Colorado’s Drunken Hearts Release ‘Sunlight’ (Feat. Big Richard) – Out Today to Watch/ Listen

Drunken Hearts Release ‘Sunlight’ (Feat. Big Richard)

“Sunlight” Available Now

BOULDER, Colo. — Led by acoustic guitarist and powerhouse lead singer Andrew McConathy—known for his compelling songwriting and distinct, deep, and expressive vocals—Drunken Hearts independently release their new single, “Sunlight (feat. Big Richard)” July 29 on all platforms. 

McConathy says, “I wrote ‘Sunlight’ in September of 2021, I was depressed about the pandemic and hung up on trying to get things back to the way they used to be. The weekend before, I planned a writing trip to a cabin in the mountains of Colorado but encountered some of the worst writer’s block I’ve had. It was pretty frustrating and I guess only made my condition worse. However, when I got home, ‘Sunlight’ emerged the first time I pulled out my guitar.”

Andrew McConathy
Photo by Tobin Voggesser

The song begins with a more mournful feel and progresses into another realm of joyful sorrow with it’s lyrics:

I can’t sleep with light in my eyes

I can’t help reaching for the sky

I don’t want to leave it all behind

you know I can’t stop my mind

“While it certainly delves into depression and anxiety, “Sunlight” also serves as a reminder to be resilient in the face of adversity, and to never, ever stop pursuing your dreams, even if you can’t get out of bed in the morning, “says McConathy. “It was an exhilarating experience tracking this song with so many amazing friends and musicians.”

John Grigsby [bassist in Gregory Alan Isakov’s band] did a fantastic job bringing it all to life with stunning surrealist animation, which can be viewed here → https://youtu.be/-qgHfV49Dp4. 

Americana Highways premiered the video and writes, “With gorgeous pine rainforest footage and misty otherworldly natural images, the video supports this song of renewal. Starting with low, foreboding cello tones and McConathy’s raw vibrato, this song builds piece by piece into a glorious celebration.”

This release from Drunken Hearts features McConathy along with Alex Johnson on drums/ percussion/samples, Adrian Engfer on upright bass and violin, Tyler Adams on piano, and Andy Reiner on violin. Johnson recorded the basic tracks in his basement studio in Arvada, CO and then Todd Divel re-tracked the acoustic guitar and vocals at Silo Sound in Denver, CO and finalized the mix and master.

“When we recorded it, I wanted the instrumentation to match the vibe of the song, which felt different from my other releases, and instantly thought cello would be fitting. I made a Facebook post looking for a cellist, and Joy Adams from Big Richard was the first recommendation. At first we just had upright bass, violin, and acoustic guitar, but over time added cello, more strings, piano, and very light drums. I love Big Richard and after already having Joy’s cello, it only made sense to add the rest of the band on harmony vocals to give the song an eerie, siren-esque feel. I love the way ‘Sunlight’ turned out.”

“Sunlight” Available Now

All contributing to backing vocals on “Sunlight” (with Adams on cello), Big Richard is a charismatic, neo-acoustic supergroup formed in 2021 composed of four well-established Colorado musicians including Bonnie Sims [Bonnie & Taylor Sims, Everybody Loves an Outlaw, Bonnie and the Clydes], Joy Adams [Nathaniel Rateliff, Darol Anger, Half Pelican], Emma Rose [Sound of Honey, Daniel Rodriguez, Whippoorwill], and Eve Panning [Lonesome Days]. Big Richard’s vocal parts were recorded by Kyle Donovan at Cinder Sound Studio in Longmont, CO. Joy Adams and husband Andy Reiner recorded and tracked the cello and fiddle parts at their home studio outside of Black Hawk, CO.

Drunken Hearts have previously released four studio albums—Wheels of the City (2019 LoHi Records, Produced by Tim Carbone [Railroad Earth]), The Prize (2018), Love & Thirst (2016) (produced by Rob Eaton of Dark Star Orchestra) and Live For Today (2012)— as well as a live album, Alive ‘n Free (2021). More recently they released a series of singles through the pandemic from their EP Wildflower Sessions (recorded at Planet Bluegrass) in 2021 and early 2022. Drunken Hearts have shared the stage with acts like Billy Strings, Mumford & Sons, The Revivalists, Greensky Bluegrass, Mavis Staples, Black Pumas, Stevie Wonder, The String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth, The Infamous Stringdusters, Elephant Revival, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, and many more. 

