of conclusion. While the love is real, the belief that it would overcome all obstacles is thwarted and the deeper realities of love are revealed in the settling.” — G.F. Patrick

Photo credit: Gina Fitzpatrick

WATCH: The Harmed Brothers, “All the Same”

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Artist: The Harmed Brothers
Hometown: Ludlow, Kentucky via Portland, Oregon
Song: “All the Same”
Album: Across the Waves
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Label: Fluff and Gravy Records

In Their Words: : “‘All the Same’ is a traveling song. It’s about life from inside the tour van. It’s about chasing a dream, even when you lose sight of it from being strung out on the road and missing home. It’s about our daily lives as an American touring band. Something I’m sure a lot of musicians can relate to.” — Ray Vietti, The Harmed Brothers

“The Ludlow-Bromley Swim Club in Ludlow, Kentucky is a cherished and beloved summer hangout spot, a classic American neighborhood pool — and our good friend and neighbor Matt ‘Catfish’ Williams presented us with the idea of shooting a video there. With his help, along with the pool owner and our fantastic community, we got to do something really fun and special. When initially presented with this opportunity, we felt ‘All the Same’ has this undeniably beachy, summertime vibe that perfectly fit that idea.” — Alex Salcido, The Harmed Brothers

Photo credit: Michael Wilson

LISTEN: Tessy Lou Williams, “Busy Counting Bridges”

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Artist: Tessy Lou Williams
Hometown: Willow Creek, Montana
Song: “Busy Counting Bridges”
Album: Tessy Lou Williams
Release Date: May 22, 2020
Label: Warehouse Records

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Busy Counting Bridges’ with Jerry Salley during our second co-write. We’d had the idea to write a by-God country shuffle and this was the result. I love the way this song turned out! It’s heartbreak, but you can two-step your way around the room while listening. The band absolutely nailed this song; I had to stop myself from dancing around the vocal booth while recording my vocal parts. I hope it has the same effect on everyone else!” — Tessy Lou Williams

Photo credit: Christina Feddersen