Tag: track premiere

LISTEN: Jesse Smathers, “Sing Darling Sing”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Jesse Smathers
Hometown: Floyd, Virginia
Song: “Sing Darling Sing”
Release Date: September 22, 2023

In Their Words: “I believe that simple melodies and simple stories relate across generations and all walks of life. That’s the true beauty of string music: its relatability. This song was composed with that aspiration.

“Being raised in piedmont North Carolina, family roots in Western Carolina, and now living in Southwest Virginia, string music always surrounded me and the tunes that always struck a chord were the fun melodic tunes, and happy songs. ‘Sing Darling Sing’ is just that, a happy tune with a loving story.

“I am so very proud of this recording, musically and personally, for it draws inspiration from my own marriage as well as relationship examples I see set by older generations. I hope the music and imagery takes the listener to a simpler and scenic time when life didn’t move as fast, and communication wasn’t at our fingertips. However, the young man in the tale is chomping at the bit to marry the girl of his dreams, the day can’t come quick enough and nothing’s gonna stop him!” – Jesse Smathers

Track Credits: 
Jesse Smathers – Guitar/ Lead Vocal
Nick Goad – Mandolin/ Harmony Vocal
Corbin Hayslett – Banjo
Hunter Berry – Fiddle
Joe Hannabach – Bass

Photo Credit: Laci Mack

LISTEN: Lillian Leadbetter, “Doesn’t Hurt”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Lillian Leadbetter
Hometown: Lincoln, Vermont
Song: “Doesn’t Hurt”
Album: State of Romance
Release Date: September 22, 2023 (single); October 13, 2023 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Doesn’t Hurt’ exists in a world of suspended disbelief. Snowed into my childhood home in early February with just myself and a teething puppy, I lay in bed, reminiscing. As my brain drifted from my cold bed in the hills of snowy Vermont, I recalled warmer days, warmer arms, love that had slipped through my fingers, love I knew wouldn’t last. Those vignettes kept me warm, moments and people who told white lies to preserve a state of romance. ‘Doesn’t Hurt’ is an internal song, sung to honor all the moments I bit my tongue instead of admitting the end, choosing instead to revel in the impermanence of love one last time.” – Lillian Leadbetter

Photo Credit: Katyayani Krishnan

LISTEN: Veronique Medrano, “Dear Dorothy”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Veronique Medrano
Hometown: Brownsville, Texas
Song: “Dear Dorothy”
Album: MexiAmericana
Release Date: September 22, 2023

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Dear Dorothy’ as a playful way to address my luck – or lack thereof – when it came to love in my 20s, and to address the stories that we women tell to and hear from our best friends during a break up. Also acknowledging the hilarity in how life can take the wildest turns, especially when we least expect it. I wrote this song as an homage to my best friend, Dorothy, who passed away, with the hope that the essence of our friendship and humor would shine through. Dating in your 20s is full of wild and crazy stories, and so my thought is… what if after the break up everything went better? This song, along with the many others that I wrote or selected for my album, were to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons of love, heartbreak, independence and self discovery that brought me to the place I am now.” – Veronique Medrano

Track Credits: Written by Veronique Michelle Medrano

Producer: Mariano Herrera, Veronique Medrano
Engineer: Mariano Herrera
Mixing & Mastering: Mariano Herrera, Veronique Medrano
Executive Producer: Mario Davila
Recording Supervisor: Javi G
Recorded at Produce Sound Studios

Photo courtesy of Marushka Media

LISTEN: Kathy Kallick Band, “Just Lonesome Ol’ Me & the Radio”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Kathy Kallick Band
Hometown: San Francisco Bay Area, California
Song: “Just Lonesome Ol’ Me & the Radio”
Album: The Lonesome Chronicles
Release Date: September 19, 2023 (single); October 17, 2023 (album)
Label: Live Oak Records