Kind Words About Drunken Hearts From Previous Releases:

“… surely McConathy has one of the most memorable voices in roots music”  
—Glide Magazine, Jim Hynes

“Heavy thinkers and power players” —PopMatters, Michael Bialas

“We are over the moon with their infectious humor, quick wit, and edgy Americana sound, so much so, we brought them into the studio” —WEXT Radio, Tabitha Clancy

“If you mix Pearl Jam with a mountain spirit, you get Drunken Hearts”
—American Songwriter, Dallas Jackson

“[MConathy’s] distinctive and coarse tonality is sure to please listeners and carries the lyrics with intent” —Americana UK, Joe Edwards 

“Drunken Hearts deliver an intimate perspective to a nostalgic rock and roll sound. Passionate vocals that are reminiscent of Eddie Vedder are both familiar and a newfound discovery”
—Paul Hoffman [Greensky Bluegrass]

“Somewhere between Counting Crows and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats you’ll find Drunken Hearts” —Fervor Coulee, Donald Teplyske

“Lead singer Andrew McConathy is not an imitation, he does emulate expressively a pure Eddie Vedder alt-country vocal halfway to deep-voiced Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies vocalist). But the Hearts’ music has musicality: it’s all golden” —Americana Highways, John Apice

Sunlight Features:

Drunken Hearts:
Andrew McConathy: Acoustic Guitar / Vocals
Alex Johnson: Drums / Percussion 
Adrian Engfer: Upright Bass / Violin
Tyler Adams: Piano
Andy Reiner: Violin

+ Big Richard:
Joy Adams: Cello / Background Vocals
Bonnie Simms: Background Vocals
Emma Rose: Background Vocals
Eve Panning: Background Vocals

Credits:

Written and Produced by Andrew McConathy 
Recorded by Alex Johnson in Arvada, CO & Todd Divel at Silo Sound in Denver, CO
Big Richard was recorded by Kyle Donovan at Cinder Sound Studio in Longmont, CO
Mixed and Mastered by Todd Divel
Video animation by John Grigsby

For more information, please visit www.thedrunkenhearts.com, facebook.com/thedrunkenhearts, twitter.com/drunkenhearts, tiktok.com/@thedrunkenhearts, Spotify, and instagram.com/thedrunkenhearts.

Read Full Post »

DittyTV Premieres Tenth Mountain Division’s Cel Animation Music Video “9 to 5” – Single Out Today

Tenth Mountain Division Release Single & Music Video – “9 to 5”
From Their Upcoming Third Studio Album
Produced By Tim Carbone at Silo Sound Studio

“9 to 5” is out Today! Get it here → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/tenthmountaindivision Tb/9-to-5

Watch the World Premiere of the Music Video for “9 to 5” over at DittyTV →
https://dittytv.com/world-premiere-video-9-to-5-by-tenth-mountain-division/

You can also watch the Ditty Debut of the “9 to 5” Music Video on ‘The Curve’
Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 at 9pm MT/ 10pm CT/ 11pm ET
It will rebroadcast the following morning: 10am CT on Thursday, September 10th https://dittytv.com/watch/ 

BOULDER, COLORADO —  Colorado band Tenth Mountain Division is pushing the sound found in the mountains in bold new directions with their high-energy and exploratory take on Americana, draws influences from classic Southern rock, the progressive bluegrass that was born in their backyard, and the adventurous spirit of 60s psychedelic.

After a soaring 2019 which saw the band travel from coast-to-coast playing their biggest shows to date including Summer Camp, WinterWonderGrass, ARISE, and Yarmony, they took the plunge back into the studio at the turn of the year. With Producer Tim Carbone (of Railroad Earth), the band recorded their third studio album with engineer Todd Divel at Silo Sound Studio, recently dubbed the ‘Abbey Road of Denver’ [Westword]. 

The band’s mandolinist, Winston Heuga says, “It’s been hard to know the best way to adapt to this new culture and keep our momentum moving. Just before shutdown, we completed a Kickstarter for the new album and were lucky enough to have 358 backers pledge $38,765 to help bring this project to life. We’re very fortunate to be in a position to keep creating and get music to our fans.”

