Tag: Song Premiere

LISTEN: Acoustic Syndicate, “Sunny”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Acoustic Syndicate
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina
Song: “Sunny”
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Sunny’ is one of those things that’s been on my ‘list of things to finish’ for quite some time. Based on an idea for a short story that I was working on some years ago, it’s a discussion about love, coping with loss, hope, and ultimately, redemption. I’ve been carrying that melody around in my head for years and finally got lucky enough to find the right words to go with it. The tune was one that I was kinda holding in reserve for a possible solo project at some point. After putting it together and sharing with the other fellas, they were all in to record it. The piano (Brian Felix) and violin (Lyndsay Pruett) were part of the original idea, and it was such a pleasure to watch it materialize in the studio on a super solid track by Fitz, Bryon, and Jay. Being back in the studio after seven years has been a real treat. I love the process of recording, and I have missed it very much. Our engineer, Clay Miller, is a ‘steely eyed missile man’ and has the patience of Job! He makes the recording process an absolute joy. I’m so grateful and honored to be making new music with these dudes again.” — Steve McMurry, Acoustic Syndicate

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: Chris Cain, “Can’t Find a Good Reason”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Chris Cain
Hometown: San Jose, California
Song: “Can’t Find a Good Reason”
Album: Raisin’ Cain
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Label: Alligator Records

In Their Words: “We recorded the Raisin’ Cain album at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland studio and I just had the changes to this song. Before we left Greaseland I said, ‘We’ll just record this one real fast and we’ll see what I can do with it later.’ Greg Rahn (keys) said, ‘Does this have a bridge?’ It didn’t, yet, so I just made one up real quick. We recorded the music to it and I added the intro to it that it has on there. When I got home I wrote the lyric based on personal stuff that you just store up in your mind and recorded the vocals the next day at Greaseland. Kid and I were in there and I added the vocals with the lyric I just wrote. I get to the part that goes ‘It really is nobody’s fault, we both tried hard to make it, but as hard as we try, we end up having to fake it.’ There’s a big blank spot right there and I told Kid, ‘Wait, I gotta write more words to it.’ Kid said, ‘Why don’t you just put whoa whoa whoa whoa, right there.’ I did and that’s how it turned out. I really wasn’t just trying to fake it.” — Chris Cain

Photo credit: Marilyn Stringer

LISTEN: The Pink Stones, “Put Me On”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Pink Stones
Hometown: Athens, Georgia
Song: “Put Me On”
Album: Introducing…The Pink Stones
Release Date: April 6, 2021
Label: Normaltown Records

In Their Words: “‘Put Me On’ is a song I wrote a little while back, but it’s still a tune that I love a lot. It’s a pretty straightforward country tune about making yourself sick over someone, trying to get to them, and then realizing that all the signs had really been telling you to turn around and go the other way the whole time. We had some fun with this one in the studio, too. Used some groovy amps, had our buddy Jessica Thompson come in sing with me, and Wandy really got to have some fun on the B3.” — Hunter Pinkston, The Pink Stones

Photo credit: Taylor Chmura

LISTEN: The Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, “I’ll Pick You Up”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Hometown: Nashville, Indiana
Song: “I’ll Pick You Up”
Album: Dance Songs for Hard Times
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Label: Thirty Tigers

In Their Words: “Well, this song goes out to anyone that drives or has ever driven a POS car. Of all of the songs on the record, this one probably has the most ‘rural’ subject matter, but it’s the most complicated in its vocal layers, and in my mind I wanted to layer it like a Stax records song from the ’60s. It starts with my thumb on the bass, and I wanted my slide guitar and my harmonica to come in together like a horn section. Breezy and Max worked really hard to get the strange vocal layering I came up with to really work in the choruses. And the beat that Max plays is straight ’60s R&B.” — Rev. Peyton

Photo credit: Tyler Zoller

LISTEN: Sinner Friends, “Unforgivable You”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sinner Friends (Grace van’t Hof and Conner Vlietstra)
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan; Johnson City, Tennessee
Song: “Unforgivable You”
Album: Sinner Friends Miss You (The Quarantine EP)
Release Date: April 1, 2021
Label: Bigtone Records

In Their Words: “When Sinner Friends cut bluegrass, we do it like our heroes did: everyone is in one space, there are no separate vocal tracks, we don’t overdub solos, and the result is a snapshot of one vital moment. Like Page Ross’ lyrics, ‘Unforgivable You’ is raw and compelling. It weaves the messy web of a breakup followed by a one-sided attempt at reconciliation which, by the end, has the listener questioning the boundaries of the narrator’s tenacity. It’s clear that our protagonist has turned antagonist and his love interest would “rather that [he] stay away.” Sentimentality swirled with confusing choices is Sinner Friends’ favorite flavor, and this song is a savory example. We were privileged to be joined on this session at Bigtone Records by Josiah Nelson on fiddle and Max Etling on bass.” — Grace van’t Hof and Conner Vlietstra, Sinner Friends

Photo credit: Billie Wheeler

LISTEN: Korby Lenker, “All in My Head”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Korby Lenker
Hometown: East Nashville
Song: “All in My Head”
Album: Man in the Maroon
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Grind Ethos

