Tag: premiere

WATCH: Jon Stickley Trio, “Animate Object”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jon Stickley Trio
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Animate Object”
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Animate Object’ is the trio’s current theme song. At heart, it’s a little flatpicking tune to have fun with, but we’ve rhythmically turned it on its head like we like to do. This video was shot in three different locations with deep significance to us. The World Famous Station Inn represents our love and respect for our bluegrass roots. Spirit of the Suwannee is where our band was born, and where we thankfully return every year to connect with that spirit and experience rebirth under the live oaks. And finally, the [Caverns and] Bluegrass Underground symbolize the deep, introspective dive we’ve taken into ourselves in search of the meaning of our music and where it is coming from. This track is the next step in a never-ending evolutionary journey that is the Jon Stickley Trio.” — Jon Stickley

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: David Starr, “Rise Up Again”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: David Starr
Hometown: Cedaredge, Colorado
Song: “Rise Up Again”
Album: Beauty and Ruin
Release Date: October 18, 2019 (single)
Label: Cedaredge Records, LLC

In Their Words: “‘Rise Up Again’ is one of the songs inspired by the places, characters, and situations in my grandfather Fred Starr’s novel, Of What Was, Nothing Is Left. This song found its way into the new project by way of a very vivid dream I had while in the hospital for surgery in August of 2018. My father and grandfather came to me in that dream as if to tell me that things would be all right despite the life-threatening nature of my medical situation. I sent a rough draft demo to John Oates with a brief narrative about the song. He took it to another level with his arrangement and sensitive lyrical additions. The song has come to feel almost anthemic when I play it. It feels inexorably connected to the book and to the whole journey of making this record.” — David Starr

Photo credit: Jason Denton

LISTEN: Heather Masse & Jed Wilson, “Crazy”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Heather Masse & Jed Wilson
Hometown: Accord, New York
Song: “Crazy”
Album: Hold On
Release Date: October 11, 2019

In Their Words: “I wrote the song ‘Crazy’ after a gathering where a friend of mine told me I was crazy. Normally, I would laugh that off, or even take it in with a sense of pride since some of the greatest minds are a little out of their minds, but at that particular moment I was in fact feeling pretty wacky and emotional, so it hit a little too close to home. I got in the car feeling a little mad/sad and this song came out and had me feeling a whole lot better. Jed brought this tune to a whole other crazy on his piano solo. He ended up in some many different places and keys it really brought the song to life!” — Heather Masse

Photo credit: Darren Miller

LISTEN: Libby Koch, “How Long”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Libby Koch
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Song: “How Long”
Album: Redemption 10: Live at Blue Rock
Release Date: October 18, 2019
Label: Berkalin Records

In Their Words: “This record definitely incorporates spiritual themes into love songs, and ‘How Long’ is a great example of that. I structured this song around the text of Psalm 40, with lines of each verse and the chorus tracking the Psalm: ‘I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a slimy pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.’ This piece of scripture has been put into song and hymn many times, and I hope this song is a worthy addition to that tradition. When I originally cut this song 10 years ago, it was a more somber, stripped-down track… for the live anniversary cut, Patterson Barrett and I decided to pick up the tempo and give the song a bluegrassy feel, which I just love. It’s one of my favorite tracks on this live album.” — Libby Koch

Photo credit: Valerie Fremin

WATCH: The John Byrne Band, “Special Place in Hell”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The John Byrne Band
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Song: “Special Place in Hell”
Album: A Shiver in the Sky
Release Date: November 1, 2019

In Their Words: “The album is about living, about moving forward, the challenges of moving forward, the challenges of living. It is an album about self-preservation and holding on to love and hope. There are cautionary tales, songs about dealing with addiction, about immigration, about relationships of all kinds, about facing prejudice, about leaving things behind. They all ultimately carry a similar message, that living carries with it the possibility of balancing out regret or mistakes with a future that contains something brighter, and that something is love. The shiver in the sky is the remnants of trauma, but it’s not permanent.

