Tag: Song Premiere

LISTEN: Water Tower, “Fly Around” (Feat. Willie Watson)

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Artist: Water Tower
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Fly Around” (ft. Willie Watson)
Album: Fly Around
Release Date: April 3, 2020 (Single); April 24, 2020 (Album)
Label: Dutch Records

In Their Words: “Recording the track ‘Fly Around’ for our debut album of the same name, we felt like Willie Watson was the best person to help us render a version one of our favorite traditional tunes. Willie has been a strong voice and and an old-time cousin guiding us along on our musical path since we first met him in 2005, on our first tour as The Water Tower Bucket Boys (thank goodness we kicked the bucket). Willie not only has a heart of gold, but he brought us in for a meal that time when we FIRST came to Los Angeles. We felt it was appropriate to ask him to contribute some of his most beloved verses to this old chestnut that has carried us through the roadways of the world.” — Kenny Feinstein, Water Tower

Photo credit: Kenny Feinstein

LISTEN: Dylan McCarthy, “Mosquito”

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Artist: Dylan McCarthy
Hometown: From Boulder, Colorado; currently living in Lyons, Colorado
Song: “Mosquito”
Album: Lost & Found
Release Date: May 1, 2020

In Their Words: “‘Mosquito’ was one of the first tunes I had selected for the project and in many ways it was the catalyst for the whole thing. The tune got its name from the mosquito bite I received while writing the tune on my front porch in Lyons, Colorado. The overall approach to this tune was inspired in part by the opening track of Béla Fleck’s Drive, ‘Whitewater.’ I’ve always loved the way they start off that tune and I wanted to try to capture that energy on ‘Mosquito.’ The track features Eric Wiggs on guitar, Bradley Morse on bass, Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose on banjo, and Justin Hoffenburg on fiddle.” — Dylan McCarthy

Photo credit: Kyle Ussery, Flat Nine Design

LISTEN: Elijah Ocean, “Good Clean Livin'”

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Artist: Elijah Ocean
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Good Clean Livin'”
Album: Blue Jeans & Barstools
Release Date: May 1, 2020

In Their Words: “I wrote this song a few years back while working a casino in Las Vegas. It started from a snippet of a conversation I overheard and ended up being about an addicted gambler who finds salvation through the modern American dream. I originally recorded a version for my barn record, but it didn’t make the cut. So I wound up recycling the pedal steel (played by my good friend Philip Sterk in Nashville) and re-tracking everything else in my home studio in LA. I was basically trying to find some middle ground between The Byrds and Alan Jackson.” — Elijah Ocean

Photo credit: Sean Rosenthal

LISTEN: Max Allard, “Rooster”

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Artist: Max Allard
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Single: “Rooster”
Release Date: April 3, 2020

In Their Words: “My family and I have been keeping chickens in our Chicago backyard for many years. In the past, we’ve only had hens, but in the last round of chickens, we accidentally got a rooster. We named him J.D. Crowe, after the banjo player. He likes to crow, sometimes in the middle of the night. He gets confused in the city, where the line between night and day is sometimes blurry. He’s also skittish and he’s the first one to run in the coop if there’s danger approaching. I don’t think he’s doing a very good job of being a rooster. But he’s definitely entertaining.” — Max Allard

Photo credit: Rachel Allard

LISTEN: The Contenders, “You Don’t Care or You Don’t Have the Time”

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Artist: The Contenders
Hometown: Vermont / Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “You Don’t Care or You Don’t Have the Time”
Release Date: April 3, 2020

In Their Words: “Life is often a series of made or missed connections. The thoughts and emotions can be the things that wake you up in the middle of the night and get your mind running. They do for me sometimes, anyway. You could call this song a meditation, or maybe even a rumination on that… playing back in your head what you said or what you didn’t say and facing the less pretty qualities of your own character. It’s probably also worth noting that we love sad songs and we feel that they are often the very best vehicle for harmony singing. Our friend (and 2019 Americana UK instrumentalist of the year) CJ Hillman really drove the point home that we were trying to make musically with his sublime pedal steel.” — Jay Nash, The Contenders

https://soundcloud.com/thecontenders/you-dont-care-or-you-dont-have-the-time-master/s-5yqp9