In Their Words: “‘All in My Head’ is the first track on my 8th studio album, Man in the Maroon. It’s about a depressed person who entertains the idea that maybe there’s a different perspective out there. I wrote it last spring over several nights while jogging through my neighborhood in East Nashville. The outings happened to coincide with the Nashville 8 o’clock howl, a typically quirky East Nash neo-tradition where for the first several months of the pandemic, people would stand out on their porch every night at 8 and just go crazy. I heard the howling, in the distance mostly, before I ever knew what it was, and after a few nights, I started joining in. Just yelling at the top of my lungs. Purging that threatening despair that seemed to be everywhere, inside and out. Later, when I was recording the song, I posted on social media, asking if anyone knew who started it. In no time I was sitting over coffee with the founder herself. She put me in touch with some of the howlers… if you listen closely, after the bridge you can hear a few of the more choice examples of the East Nashville 8 o’clock howl.” — Korby Lenker

https://soundcloud.com/user-747568408/all-in-my-head/s-Hjv7RcuUYYF?in=user-747568408/sets/man-in-the-maroon//s-0dkClBhP9E3

Photo credit: David McClister

WATCH: Johnny Chops, “Trouble with the Truth”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Johnny Chops
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Trouble with the Truth”
Release Date: April 2, 2021 (Single)
Album: Yours, Mine and the Truth EP
Label: Johnny Chops Music

In Their Words: “One September morning in 2019, I got up early, before the dogs or my wife were awake, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down in my writing room. This song fell out of the sky into my lap and was basically written in about an hour. It’s a departure from most of my material and some of the ‘songwriting rules’ I usually stick with. It isn’t a sing-along or an anthem, but more of a lament. I think of it as a sad little poem. Aside from my vocals and acoustic guitar, the rest of the track is producer and multi-instrumentalist David Abeyta. He put a lovely finish and a beautiful solo on this song.

“While I was writing the video treatment, I wanted to lean in to that lonely feeling by filming in some dark and bleak locations. I came across these dramatic spaces by researching abandoned buildings on YouTube and was lucky enough to contact the property owners through the Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce and get their permission to film. The video wouldn’t have the same visual depth or resonance without their assistance and patience. I also have to give some extra credit to the camera expertise of my DP, Brian Monnone (Big Flavor Films) for helping to capture the atmosphere of the song, as well as braving some structurally questionable locations. Creating this story has been an exciting exploration into videography, film and screenwriting. I have been telling tales through song for almost 20 years, so it’s an exciting next chapter that I hope to pursue more in the future.” — Johnny Chops

Photo credit: Brandon Aguilar

LISTEN: Helena Rose, “What’s Killing You Is Killing Me”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Helena Rose
Hometown: Waynesville, North Carolina
Song: “What’s Killing You Is Killing Me”
Album: Girls Like Me EP
Release Date: March 26, 2021

In Their Words: “Several years ago, I desperately wanted to tell someone in my family how I felt about their addiction, but couldn’t find the right words to say to get my message across. So I wrote a song about it with Deanna Walker and Rick Beresford in Nashville. Not only did I hope it would help my own situation, but I was also hoping it would help others who have friends or family members struggling with addiction. It is a very truthful song about the self-destruction that can happen on both sides, but also has a hopeful tone to signify that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel. I want people to know that they aren’t alone in this struggle and give them the right words to say.” — Helena Rose

Photo credit: Nico Humby

LISTEN: The 502s, “Leading Lady”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The 502s
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Song: “Leading Lady”
Album: Could It Get Better Than This
Release Date: October 15, 2021

In Their Words: “One day I showed up to rehearsal with a new voice memo called ‘I.D.N.F.S’ which stood for ‘Incredibly Dope New Fast Song.’ The idea behind the song was to make something everyone at our live shows would be able to sing along to while dancing with us. The lyrics are about the feelings that love gives you. The nerves-in-the-belly, heart-skipping-a-beat kind of stuff. It’s also about how years of worry can melt away in a minute when you meet the right person. Being in love makes you the stars of your own movie. We’re big believers in following your heart as that’s how you get the best things out of life.” — Ed Isola, The 502s

Photo credit: Gabriel Lugo

LISTEN: Sweetlove, “Things I Didn’t Say”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sweetlove
Hometown: Currently based in Los Angeles. Originally from Simi Valley, California
Song: “Things I Didn’t Say”
Album: Goodnight, Lover
Release Date: March 26, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Things I Didn’t Say’ is a very personal song for me, full of ache, and when I wrote it I was reeling after the suicide of a longtime love of mine, and the only thing that brought me some comfort was writing songs. I wrote it on a rainy day in Silver Lake with the wonderful Stolar and Evangelia. Evangelia came in with the opening line, ‘I took off my makeup, and took on the madness,’ and it really resonated with me, so we wrote this mournful, stripped-down song about all of the things you can’t say anymore to the person you’ve lost, and how you struggle for a place to put those things for a long time. The end of the song has this beautiful outro piece, almost like a wave of love to send David off, into a place where he would always be at peace, and I will be forever comforted by the fact that his spirit is free, and that I was fortunate enough to know him and love him my whole life. If you are reading this piece and are struggling and in despair, I beg of you to hold on, to reach out, to get help — I promise you there is more love around you than you know, more hope than your pain lets you see.” — Sweetlove

Photo credit: Anna Azarov

ᐧ