“The idea behind the video was to take imagery from the song and write a simple narrative. Nathan Morrow (the animator) had the idea of the underwater setting representing two people who save each other from drowning. The helmets represent the (flawed) armor we develop to protect ourselves. Love, or at least the possibility of love, sees us discard this protection and embrace the possibility of something brighter.” — John Byrne

Photo credit: Suzanne Kulperger

LISTEN: Bradford Loomis, “Take a Swing”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Bradford Loomis
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Take a Swing”
Album: Where the Light Ends
Release Date: October 11, 2019

In Their Words: “How do we navigate through our differences? I feel like we live in a day and age where this question is becoming harder to answer. We live in a declaration culture; there are so many tools at our fingertips that allow us to plant flags on any given subject, proclaiming our values or opinions for all to see and respond in kind. I think it’s human nature to crave connection and to feel understood by others. We have access to too much information about people, yet we still don’t really know them. It’s easier than ever to dehumanize or disqualify others because of our perceived differences. There is so much more power in being vulnerable, and, through that vulnerability, the opportunity to deeply connect becomes possible. Being vulnerable can be time-consuming and even scary, but the payoff can be incredible.” — Bradford Loomis

Photo credit: Tony Hammons

WATCH: Chris Knight, “Crooked Mile”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Chris Knight
Hometown: Slaughters, Kentucky
Song: “Crooked Mile”
Album: Almost Daylight
Release Date: October 11, 2019
Label: Thirty Tigers

In Their Words: “I wrote this song with a friend of mine, Gary Nicholson. Carried a verse and a half around for about a year before we worked on it. Wrote it two or three times then I rewrote the chorus that worked for me. It was the same idea, I just changed the way I said it. It’s about a couple of kids that never had much love or anything else. Then they found something good in each other and they’ll fight to the death for it.” — Chris Knight

Photo credit: Ray Kennedy

WATCH: Veronica Stanton, “Wildflower”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Veronica Stanton
Hometown: Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Song: “Wildflower”
Album: 827 Miles

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Wildflower’ about having the desire to be seen and loved but also knowing that I’d miss the freedom and independence that comes with being alone. To me, being alone doesn’t have to mean being lonely and this song is my little ode to individualism. Matt Boylson captured the beautiful footage of wildflowers in California and Kentucky and then he and Nathan Powell filmed the studio footage together. The track is off of my debut EP 827 Miles, which was produced by Dan Knobler and recorded by Justin Francis at Goosehead Palace in Nashville. It was tracked live with Dan Knobler on acoustic guitar, Anthony da Costa on electric guitar, Danny Mitchell on keys, Dom Billett on drums, Sam Howard on bass, and Erin Rae on harmony vocals.” — Veronica Stanton

Photo credit: Bridgette Aikens

WATCH: Jeb Loy Nichols and the Westwood All-Stars, “Remember the Season”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jeb Loy Nichols and the Westwood All-Stars
Hometown: Wales
Song: “Remember the Season”
Album: June Is Short, July Is Long
Release Date: Oct 4, 2019
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “I’m not sure, exactly, what this song is about. Memory, youth, the replacement of youth with memories. I was out walking, here in the Welsh hills where I live, thinking about growing up in Missouri. How small I was, how vast the world seemed, how endless, how unexplainable. We’re all burning with memories but we’re each consumed at our own speed.” — Jeb Loy Nichols

Photo credit: Jeb Loy Nichols

STREAM: Kacy & Clayton, ‘Carrying On’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kacy & Clayton
Hometown: Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan
Album: Carrying On (produced by Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick.)
Release Date: October 4, 2019
Label: New West Records

In Their Words: “Jeff and Tom have taught us a lasting lesson on what’s important and not important when making music. I can recall moments when their suggestions caused me to feel panicky and vulnerable, but I can see now that they were encouraging us to let go of unnecessary fixations. And those moments have all ended up being my favourite parts of the two records we’ve made with them. It’s easy to cling to your own ideas out of insecurity but trusting someone else’s judgment can allow you to be very free.” — Clayton Linthicum

“Making this record felt purposeful. The songs came together nicely and we integrated them into our live set with Mike Silverman and Andy Beisel leading up to recording. Returning at The Loft in Chicago seemed like, ‘Hey guys! We’re back again and we’ve been practicing so let’s make a better record now.’ It was three or four days and the whole thing was tracked and marked with a B. Working with Jeff Tweedy has been a mystical and Midwestern experience for Clayton, Mike, Andy and I. He shies away from seeming authoritative and that style of leadership has strongly resonated with us.” — Kacy Anderson

Photo credit: Mat Dunlap