In Their Words: “People of different ages will feel their engagement with radio in different ways. As part of a family gathered around the radio for a specific show, as a teenager listening to a transistor radio under their pillow, as a traveler on a long car trip with the radio tuned in to whatever signal it can find, or as a listener with that favorite show tuned in on a laptop from anywhere in the world, the radio means connection. In that bizarre time of lockdown, we all looked for ways to ‘be’ with other people, and a dear friend and I started having a listening date, tuning in to the same radio show from our separate places, and commenting to each other via email, text, or calling on the phone. It made us feel like we were having a little party!” – Kathy Kallick

Track Credits:
Kathy Kallick: composer, lead vocal, guitar
Annie Staninec: tenor vocal, fiddle
Greg Booth: baritone vocal, dobro
Tom Bekeny: mandolin
Cary Black: bass

Photo Credit: Anne Hamersky

LISTEN: The Fretliners, “Purple Flowers”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: The Fretliners
Hometown: Lyons, Colorado
Song: “Purple Flowers”
Album: The Fretliners
Release Date: September 29, 2023

In Their Words: “We’re very excited to release this music into the world and hope people enjoy it. Tom [Knowlton] and I wrote this song when each of us were dealing with the hardships of a long distance relationship. The dilemma between balancing love and pursuing a career in music. It was our first co-write together and an early addition to our live show. Sam [Parks] and Dan [Andree] really helped us bring the whole thing together on record.” – Taylor Shuck, bassist

Track Credits: Written by Taylor Shuck and Tom Knowlton
Produced by Sally Van Meter
Engineered by Eric Wiggs
Recorded at Vermillion Road Studio in Longmont, Colorado
Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering

Photo Credit: Elliot Siff

Track Credits: Written by Taylor Shuck and Tom Knowlton
Produced by Sally Van Meter
Engineered by Eric Wiggs
Recorded at Vermillion Road Studio in Longmont, Colorado
Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering

LISTEN: Ross Cooper, “Love Like The Old Days”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Ross Cooper
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Love Like The Old Days”
Album: Lightning Heart
Release Date: September 29, 2023

In Their Own Words: “Aaron Raitiere and I were both on the same flight coming back to Nashville and sat together, opened up our journals, and wrote this song in a couple of hours. We’d been struggling to get a date on the books to write, so that plane ride was kind of a ‘stars-aligning moment.’ I wanted to write a song about my wife and the type of relationship that our folks have. The type of marriage worth writing about. This song fell out. I knew it was going to be a special song from the moment we finished it. And the cherry on top of all of it was I got my wife, O’Neal (who swears up and down that she ‘can’t sing’), to sing harmony on the track, and she sounds beautiful. Now it’s all full circle, and we have a song we get to share together. Some songs are easy to write… like they were waiting to get written. ‘Love Like The Old Days’ feels like that song for me.” – Ross Cooper

Photo Credit: Sam Wiseman

LISTEN: Steve Lewis, “Tale of Woe”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Steve Lewis
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Tale of Woe”
Album: Exit to Mystery
Release Date: September 8, 2023
Label: Broken Hip Records

In Their Words: “This song was written while I was in the group King Wilkie and while we did record it, it didn’t fit the winsome vibe of the album at the time. We did pitch it to Levon Helm & co. during the Dirt Farmer era, but they were all set for material. Happily, we have a new (better) recording of a song with a lot of history and a lyric about being distant from the modern fast-paced world – and we can all relate to that.” – Steve Lewis

Photo Credit: Robbie Hall

LISTEN: Christian Parker, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Christian Parker
Hometown: Canton, New York
Song: “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
Album: Sweethearts
Release Date: August 18, 2023

In Their Words: “I first heard this song by Bob Dylan on an acoustic guitar. But I was hooked when I listened to the opening pedal steel guitar from The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. This song has been in my repertoire for decades, and it felt like I was recording an old friend! Tracer James’ interpretation of Lloyd Green’s pedal steel guitar perfectly opens the Sweethearts tribute. Earl Poole Ball played piano on the original album; hearing him on this tribute is a testament to his influence on the 1968 classic album! ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ is the opening track on the Sweethearts album, and it sounds like a train leaving the station and moving on down the tracks.” – Christian Parker

Photo Credit: Morgan Elliott