Tag: Song Premiere

LISTEN: Merle Monroe, “Shelby Tell Me”

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Artist: Merle Monroe
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Shelby Tell Me”
Album: Songs of a Simple Life
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Label: Pinecastle Records

In Their Words: “A common characteristic of classic songs throughout history is how they tell a story or paint a picture for the listener. Our intention is to capture a wonderful story line that everyone can relate to — one that moves the listener emotionally through the lyrics and melody.” — Tim Raybon & Daniel Grindstaff, Merle Monroe

Photo credit: Sheri Clark

LISTEN: Andrew Sa, “Love Hurts” (feat. Sima Cunningham)

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Artist: Andrew Sa
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “Love Hurts” (featuring Sima Cunningham)
Album: Cosmic Country Stars: Andrew Sa
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Label: Cosmic Country

In Their Words: “I love a sad song, and ‘Love Hurts’ is a sad-ass song. It’s the first time someone’s broken your heart, and you’re gonna let it all out. I liken the feelings of loss and emptiness in the song to that of floating alone in zero gravity. The numbness in the realization that love could also hurt. The majestic Sima Cunningham (of Ohmme) and I originally covered this true duet for the very first Cosmic Country Show, our now regular Chicago revue. Now after recording it for the first virtual Cosmic Country Show, it’s a real favorite among our fans.” — Andrew Sa

Photo credit: Alexa Viscius

LISTEN: Satsang, “Malachi”

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Artist: Satsang
Hometown: Red Lodge, Montana
Song: “Malachi”
Album: ‘All. Right. Now.’
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Label: SideOneDummy Records

In Their Words: “The day my son Malachi was born, they said his bilirubin count was bad and they suggested we keep him under this crazy blue light throughout the night. My wife and I couldn’t do it. While my wife slept, I held him on my chest overcome with joy and thinking about what he could be and what I could be to him. His mom woke up in the middle of the night and I handed him over, and as they slept I just watched the two of them. I pulled out my notebook and wrote down what would become this song.” — Drew McManus, Satsang

Photo credit: Greyson Christian Plate

LISTEN: Tray Wellington, “Pond Mountain Breakaway”

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Artist: Tray Wellington
Hometown: Originally from Ashe County, North Carolina and now calls Johnson City, Tennessee home
Song: “Pond Mountain Breakaway”
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I actually wrote the main riff to this song while playing electric guitar — but then, while playing banjo the same day, I tried it out with more of a bluegrass feel, and thought, ‘Wow, it would be cool to write a fast, upbeat instrumental around it.’ When recording, I got to the session late because my car broke down on the way, and while I was trying to think of a name for the tune during the actual recording session, Wayne Benson, who plays mandolin on the track, asked me, ‘Where did you break down?’ I replied, ‘A place called Pond Mountain,’ and he said, ‘Call it “Pond Mountain Breakdown.” I thought that was a great idea, but as I was thinking about it later, I realized that I don’t get a full breakdown vibe from this tune — and when I thought that a little variation in bluegrass titles wouldn’t be a bad thing, I decided to make a slight change to ‘Pond Mountain Breakaway.’” — Tray Wellington

Photo credit: Rob Laughter

LISTEN: Kyle LaLone, “Learning How to Love”

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Artist: Kyle LaLone
Hometown: Watertown, New York; living in Los Angeles
Single: “Learning How to Love”
Album: Looking for the Good
Album Release Date: June 25, 2021

In Their Words: “I wrote this song starting with the title, which is how I begin most songs now. I was thinking about the earliest relationships I had been in and how I would say ‘I love you’ but had no idea what that actually meant. In the last few years I feel like I’ve gotten a better understanding of how to be a good partner, how to really show up for someone in a relationship, and that it is something I will continue to improve on. As for the music, I was going for a classic, sweet-sounding country vibe that I thought would fit well with the tender sentiment of the lyrics. And having Michaela Anne, who is a wonderful singer-songwriter, add those beautiful harmonies was the icing on top of the cake.” — Kyle LaLone

Photo courtesy of Kyle LaLone

LISTEN: Mara Connor, “Old Man”