Tenth Mountain Division is excited to start releasing this new music with an animated video for their new single “9 to 5.” Watch the World Premeire of “9 to 5” now at DittyTV → https://dittytv.com/world-premiere-video-9-to-5-by-tenth-mountain-division/.

“9 to 5” was penned by the band’s bassist Andrew Cooney who says, “This song is about trusting yourself to take the path you feel is right. The first verse lays out what could be, and the second draws the final straw that leads to the solution in the chorus, ‘going home another way.’ It’s a somber, yet uplifting song that makes you ask if you are really following your heart.” 

The video will premiere on YouTube on Monday, September 7 → https://youtu.be/gw5bjABI-iE.

“TMD’s music video for their new single, “9-5”, directed by Chase Allen Taylor, takes the viewer through a flowing mosaic of animated, interwoven tableau vivant,” says the band’s guitarist MJ Ouimette, “We travel  as if ‘with’ the song through wraparound backgrounds reminiscent of the Flintstones, subbing Bedrock for psychedelic cartoon landscapes and subterranean pho factories and the foot-powered Rubstone Special for a rendering of the band’s beloved short-bus-tour-bus, Dorothy. The thread unifying the piece is the animation’s reaction to the track’s sound wave, sometimes gently as in during pianist Campbell Thomas light-as-a-feather solo and others dramatically to vocalist/songwriter Andrew Cooney’s inviting yet poignant vocals. An audiovisual treat for the modern aesthete.” 

“9 to 5” is the first single of their upcoming third album [Release date TBA], and a follow up to 2018’s In Good Company which Live for Live Music declared was, “chock full of raw rock and roll, with a savory listening experience guaranteed for all.” 

Marquee Magazine writes, “…the group’s electro-acoustic sound… gives unapologetic nods to the jam gods that have come before them… Tenth Mountain Division takes some Widespread Panic inspired jams, and meshes them with Leftover Salmon-styled arrangements, and couples that with a hell-bent love for classic rock, soul, and pub sing-alongs.” 

Tenth Mountain Division formed in 2010 when high-school classmates, Winston Heuga (mandolin) and MJ Ouimette (guitar) first met when they discovered a shared musical interest. The two young musicians started penning songs together that were inspired by the natural beauty that surrounded their hometown in the Rocky Mountains and the lore of the 10th Mountain Division military infantry (The WWII pioneers of mountain combat who founded Vail, CO and many other ski areas across the country.) They ended up at the University Colorado Boulder where they briefly played as an acoustic trio with upright bassist, Connor Dunn before meeting drummer Tyler Gwynn and keyboardist Campbell Thomas. The addition of drums and keys to Heuga and Ouimette’s deep musical bond, widened their musical palette, taking the band in new directions and pointing to bold, uncharted, musical horizons. They released their first album, Cracks in the Sky, in 2016 and followed it up with a national tour that saw them packing shows across the country. The band’s lineup was solidified soon after with the addition of Andrew Cooney and immediate success followed. Since then they have become a regular presence on the festival circuit including stops at Summer Camp, Aiken Bluegrass Festival, Winter Wondergrass, Yarmony, ARISE, and Leftover Salmon’s Boogie at the Broadmoor. They released their second album, In Good Company, in 2018.

TMD Upcoming Dates:
9/4 Fri –  Live Facebook Happy Hour with Festy GoNuts @ 5:30pm MT / 6:30pm CT/ 7:30pm ET
9/26 Sat – Highlands Ale House – Aspen, CO
10/24 Sat – Boulder Theater supporting Los Lobos

More information about Tenth Mountain Division can be found at www.tmdtunes.com 

www.facebook.com/TMDBand, www.twitter.com/TMDtunes, and www.instagram.com/tenthmountaindivision 

 

Read Full Post »

The Drunken Hearts Release ‘Wheels of the City’ 10/18 on LoHi Records, Produced by Tim Carbone

The Drunken Hearts Release Wheels of the City
October 18, 2019 on LoHi Records
Produced by Tim Carbone at Silo Sound Studios in Denver, Colorado

The First Single “Unrest” Drops Friday 9/27 → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thedrunkenhearts/unrest

Listen to “Unrest” at JamBase in this Exclusive Premiere → www.jambase.com/article/drunken-hearts-unrest

DENVER, CO — The Drunken Hearts found themselves entering Silo Sound Studios in Denver on April 1st, 2018 with friend and producer Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth)— just one day after the release of their then-brand new, self-produced album, The Prize. The band wanted to try something new for their next album: to create and record a new song each day, and continue that model until an entire album was realized, and the result is eleven full-fledged, living, breathing, musical time capsules that make up Wheels of the City. Mastered by Jim Wilson, the new album is out October 18 on LoHi Records.

