Two gentlemen of Americana who share a soulful feel and a chill vibe while writing songs that cut to the bone.
LISTEN: APPLE MUSIC
Seth Walker talks about his years in Austin, New Orleans and Nashville and some of the new approaches to recording that made his new album Are You Open so special. Louisiana native Steve Conn shares his story as a keyboardist, accordion player and songwriter, culminating in the candid, funky and wonderful Flesh And Bone, out now.
Artist: Seth Walker
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Hard Road”
Album: Are You Open?
Release Date: February 15, 2019
Label: RPF Records
In Their Words: “I grew up in rural North Carolina on a little dirt road called Busick Quarry Rd. We had 15 acres of land surrounding our log house and I traversed, trampled and pedaled my bike all over that Carolina clay. Out beyond that dirt road was a paved one: Osceola-Ossipee Rd, and we all called it the ‘Hard Road.’ My momma gave strict orders not to go riding my bike up there by myself, as the big farm trucks would howl and unwind up there. I will never forget the day I broke that rule and rolled up on that road for the first time. The long white line, the smell of freedom and subsequent danger. Now I am up here on this hard road chasing the muse, and there is no end in sight. It is all so intoxicating, daunting and strangely comforting.
“Musically I wanted this track to roll like a wheel with little chord change. A rhythmic trance of sorts. The groove has a strong African blues influence. All to set the tone of rolling up on the ‘Hard Road.'” — Seth Walker
Photo credit: Joshua Black Wilkins
Artist: Seth Walker
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Song: "High Time"
Album: Gotta Get Back
Release Date: September 2
Label: Royal Potato Family
In Their Words: "'High Time' is about getting back together — plain and simple. It's another take on 'Gotta Get Back.' Apparently, this is a recurring theme on the album. I didn't realize how many of these songs shared that sentiment, until after they were all compiled.
I wrote this song with Gary Nicholson one lazy afternoon, and the lines seemed to spring out of us. The images draw from New Orleans with anticipation, syncopation, and finally the reunion with my muse. It was originally written as a blues tune, but along with my bandmates, we morphed it into this one-chord, acoustic gospel, funky-town pocket. Strangely enough, the rhythm of the lyric takes me back to some of my early influences of rap and hip hop. I was a fool for the flow of Run DMC, EPMD, De La Soul, etc — complete with parachute pants and Adidas fat-laced shell tops. 'High Time' is a mish-mash of all of these things in just under four minutes." — Seth Walker
Photo credit: Zach Smith
