Tag: Song Premiere

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

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

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

LISTEN: Casey Van Beek and the Tulsa Groove, “Since You Said Goodbye”

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Artist: Casey Van Beek and the Tulsa Groove
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Song: “Since You Said Goodbye”
Album: Heaven Forever
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Little Village Foundation

In Their Words: “I’ve been performing JJ Cale songs beginning with his very first album. When [producer] Walt Richmond suggested ‘Since You Said Goodbye’ as a cover, I was in with both feet. We were extremely pleased with the outcome. We were especially happy with the performances of Steve Hickerson on guitar and Steve Bagsby on steel guitar. I hope Cale would have approved.” — Casey Van Beek

Photo credit: Susan Webb

LISTEN: The Gina Furtado Project, “The Things I Saw”

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Artist: The Gina Furtado Project
Hometown: Winchester, Virginia
Song: “The Things I Saw”
Release Date: April 24, 2020 (single)
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘The Things I Saw’ is just a song about my experiences of growing up on the Shenandoah River. All throughout my childhood I went to the river when I needed comfort of any kind. No matter what happened in my life, good or bad, the river stayed the same. The plants and critters and smells and sounds became like old friends; always welcoming and beautiful in every way, and utterly unstoppable.” — Gina Furtado

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: Rising Appalachia, “Stand Like an Oak”

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Artist: Rising Appalachia
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Song: “Stand Like an Oak”
Release Date: April 22, 2020 (Earth Day)

In Their Words: “I wrote this song for a loved one going through the wave and arc of depression and anxiety, someone whom I wanted to sing a reminder to to find her roots and footing when the wind blows strong. Mental health is a gripping mountain for so many people to climb, and this song honors that journey as well as the people who pull us up out of it. Now, in the time of corona, we are seeing the necessary roles of music and healing practices in our abilities to see through this pandemic and stay steady on our course of compassion and strength. This song sings, like the mighty oaks, of claiming your little piece of earth fiercely when the storms pass through.” — Chloe Smith, Rising Appalachia

“‘Stand Like an Oak’ is a song to remind us of our innate sturdiness and deep roots in this vital dark soil of earth, the innate presence and stability of the oak tree as our model and muse of calmness in the great storms. In a time of so much unknown and anxiety around what is to come we must remember that we always have the tools of the deep ground beneath us, and the ritual for rushing waters to wash away that which does not serve us. Lean into this quiet, earthly realm to fortify and strengthen. ‘Leave it by the angels of the water…'” — Leah Smith, Rising Appalachia

Photo credit: Hemmie Lindholm

LISTEN: Pam Tillis, “Dark Turn of Mind”

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Artist: Pam Tillis
Hometown: Plant City, Florida (born) + Nashville, Tennessee (lives)
Song: “Dark Turn of Mind”
Album: Looking for a Feeling
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Stellar Cat via OneRPM

In Their Words: “While the album is called Looking for a Feeling, I was drawn to ‘Dark Turn of Mind’ because it’s about owning your feelings. Letting yourself slow down long enough to acknowledge the shadows in your soul helps you experience the light in a deeper way. In this era of everybody trying to keep up some facade on social media, I loved that this song unapologetically says, ‘Yes I reserve the right to have my good old meltdown, pity party, wallow-in-my-misery moments and that will probably keep me way saner than having to fake-smile my way thru these crazy-ass times.'” — Pam Tillis

Photo credit: Matt Spicher

LISTEN: Vanessa Peters, “Florida”

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Artist: Vanessa Peters
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Song: “Florida” (Patty Griffin cover)
Album: Mixtape
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Little Sandwich Music

In Their Words: “We began this covers album more than three years ago, and this was one of the first songs we tackled. It was winter when we began this project and we were cooped up inside for several days. The dreary, icy weather outside reminded me of this song and the lovely juxtaposition between the idea of Florida as a sunny, summery place and the actual song, which talks of escapism and sadness and has such a melancholy melody. I’ve always loved this song; the chorus of ‘Isn’t it hard sometimes/isn’t it lonely/how I still hang around here/when there’s nothing to hold me’ is just so perfect.” — Vanessa Peters

Photo credit: Giulia de Gregori