Called, “Boulder’s Americana Heroes” by 303 Magazine who writes, “Since their inception as a trio [in 2012], the now rock ‘n’ roll quintet has gained quite the reputation. Their music is raw Americana-rock, with a touch of country and a sprinkle of folk, and the result is a steaming and raucous sound full of emotion and energy.”

 

The Drunken Hearts   Press Shot Credit: Tobin Voggesser

Mixing their mountain-spirit with the twang of the south, this electrifying five-man band met and live in the Boulder/Denver area of Colorado. Acoustic guitarist and powerhouse lead singer, Andrew McConathy is originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, and is known for his compelling songwriting and distinct and expressive vocals. Joining him are pedal steel, Dobro, and lap steel player Cody Russell and electric guitarist and vocalist Kory Montgomery, both from Arkansas, along with bassist and vocalist Jon McCartan, from Upstate New York by way of Vermont, and, from the outskirts of Chicago, drummer Alex Johnson.

 

“The Drunken Hearts deliver an intimate perspective to a nostalgic rock and roll sound,” says Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass), “Passionate vocals that are reminiscent of Eddie Vedder and country flavored pedal steel are both familiar and a newfound discovery.”

On Wheels of the City, The Drunken Hearts deliver tales of adventure, love, risk, and realization. There’s an overarching feeling of positivity throughout the songs, yet they also contain undertones of the darkness that inhabits life. Aspen Daily News says, “The Drunken Hearts are magnetic, as they combine catchy beats with unique melodies to create a well-synced mixture of musical sensibilities.”

“I loved working on this record with The Drunken Hearts,” exclaims Carbone, a partner in LoHi Records. “Andrew sent me the acoustic demos of the songs and I sketched out the arrangements and instrumentation. The band essentially learned the songs and added their ideas the day we tracked them.”

Andrew says, “Once we got into the studio with Tim, ultimately ‘Unrest,’ the first single, morphed into a rollicking piano-driven rock song topped off by a very psychedelic Pink Floyd-esque bridge with the lyrics, ‘Just getting up is getting me down… Gonna pull the string get my head unwound… Before I die I want to learn to live… Unrest is a state of mind…’” Listen to “Unrest” at this exclusive premiere at JamBase → https://www.jambase.com/article/drunken-hearts-unrest. 

Carbone says, “We did a song a day and except for some vocal overdubs, solo replacements and the strings and horns, that was how it all went down. I’d never worked that way before. It was an amazing stretch of hyper-creativity. I’m very proud of Wheels of the City!”

The title track was inspired by Jack Kerouac’s “Vanishing American Hobo,” written in 1960. McConathy explains the song, “‘Wheels of the City’ examines the cultural paradigm between the homeless, health insurance-less citizens of America and an opposing population who seemingly wish to leave their brothers and sisters helpless, and build a wall to keep freedom and opportunity at bay and weak against the overbearing patriarchy who wishes to repress them.” He sings, “Build a bridge, and not a wall… Something to bind us, not divide us all… ”

The album features a horn section on the title track and “Passchendaele” brings in a string section along with Sheryl Renee’s accompanying vocals to create a unique texture to the telling of a riveting tale of a soldiers love long ago that was lost upon returning from war. Renee also joins on “In the Middle” a song with poignant lyrics, “Here we are fightin’ in the middle, bleedin’ ‘n dying like fools… Here we are believin’ in the the middle, We got nothing but change for days… Here we are believin’ in the middle, I’m the only one that can change my ways…”

Carbone joins in on multiple instruments throughout the album including piano, organ, and violin. Cody Russell also brought two instrumentals to the table, one of which McConathy added words to (“Dream of Waiting”) and the other, “The Cave” to which Carbone added a spoken-word passage from ‘Plato’s Allegory of The Cave’ to create the intro.