Photo credit: Stacie Huckeba

LISTEN: Thomm Jutz, “Where The Bluebirds Call”

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Artist: Thomm Jutz
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Where The Bluebirds Call”
Album: To Live In Two Worlds, Volume 1
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Englishman Cecil Sharp travelled all over Appalachia in search of ancient British verse and melody thought lost in England. He travelled extensively through the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee to find these songs. They are documented in his collection English Folk Songs From The Southern Appalachians, which, as my friend and co-writer Tim Stafford says, is ‘as close to the horse’s mouth as you can get.’ I feel Cecil’s fascination with these songs in my bones. It is the essence of what keeps my musical world turning, and it’s always calling me home.” — Thomm Jutz

Photo credit: Jefferson Ross

LISTEN: Flashback, “When The Blues Come Around My Cabin Door”

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Artist: Flashback
Song: “When The Blues Come Around My Cabin Door”
Album: Blues Around My Cabin
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Pinecastle Records

From the Artist: “‘When The Blues Come around My Cabin Door’ was written by Don Rigsby and Billy Droze. Don brought in to the group and we loved the bluesy feel and the flow of the lyrics. I really like the production and the different instrumentation including Don’s ‘mandocaster’ breaks and back up. We all agreed that the title of the project should come from this song.” — Curt Chapman, Flashback

“I’ll just add that my brothers in Flashback were great as always and I love writing with Billy Droze because he brings a fresh perspective and new ideas to the table every time.” — Don Rigsby, Flashback

Photo courtesy of Pinecastle Records

LISTEN: The Mammals, “Radio Signal”

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Artist: The Mammals
Hometown: Woodstock, New York
Song: “Radio Signal”
Album: Nonet
Release Date: March 27, 2020 (single); May 22 (album)
Label: Humble Abode Music / Soundly

In Their Words: “The day of the 2017 Charlottesville riot I got a text from our friend, Vern, reading: ‘PLEASE for the song that kills fascists.’ ‘Radio Signal’ was written in the next 10 minutes. Where is the hope in our twisted culture? Bob Dylan says it’s in the wind. Daniel Quinn described a sacred ‘blaze of life’ that connects all things. Pete Seeger showed us the power of many people making small contributions: the ‘tea-spoon brigade.’ Each verse of ‘Radio Signal’ is a nod to one of those three great teachers, melodically informed by the beautiful old folk song, ‘Shenandoah,’ and transformed into the anthemic rock song we share with you today. ‘And I roll, and I roll, down the backroads of my soul. Lookin’ for light like a radio signal…'” — Mike Merenda, The Mammals

Photo credit: Tom Eberhardt-Smith

LISTEN: Webb Wilder, “Night Without Love”

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Artist: Webb Wilder
Hometown: Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, based in Nashville since 1982
Song: “Night Without Love”
Album: Night Without Love
Release Date: April 10, 2020
Label: Landslide Records

From the Artist: “‘Night Without Love’ is an old song by RS Field whom I have known for about 50 years! The song itself is easily 40 years old, although it has never been recorded and released until now. I’ve always known about it and I’ve always liked it. I guess I’m just a sucker for a good line and ‘face like an Idol from the Yucatán’ pretty much cinched it for me when I first heard it all those years ago. I used to be in a band called the Drapes. We played this song live, although Bruce Tinnin sang it instead of me.” — Webb Wilder

Photo credit: David McClister

LISTEN: 100 mile house, “Grateful”

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Artist: 100 mile house
Hometown: Edmonton, Canada
Song: “Grateful”
Album: Love and Leave You
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Fallen Tree Records

In Their Words: “‘Grateful’ was probably the hardest song to complete from the new album, from any of our albums in fact. For years I wanted to be able to write about some of the darker corners of life and love — a parent suffering from addiction; not being able to have children — but to find a way to be grateful for them. Hope and courage can’t exist without these moments, so I wanted to shine a light on them.” — Peter Stone, 100 mile house

Photo credit: Jessica Fern Facette