Tag: Song Premiere

LISTEN: Michael Paul Lawson, “Memories and Throttle”

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Artist: Michael Paul Lawson
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Song: “Memories and Throttle”
Album: Some Fights You’ll Never Win
Release Date: July 12, 2019

In Their Words: “Driving has always been a kind of therapy for me. It’s where I do a lot of personal reflection and allow myself to sink into thoughts and feelings that I need to work through. Around the time I wrote ‘Memories and Throttle,’ I was trying pretty hard to win back the affections of someone that was pretty resolute in their position. I would get in the car and a thousand different scenes would play out in my head, each one ultimately leading to the same outcome. But even when I’m in a better place and not longing for some lost love, I still find myself going back through past relationships when I’m on the road. It’s a nostalgia trigger, and it’s addicting.” — Michael Paul Lawson

Photo credit: Rico Marcelo

LISTEN: Whitey Johnson, “If It’s Really Gotta Be This Way”

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Artist: Whitey Johnson (aka Gary Nicholson)
Hometown: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Song: “If It’s Really Gotta Be This Way”
Album: More Days Like This
Release Date: June 7, 2019
Label: Blue Corn Music

In Their Words: “‘If It’s Really Gotta Be This Way’ was co-written with Donnie Fritts and Arthur Alexander. One of Donnie’s treasured memories is of being present at the studio above the drugstore in Florence, Alabama, when Arthur walked in snapping his fingers and singing ‘You Better Move On.’ I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write and play on a new record by one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his time, revered and covered by Beatles, Stones, Dylan, and many more. It was so sad when Arthur passed before he could tour for the record. I played his last show with him, and we did our song. It’s so great to finally record my own version. I’m forever grateful to my dear friend Donnie Fritts for getting us together.” — Whitey Johnson

Photo credit: Stacie Huckaba

LISTEN: The Iveys, “Whatever Comes”

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Artist: The Iveys
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Song: “Whatever Comes”
Album: Colors of Honey
Release Date: June 7, 2019

In Their Words: “This song was a work of love. ‘Whatever Comes’ came to me as an idea I had of a parent talking to their child and telling them to not listen to any negativity from others, to not ever doubt themselves, and to believe with all their heart that they can, and will, accomplish great things in life. My co-writer and sister, Jenna Ivey, deserves a lot of credit for bringing this song to where it is now. I almost gave up on it at one point! But she is a great lyricist, and as we talked through the song, she reminded me that parents want their children to grow up strong, to climb mountains, take on challenges, and face the fears…whatever comes. After all, there’s no such thing as a dream too big.” — Arlen Ivey

Photo credit: Fernie Ceniceros

LISTEN: Lindsay Lou, “Ready”

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Artist: Lindsay Lou
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Ready”
Release Date: June 7, 2019

In Their Words: “‘Ready’ is about coming out of the darkness of doubt into the jubilation of knowing love is within us and all around us. Living in that light is empowering, but in the haze of hate speech and the endless broadcasting of bad news it can be easy to lose sight. Reclamation of love and finding faith in the ebb and flow feels like Mother Nature breathing new life into barren branches after a long winter.” — Lindsay Lou

Photo credit: Scott Simontacchi

LISTEN: Liz Vice, “It Was Good”

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Artist: Liz Vice
Hometown: Portland, Oregon (currently Brooklyn, New York)
Song: “It Was Good”
Release Date: Single — May 31, 2019

In Their Words: “We are more alike than different. I like to erase the line between the stage and the audience by bringing some people on stage (when possible). When I perform ‘It Was Good,’ I always break the ice by saying this is my ‘Make America Great Again’ song. The crowd reaction is about 50/50 haha. My hope is to transport the audience back to a time, that I believe describes the creation of the world and humans in a poetic way; a short time of innocence before humans decided to play god and draw the line between good and evil/’us vs. them.’ If I only have 5 minutes to remind a group of people that they are made from love to love freely, then I hope ‘It Was Good’ does the job and in the process, through their faces, I, too, am reminded to love.” — Liz Vice

Photo credit: Chimera Rene

LISTEN: Isaiah Breedlove, “Save Your Pennies”

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Artist: Isaiah Breedlove
Hometown: Cashiers, North Carolina
Song: “Save Your Pennies”
Album: Save Your Pennies
Release Date: July 26, 2019
Label: Gold Ship Records

In Their Words: “I wrote this song on an old Kay small body, looking at the big flag on our porch. A friend had told me a few months back, ‘Save your pennies and I’ll take you fishing out west.’ And I had kept that line in my hip pocket since.” — Isaiah Breedlove

Photo credit. Amber Breedlove

LISTEN: Lizzie Weber, “When You Look at Me”

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Artist: Lizzie Weber
Hometown: Seattle, Washington via St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “When You Look at Me”
Release Date: May 31, 2019 (single)

In Their Words: “This song is an intimate reflection on the physical and emotional feelings that arose when I found myself falling in love. When composing it, I wanted that intimacy to be palpable; for it to feel as though it were a poem written from one lover to another. I kept the arrangement simple, leaving space for the vocal to be surrounded by the warm tones of the open tuning on my acoustic guitar and melodic embellishments from piano, strings, and the electric. My hope is that it inspires the listener to reflect on a moment in time when they felt enraptured by another.” — Lizzie Weber

Photo credit: Tony Hammons

LISTEN: Damn Tall Buildings, “I’ll Be Getting By”

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Artist: Damn Tall Buildings
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “I’ll Be Getting By”
Album: Don’t Look Down
Release Date: June 7, 2019

In Their Words: “‘I’ll Be Getting By’ harkens to a summer day, almost assuredly finding yourself in a boat on a river. You glance at the wake behind you, unable to prevent memories flooding back from miles upstream. You reach into the water and realize the very same river slipping quickly through your fingers is faithfully carrying you with it. As the river and you barrel forward together, time’ll get you where you’re going whether you think it’s wasted or not.” — Avery ‘Montana’ Ballotta, Damn Tall Buildings

Photo attached: Scott McCormick

LISTEN: Giri and Uma Peters, “The Cuckoo”

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Artist: Giri and Uma Peters
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Cuckoo”
Album: Origins
Release Date: May 31, 2019

In Their Words: “We first learned this song from Rhiannon Giddens. This song is an old English folk song from a long time ago. We had a chance to hear some earlier versions of the song when visiting the Rinzler Archives at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in 2017. It is so interesting to see how it has evolved. This is our interpretation of ‘The Cuckoo,’ which also happens to be our dog Zoey’s personal favorite song. Zoey has memorized the melody, and comes close to where we are playing with her tail wagging and howls along.” — Giri and Uma Peters

Photo credit: Sarah Hanson

LISTEN: Mike Frazier, “Save Me”

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Artist: Mike Frazier
Hometown: Winchester, Virginia
Song: “Save Me”
Album: Where the Valley Kissed the Sky
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Label: Geneva Records

In Their Words: “Writing Where the Valley Kissed the Sky was a departure from my norms in a lot of ways. For starters it was the first time I’d really focused on writing in a narrative style as opposed to being directly autobiographical. ‘Save Me’ is told from the perspective of a character who has just moved back to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley after some time away, and is quickly reimmersed in the desperation plaguing that area and a lot of the country. This leads to an overwhelming plea for help and guidance through tumultuous times. I also really tried to expand things sonically with this record and create a landscape that blended traditional Americana instrumentation with a bit of a modern sound. I think we really found that on ‘Save Me’ especially with the incorporation of more synth and organ than I’d used in the past.” — Mike Frazier

Photo credit: Brett Ballachino