Somehow with this ambitious “create and record one entire song per day” approach, the band was able to write and track eleven songs in eleven days, and the result was one of the more satisfying creative endeavors the band has ever taken on.

LoHi’s Vice President Chad Staehly (of Hard Working Americans) says, “We’ve known about The Drunken Hearts for years and it has been really cool watching their growth as artists and performers. This latest album Wheels of the City has an extra layer of depth and songwriting that is very engaging and emotive on a different level from anything they’ve done in the past.”

With notable performances at Winter WonderGrass Steamboat (CO), Winter WonderGrass Squaw Valley (CA), Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road Fest (CO), Electric Forest (MI), FloydFest (VA), Vertex (CO), Fayetteville Roots Fest (AR), Hangtown Music Festival (CA), Bohemian Nights at New West Fest (CO), Northwest String Summit (OR), Grandoozy (CO), Four Peaks Festival (OR), and the band’s very own Yarmony Music Festival (CO), the band is very much at home on the festival circuit. They have also supported Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, Deer Tick, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, among others.

The band is touring the country from coast-to-coast, with stops at famed venues and festivals along the way and is set to perform a slew of shows with Yonder Mountain String Band during this album release cycle.

The Drunken Hearts Wheels of the City Tour Dates:
10/5 Sat – Denver, CO – Cervantes Other Side
10/10 Thu – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room Lounge*
10/11 Fri – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s*
10/12 Sat – TBA
10/13 Sun – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom*
10/16 Wed – Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall*
10/17 Thu – Homer, NY – Center for the Arts*
10/18 Fri – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Music Hall and Bistro*
10/19 Sat – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place*
10/30 Wed – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub
10/31 Thu – Coos Bay, OR – 7 Devils Brewing Co.
11/1 Fri – Salem, OR – Governor’s Cup
11/2 Sat – Portland, OR – Private Party
11/13 Wed – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10*
11/14 Thu – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl*
11/15 Fri – Ardmore, PA – The Ardmore Music Hall*
11/16 Sat – Boulder, CO – The Fox Theatre
11/17 Sun – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios*
11/19 Tue – Greenfield, MA – Hawks & Reed PAC*
11/21 Thu – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall*
11/22 Fri – Pawtucket, RI – The Met*
11/23 Sat – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall*
11/24 Sun – York, PA – The Capitol Theatre*

* supporting Yonder Mountain String Band

Wheels of the City Track Listing and Credits

1. Fire in a House 4:02
2. Shining Eyes 3:24
3. Alive ‘n Free 3:47
4. Run It All Together 3:09
5. Unrest 3:42
6. Wheels of the City 4:13
7. Passchendaele 4:52
8. Two Hearts (On a Limb) 3:15
9. In the Middle 3:19
10. Dream of Waiting 4:42
11. The Cave 3:38

 

The Drunken Hearts:

Andrew McConathy – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocals
Cody Russell – Pedal Steel, Lap Steel, Dobro
Jon McCartan – Electric Bass
Kory Montgomery – Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Alex Johnson – Drums, Percussion

Special Guests:
Tim Carbone – Piano (tracks 1, 3, 5), Organ (3), Violin (3), Backing Vocals (7), Spoken Word (11), Percussion (1)
Sheryl Renee – Backing Vocals (tracks 7, 9)

Horn Section (track 6):
Sam Hoyt – Trumpet
Sam Burris – Trombone
John Devivo – French Horn
Jay Rattman – Alto Sax, Flute, Clarinet, and Arrangement

String Section (track 7):
Stephanie Bell – Violin
Chris Souza – Violin
Marsha Cahn – Viola
David Moulton – Cello
Jay Rattman – Arrangement

Produced by Tim Carbone / Engineered by Todd Divel / Recorded at Silo Sound Studios in Denver, CO
Mixed by Todd Divel with Tim Carbone / Mastered by Jim Wilson at Jim Wilson Mastering
Strings and Horns recorded by Don Sternecker at Mix-O-Lydian Recording
All songs arranged by The Drunken Hearts and Tim Carbone

Press Shot Credit: Tobin Voggesser
Album Artwork Credit: John Westmark

For more information and updates from the road, please visit www.thedrunkenhearts.com, facebook.com/thedrunkenhearts, twitter.com/drunkenhearts, and instagram.com/thedrunkenhearts.

Read Full Post »