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Artist: Mara Connor
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Old Man” (Neil Young cover)
Album: Decades EP
Release Date: May 20, 2021
Label: Side Hustle Records

In Their Words: “I recorded this with Jon Estes in Nashville at the same age Neil Young was when he wrote it (’24 and there’s so much more’) about a caretaker who lived on his ranch. When I first heard the song I was struck by the empathy exhibited by such a young songwriter. I’m also impressed by his economy of language, how in so few words he conveys so much: that as humans, we’re more alike than we are different, and at our core, we all just want to be loved. It’s an affirmation that if we took the time to really look into each other’s eyes and see the humanity there, the world would be far better for it. Can you imagine an insightful folk rock song about an elderly ranch foreman charting on the Billboard Hot 100 today? Me neither, and that’s a shame.” — Mara Connor

Photo credit: Schuyler Howie

LISTEN: Graber Gryass, “Your Body’s Border”

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Artist: Graber Gryass
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Song: “Your Body’s Border”
Album: Spaceman’s Wonderbox
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Outer Orbits

In Their Words: “‘Your Body’s Border’ is a meditation on boundaries in song. From the pensive bouzouki that opens the tune to the first couplet, ‘you’re as old as the crow, fresh as an embryo,’ one can tell this song isn’t supposed to make linear sense and acts more like poetry than storytelling. The voyage is one of discovery — and the discovery is about the joys of being in love, working through stereotypes and clichés (‘if you get sweet and sour with me’), the lengths we go to find love, the transitory nature of national identity, and the repurposing of influence (notice the John Donne homage, ‘my love, my new found land’). Fiddle, banjo, mandolin, two guitars, bouzouki, and upright all play it cool, rather than hot as expected, letting the song take center stage.” — Graber Gryass

Photo credit: Eric Brice Swartz

LISTEN: Eli Lev, “As It Is”

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Artist: Eli Lev
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Song: “As It Is”
Album: True North
Release Date: June 25, 2021

In Their Words: “‘As It Is’ started to reveal itself halfway through a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat I went on near the Florida coast at the beginning of the year. I experienced silent sunrises over the ocean and brilliant sunsets over the bay that brought on infinite color variations and led me to a unique insight that everything is changing while staying exactly ‘as it is’ in every moment. The melody and words for the song started coming to me very quickly after that, but I couldn’t use my phone or guitar to record them because of the guidelines of the retreat! I only got the chance to write down the lyrics five days later once the retreat concluded, which allowed for some very interesting melodic elements to develop and resulted in one of my most unique songs to date.” — Eli Lev

Photo credit: Taylor Rigg

LISTEN: The Grascals, “Thankful”

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Artist: The Grascals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Thankful”
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “The lyrics to our new single are a powerful and wonderful reminder of just how much we all have to be thankful for, and especially now more than ever! I think this song really touched all of our hearts, which made it an easy choice to record, and we’re so glad that the writers — Daryl Mosley and Rick Lang — brought it to The Grascals. ‘Thankful’ makes you pause and reflect on the truly important things in life and where our blessings come from, and I hope all of the listeners will really focus on the words of this song. I know it has helped me keep a brighter disposition while not being able to travel and see my music family and friends — and you just can’t help but smile when you hear it. The Grascals truly are ‘Thankful’!” — John Bryan, singer/guitarist, The Grascals

Photo credit: Kim Lancaster Brantley

LISTEN: Shannon McNally, “This Time”

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Artist: Shannon McNally
Hometown: Long Island, New York
Song: “This Time”
Album: The Waylon Sessions
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “‘This Time’ was written by Waylon. He didn’t write all of his songs. In fact, he probably didn’t write most of them, but the ones he did write were his best. I believe he was talking about a personal relationship with a lover, but as I sing it, I think of it as my relationship to the music business and my personal struggles with it as a woman and an artist. I particularly love the Wurlitzer intro and how the kick drum and acoustic guitar come in sounding like a sunny day. All of Waylon’s grooves remind me of horse gaits. This one is a full canter and the harmonica is the river running beside it. This song is the high point or key to me getting into the headspace that permits me to sing the rest of the album. For me there is relief in its directness. It’s my favorite song on the album.” — Shannon McNally

Photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen