Fiery, Finger-picking String Band, Arkansauce, Releases 1st Single from Upcoming Album—OK to Wonder

Arkansauce Independently Releases 5th Album, OK to Wonder, April 21

First Single “Up on The Shelf” Out Today

Premiered by Glide Magazine:

“Strong lyricism, warm harmonies, and impressive solos abound throughout this track”

Get it here → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/arkansauce/up-on-the-shelf 

Arkansauce
Photo by Phil Clarkin

FAYETTEVILLE, AR — Arkansauce is excited to independently release their 5th album, OK to Wonder, on April 21. The melodies of the Ozark Mountains’ rolling hills and raging rivers can be heard in this progressive string quartet’s distinct blend of newgrass. Arkansauce is Tom Andersen on bass, guitarist Zac Archuleta, Ethan Bush on mandolin, and Adams Collins on banjo. Their music features improvisational string leads matched with complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and deep thumping bass grooves. Each member sings lead and harmony parts as well as contributes to the lyrics, which offer authentic, intelligent songwriting with hard-hitting hooks. 

OK to Wonder is filled with songs of revelry, wonder, insight, and whimsy—inspired not only from their home state of Arkansas, but also throughout their travels. “We are a band that spends most of our time in the back of a van hurtling toward long nights, good times, and a destiny unknown,” says Ethan. “Our inspiration is gathered by events unfolding in our own adventures in real time. These days, the desire to create, inspire, and redefine within our scene seems to be the main driving force behind our music. From a young age we were huge fans of live music and were introduced to a lot of great music by our families.”

Music Mecca’s Spencer Nachman calls them a “fiery, finger-picking string band… What is apparent at any Arkansauce show is their positivity and desire to uplift the audience’s spirit, no matter the circumstance.”  Americana UK’s Tim Newby writes, “Their take on bluegrass, which is forward-thinking yet still adhering to a traditional model, is powered by their creative and technically challenging arrangements.”

OK to Wonder ‘s 11 tracks were recorded in Fayetteville at Crisp Recording Studio with engineer Darren Crisp, James Tuttle [Leftover Salmon, The String Cheese Incident, Hot Rize, Michael Franti, Cary Morin] on the mix, and Brad Sarno [Son Volt, Jay Farrar] for the mastering.

“Up on the Shelf” 
Out Now

Beginning with the upbeat “Up on the Shelf,” which Ethan describes as, “a rowdy song about a wild night out and gradually became a much more in depth picture of the ups and downs of a relationship; I aimed to maintain the spirit of the original concept, while trying to depict the stress that partnerships may bring through an honest and unique lens.”

“Big City Chicken” harnesses the creative insights gathered during the first few weeks of pandemic quarantine, setting a pulsing, contemplative feel until it reaches a breaking point mid-song and everything turns around into a delightful trip as they celebrate getting back on tour. “First Night of the Tour” recalls the “rules of the road,” a fun reminder that “Everybody knows that you don’t unload the very first night of the tour.”

Other songs include an ambitious and stimulating “Coldiron,” the Hartford-esque “How Time Flies,” and the hard drivin’ “My Home in Arkansas.” “I’ll Be Yours” gives encouragement to the underdogs of the world, while the empathetic and anthemic “Early Bird” shines and welcomes you to join in. 

“Bim Batta,” with its 80s electro/hip-hop flair, is the first of three instrumentals on the album composed by Adams who says, “At some point, I became obsessively interested in how a four-piece bluegrass group might emulate various styles of drum grooves and rhythms.” “The Funky Gorilla” leans into Stanton Moore’s New Orleans funk approach and a delightful “Air Bender” completes the album with its undulating banjo transporting the listener on a magical country western jaunt.

Previous albums include All Day Long (2015), Hambone (2016), If I Were You (2017), and Maybe Someday (2019). The band has extensive roots in their home state of Arkansas (winning the 2021 Arkansas Best Bluegrass Artist of the Year in the Arkansas Country Music Awards) as well as out in the wider bluegrass, Americana, and festival music scenes.  

Having played shows from California to Connecticut over the last several years in addition to two tours in Europe, the band is no stranger to the road. They supported Yonder Mountain String Band for a leg of their summer tour in 2019, played mainstage spots on festivals with bands (including but not limited to) Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, The Del McCoury Band, Billy Strings, Leftover Salmon, Tauk, The Wood Brothers, and shared the stage with the legendary Sam Bush as a guest.  

For more information and news from the road, please visit www.arkansauce music.com, www.facebook.com/Arkansauce.Music, www.instagram.com/arkansaucemusic, and www.youtube.com/@arkansaucemusic314.

OK to Wonder Track Listing
1. Up on the Shelf 4:25 (Bush)
2. Big City Chicken 6:31 (Bush)
3. First Night of the Tour 3:29  (Bush)
4. Coldiron 5:42 (Bush)
5. Bim Batta 4:44 (Collins)
6. I’ll Be Yours 4:32 (Bush)
7. Early Bird 4:58 (Archuleta)
8. The Funky Gorilla 5:09 (Collins)
9. How Time Flies 4:48 (Bush)
10. My Home in Arkansas 4:11 (Andersen)
11. Air Bender 4:58 (Collins)

Ethan Bush – Mandolin, Vox on 1,3,4,6,7,9,10
Adams Collins – Banjo, Vox on 1,3,4,6,8,10, Piano on 7
Zac Archuleta – Guitar, Vox on 1,7,9 
Tom Andersen – Bass, Vox on 1,3,4,6,7,9,10

Arkansauce Tour Dates

https://arkansaucemusic.com/tour

3/03 Fri – Cedar Cultural Center – Minneapolis, MN
3/04 Sat – Appleton Beer Factory – Appleton, WI
3/08 Wed – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
3/09 Thu – Golden Dagger – Chicago, IL
3/10 Fri – Granada Theatre – Mount Vernon, IL
3/22 Wed – Hop Springs Beer Park – Murfreesboro, TN
3/23 Thu – Barley’s – Knoxville, TN
3/24 Fri – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
3/28 Tue – The Camel – Richmond, VA
3/29 Wed – The Southern – Charlottesville, VA
3/31 Fri – Best Booth Bash – Ridgeway, IA
4/2 Sun – Parkway Brewing – Salem, VA
4/13 Thu – Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA*
4/14 Fri – Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ*
4/15 Sat – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ*
4/16 Sun – Yucca North – Flagstaff, AZ*
4/21 Fri – Beer City Music Hall – Oklahoma City, OK
4/22 Sat – Backwoods Music Festival – Ozark, AR
4/27 Thu – 123 Pleasant St. – Morgantown, WV
4/28 Fri – Some Kind of Jam – Kempton, PA
4/29 Sat – Private Wedding – Roanoke, VA
4/30 Sun – House Show – Lynchburg, VA
5/06 Sat – Record Bar – Kansas City, MO
5/12 Fri – Sustain Art & Music Festival – French Lick, IN
5/19 Fri – FreshGrass – Bentonville, AR
5/25 Thu – The Lariat – Buena Vista, CO
5/26 Fri – Cervantes Other Side – Denver, CO
5/28 Sun – McAwesome Fest – Castle Rock, CO
6/02 Fri – Dixie Center for the Arts – Ruston, LA
6/15 Thu – Ozark Mountain Soul Fest – Eureka Springs, AR
6/17 Sat – Survivor’s Ball – Lonedell, MO
6/23 Fri – Argentina Vibes – North Little Rock, AR
7/14 Fri – ABQ Biopark Zoo – Albuquerque, NM
8/5 Sat – Keystone Bluegrass & Beer – Keystone, CO
8/6 Sun – Rhythm on the Rio – Del Norte, CO
8/11-12 Fri-Sat – Lovegrass Music Festival – Wilson Lake, KS
* w/ The Brothers Comatose

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‘The Family Album’ by The Company Stores Independently Released Today! “Soundtrack Ready”

The Company Stores Independently Release The Family Album
Produced by Galactic’s Robert Mercurio
OUT TODAY – Sept 23, 2022→ https://thecompanystores.hearnow.com/the-family-album  

“The Family Album captures those moments of magic…
From endearing to personal and taking that party up a notch.
From their hearts to your soul via your listening device.
Please listen to this on a proper stereo.”
—Jammerzine Exclusive: An Interview + Album Premiere, Ryan Martin

“The album had me from the opening track, ‘Savannah,’ which could have easily been on a Steely Dan record (notably the guitar parts), by way of the jazz group Return to Forever. The vocals by Ileana Ille glide over the instrumentation much like those of Return to Forever’s first vocalist, Flora Purim, did. Ille’s vocals are but one of the many textured layers that blend together in unexpected ways.”
—No Depression, Amos Perrine

“…a whirling musical milieu… Complete with horns to punctuate the high points’”
—Americana Highways, Melissa Clarke, Song Premiere: “A New Leaf” 

“The Latin-influenced ‘Maria’ … is about relationships and patterns and is soundtrack-ready. Indeed, you can almost envision it as a theme song to a TV show…” —HVY, Will Phoenix

Watch the Official “Ways” Music Video

CHARLESTON, WV — With Horns, Strings, & Soaring Vocals, The Company Stores release The Family Album today, September 23. The album has received notable mentions in Bass Musician Magazine, No Depression, Beehive Candy, and a slot in Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine’s September ‘Trail Mix’ Playlist; as well as premieres in JamBase, Americana Highways, and Jammerzine. No Depression’s Amos Perrine says, “This Charleston-based band has been making a lot of noise during the past few years. I first saw them six years ago at a one-day festival where they blew much bigger names off the stage. Not in loudness, but rather the quality of their songs and their intricate arrangements.” 

“This album tells a story of everything being turned upside down; both personally and across the country,” says Matthew Marks, the primary songwriter for the band.  “It is about family and understanding the triumphs, failures, tendencies, and choices of the people who came before, in order to understand how to successfully navigate where you are going.” 

The Company Stores had plans to hit the road hard, raise funds, and save to record their new album in 2020, then all plans got curtailed and almost all of their live shows and side jobs were canceled due to the pandemic. The songs were written during a time of personal havoc for Marks after his engagement had ended and he moved to his family farm, where he still resides, in March 2020 to help with his Grandad who was dying of lung cancer. While first there, he did a deep dive into his family history and roots lending to the content and mood of the album. They were able to start recording in mid-2021 after a year-long pause once things seemed safe for travel again. 

Ileana Ille

The Company Stores features lead vocalist Ileana Ille’s stunning voice as she captivates the audience with her ability to express raw emotion. Ille says, “I am honored that The Company Stores chose my voice as a vehicle to express the stories in The Family Album. Each song is a collection of the people who have shaped us and the times that made us. I hope the listeners are able to connect with the musicality, storytelling, and creativity and feel at home when they listen to it.”

The Company Stores unites many influences to lay down bold grooves amidst dynamic crescendos. In addition to collaborating with Marks on song arrangements, their key/vibes/trombone player Matthew Jackfert, works as a classical broadcaster/composer and host of All Things Considered at WV Public Broadcasting (and he and his family will appear on Family Feud in mid-October). Their music is brimming with beautiful orchestral soundscapes, soaring harmonies, strings, horns, electronic textures, and a tight rhythm section including bassist Michael Micucci, Joseph Cevallos on violin/trumpet, and John Query on drums.

The Family Album was produced by Robert Mercurio, bassist for New Orleans funk legends Galactic. The instrumentation was recorded by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC. Mercurio stepped in as engineer to record the vocal parts at Galactic’s Number C Studio in New Orleans—including bringing in the Josh Kagler Choral Group to enhance the choruses on much of the album. The album was mixed and mastered by Mikael “Count” Eldridge [Trombone Shorty, DJ Shadow, The Revivalists]. 

Mercurio says, “As a producer, I feel like I saw this band grow immensely as songwriters though the process of making this album. We started working on it before the pandemic, and with their downtime they put in the work it takes to make great songs. Illy blossomed into the rock star she now is—crushing the vocals on every take. I’m very proud of the final product and had a blast working with all of them.” Along with his own band, Mercurio has production credits with an impressive list of artists including Big Freedia, Lyrics Born, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.

With keys and vibes at the front, the album opens with “Savannah,” which alternates from dark and melancholy to upbeat and happy verses. Marks says, “This song is about my best and worst day in Savannah, GA. The verse is written in present time, on a day I was on tour and just found out my engagement to my fiancé had ended. The pre-chorus and chorus is me remembering my best day, when we got engaged on vacation in Savannah, GA.”

Press Shots by The Oberports 
Album Artwork by Chris Woodall 

The fiery “A New Leaf,” the second track as well as second single, explores negative patterns in life, with the lyrics, “Damn… what a year. Sucker punched me to the next hemisphere… And now I’m waking up thunderstruck. Right in front of God and everyone… But now…clarity… A view from the floor that I had to see myself for sure. To turn over a new leaf…” 

With its rockin’ country western vibe “Ways,” the album’s lead single, continues on this theme, but sees the narrator start to recognize how choices made have developed these patterns of behavior that produce similar outcomes. “These old ways ain’t the best ways, just the ones I know… Trails blazed over time in my mind are deciding where I go… Now I gotta find peace of mind, redefine my life…”  “Ways” also sees special guests Walter DeBarr [Song of the Year in Minnesota 2021, William Elliot Whitmore] and Jodi Hall (also on “A New Leaf”) on backing vocals. “Ways” is dedicated to DeBarr, known for his soulful songwriting and deep raspy voice, who sadly passed away shortly after recording with the band.

JamBase premiered the “Ways” music video

“Maria” sees someone trapped in comparisons of old relationships and incorporates Latin styles and instruments including Flamenco Guitar, Spanish Trumpet, Latin Bird Flute, Congas, Bongos, Timbales, and Talking Drum. 

“Old Dog” is told from two perspectives; it has a hip hop flare on the verses—the “Old Dog” who is stuck in the past, afraid of change, and fighting the future and getting old—and heavy guitars and horns on the chorus—the “Boy” who is bluntly saying “stop barking at the shadows.” Jammerzine says of it, “Originality and presence collide in glorious splendor and raucous attitude to define our day and redefine our listening preferences. This is music.” 

Set in the minor key, “Fathers” looks into how mistakes made can be passed down for generations, stuck in a cycle and an ethereal “Blue Tide” calls out to explore the dark depths of oneself. A rock opera, “There Went The Neighborhood” is followed by the progressive “American Dream Girl.” “Some Sunday,” composed and written by Micucci, has a R&B flavor, with a focus on bass and groove. The album closes with a southern rock gospel ambience in “Castles & Cain.”

The name “The Company Stores” is a throwback to the old coal mines of West Virginia referring to the store in Appalachian coal towns during the 19th and 20th century where workers were paid in coal money or “scrip,” leaving them with no exit from working the mines. This name not only shows the bands heritage, but also the gritty feel of their music and the meaning behind many of their songs about the struggles of the common man.

“Together we spent countless quarantine hours writing and the rehearsal room, growing as songwriters and musicians, and are getting excited to present what we think will be our greatest record to date.” The Family Album is preceded by Little Lights (2017), also recorded at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, and their local debut Rollin’ In (2014). 

Stream/ Order The Family Album at https://thecompanystores.hearnow.com/the-family-album.   

The Company Stores – The Family Album – Track Listing
1. Savannah (4:08)
2. A New Leaf (3:31
3. Ways (3:47)
4. Maria (5:53)
5. Old Dog (4:58)*
6. Fathers (4:07)*
7. Blue Tide (3:47)
8. There Went The Neighborhood (2:43)*
9. American Dream Girl (3:32)
10. Some Sunday (3:58)
11. Castles & Cain (3:54)
*FCC Warning: please note explicit language
Radio edited versions are available for “Old Dog” and “There Went The Neighborhood”

The Company Stores Tour Dates 
10/15 Sat – Spirits in the Sky Fest @ The Bullock Distillery – Charleston, WV
10/28 Fri – Martin’s – Jackson, MS
10/29 Sat – Tipitina’s – New Orleans, LA *w/ Galactic

Keep an eye on their website and socials for tour dates and further news: www.thecompanystoresband.com, facebook.com/thecompanystores, twitter.com/CompanyStoresWV and instagram.com/thecompanystores. 

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Bill Scorzari Independently Releases ‘The Crosswinds of Kansas’ —Co-Produced by Neilson Hubbard 8/19— 1st Single Out Now

Bill Scorzari Independently Releases
The Crosswinds of Kansas
August 19, 2022

First Single “I-70 East” Available Now at Spotify,Amazon, and Apple

The Musicians:
Bill Scorzari, Brent Burke, Cindy Richardson Walker and Marie Lewey a/k/a “The Shoals Sisters,” Chelsea McGough, Danny Mitchell, Eamon McLoughlin, Fats Kaplin, Juan Solorzano, Kyle Tuttle, Matt Menefee, Mia Rose Lynne, Michael Rinne, Neilson Hubbard, Ty Allison, Will Kimbrough 

Co-Produced by Scorzari and Hubbard,
The Crosswinds of Kansas Was Recorded in Two Locations:
First Thunder Recording Studios by Scorzari in Huntington, NY
and Skinny Elephant Recording by Engineer Dylan Alldredge in Nashville

HUNTINGTON, NY — “New York-based singer-songwriter Bill Scorzari transcends titles like songwriter or poet. He catapults past categories into a dark, ruminative, and ultimately life-affirming realm where family folklore, memories, pain, prayer, and incantation meet,” says Acoustic Guitar. Scorzari, a prolific songwriter, has taken his craft to new heights and deeper depths with his 4th studio album, The Crosswinds of Kansas which will be independently released on August 19.

Much of The Crosswinds of Kansas was inspired by his three-month-long Now I’m Free Tour in 2019—which had become a journey of self discovery, with Bill ultimately arriving at a new awareness and desire to adapt and continue to create. He had made his way from the east coast, toward, and around the west coast and back, traveling under two full moons, visiting waterfalls, hiking, climbing, pondering and processing his life experiences of loss, gain and change, and at times composed haiku as a way to pass the time on the long drives between performances, until the tour came to an unexpected early end when Bill learned of the sudden decline in the health of his then 94 year old mother back home in NY.

Bill started his four-day drive home back east from California; when he got to Kansas on the second day, the winds were blowing so hard North and South across I-70 East that he had to fight the steering wheel for hours just to keep his car going straight down the highway. He stopped in Hays, KS for the night and woke up the next morning with a sore neck and arms from wrestling those tenacious crosswinds the day before. The following lines came to him while he was driving, “Then, came the crosswinds of Kansas unleashed, and it pushed me hard, north and south, all down I-70 east… As I tore home to my mother, before her health, it would fail, at 94, I felt another love leaving me lost, like a nail in a cross.”

Bill says, “When I wrote ‘I-70 East,’ I immediately knew that it was going to be the first track on this new album, even before I wrote the others, and when you cue up this record, it’ll be the first song that you hear when the music begins.” “I-70 East” is the first single to be released and is available now to stream or purchase → https://billscorzari.hearnow.com/i-70-east. Americana Highways premiered the music video for the song and says, “He’s captured such pain. And the beauty of a Rose.”

After arriving back home in NY and securing 24-hour care for his mom in late 2019, Bill took a deep breath, and began to write. Some of the songs were new creations and some were reworkings of songs from his back catalog which also fit well within the themes and moods of what was becoming the new album. He spent the early days of the Covid lockdown finishing the songs, gathering the right instruments to fit the music, and building out his studio—First Thunder— where he recorded much of the album. All the while, he continued to share time with his mom daily, until she passed at home on Christmas Day 2020 with Bill and family at her bedside, less than seven weeks before her 96th Birthday. 

With Scorzari drawing inspiration from a full palette of moods and emotions, the 13 original tracks on The Crosswinds of Kansas have many stories to tell— some confront the darker emotions head-on. Bill says, “I found that a lot of the songs on this record wound up having an upbeat feel, even when the lyrical content wasn’t necessarily upbeat, or at least not primarily or entirely so. It’s a very satisfying thing when that happens, like positivity shining through and prevailing over our struggles with adversity.”  

Scorzari recounts a hard tale of the destruction of a relationship in the rootsy “The Broken Heart Side of the Road,” while “Multnomah Falls” weaves a chronicle of a rainy day’s hike into an account of the trials of change and transcendence set to cascading mandolin lines. The orchestral “Oceans In Your Eyes” recounts a perilous navigation through an enchanted captivation, and a wistfully nostalgic “Patience and Time” haunts with lyrics, “… and I don’t think there’s anything that’s ever been as ‘this much’ on my mind. And with each day that’s passed I’m holding fast to patience and time, ‘cause nothing can outlast patience and time.”

Nostalgia is revisited in the hypnotic “Try, Try Again” and “Not Should’ve Known” presents a combination of uncertainty and prescience with its lyrics, “I’m just waitin’ for the courage to accept what I can’t change. Still, I can’t help but worry ‘bout how sometimes things turn strange and how with every situation that confronts me to my core, there comes a realization that I seem to have had before… what if I knew, and not should’ve known?” 

With the electric-guitar-driven opening track ”I-70 East,” the transcendent “All Behind Me Now,” the uplifting “1, 2, 3, Jump,” the fast-moving acoustic jam of “A Ghost, My Hat and My Coat,” and the rhythmic, semi-autobiographical, sound-collage that is “The Measure of a Man,” Scorzari achieves a beautiful balance in this new collections of songs.

Bringing a mix of contemporary and Indigenous instruments, “Inside My Heart” opens with the bell chime of a Tibetan singing bowl, a cluster of claw-hammer banjo notes and a Native American flute flourish, while the intriguing backstory of the making of the album finds Bill learning his lyrics in Navajo from a Navajo flutemaker named Ty Allison and his friends, and recording those lyrics, and the two flutes made by Ty, onto the final track, “Tryin’, Tryin’, Tryin’, Tryin’.” 

Bill says of learning Navajo, “It was an incredible honor for me. Beyond words. I’m also going to very candidly say that it was, however, no small task, and something that I would not have been able to do without the patient teaching, support and encouragement by, and friendship of Ty, Caleb and David. It is a connection that I will always cherish.”

The album was recorded in two locations—beginning in 2020 at First Thunder Recording Studios in Huntington, NY, by Scorzari during the Covid outbreak and through the continued lockdown into 2021, and continuing at Skinny Elephant Recording in Nashville, TN, by Engineer Dylan Alldredge in 2021 and again in 2022. 

Acclaimed record producer, film director, film producer, singer-songwriter, and photographer, Neilson Hubbard joined Bill as Co-Producer during the Nashville sessions, and also played drums and/or percussion on all of the tracks. Bill says, “Neilson has, among many other things, produced records for Mary Gauthier, Sam Baker, Kim Richey, and others, and his musical and production sense is spot on, and it appears to be effortlessly so. The man has a gift, and I am so very grateful for his friendship and for his many great talents which he has shared with me over the past several years.”

The musicians who joined in for the recording of The Crosswinds of Kansas include the following folks who, along with Scorzari and Hubbard, make up the band’s core: Michael Rinne [Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowel, Jack White, Miranda Lambert] brings his impeccable musical sense and technique on upright and electric bass as the perfect foundation for these new songs; Danny Mitchell [Miranda Lambert] played Hammond B3 Organ and Piano on this record with a masterfully cinematic approach; Fats Kaplin [John Prine, Jack White, Nancy Griffith] added his richly melodic and rhythmic sensibilities playing pedal steel guitar, fiddle, and viola; and Juan Solorzano plays electric, slide, and baritone guitars with flawless technique and heart wrenching phrasing.

Bill Scorzari. Photography by Jacob Blickenstaff 

Additional players joining in on several tracks during the summer 2021 Nashville sessions include Matt Menefee [Bela Fleck, Dan Auerbach, Ricky Skaggs] AKA “Matt, TheBanjoPlayer” on banjo; world class Dobro player Brent Burke [Rhonda Vincent and The Rage]; the multi-talented Will Kimbrough on mandolin; accomplished cellist Chelsea McGough; acclaimed banjo player Kyle Tuttle; and gifted vocalist Mia Rose Lynne on harmony vocals. 

Later, in September of 2021, Bill returned to Nashville to work with Dylan on the final mixes. But before doing so, he brought in a few other stellar musicians to wrap up the final recordings including Eamon McLoughlin [Staff Fiddle Player at The Grand Ole Opry, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell] who played violin on 2 songs, and the incomparable Marie Lewey and Cindy Richardson Walker [AKA The Shoals Sisters] who sang backing vocals on 4 songs.

In early 2022, Bill recorded some backing vocal and harmony vocal tracks for the song, “Tryin’, Tryin’, Tryin’, Tryin’” at his studio in New York. For the final piece to complete the record, he asked Ty to send him a short cell phone recording of himself singing a Navajo chant, which Bill edited to make it sound like a historically older recording before adding it in at the end of the song. It’s also the very last sound on the album. Bill says, “When I was done and listened back to it, the song (and the album) felt complete, and the history it has gathered is abundant and beautiful.”

Bill says, “For me, the journey that had begun in 2019 (and in many respects, much earlier), became a journey into the depths of my soul, not just in a nebulous aspirational or conceptual sense, but in its fruition, and this album is a record of many of the ways in which it has all unfolded for me so far. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have occupied my time with this effort and for the opportunity to continue to participate in the dance that is life, through this pandemic and beyond.”

He continues, “It has been an arduous and relentless trek to the ultimate discovery that we are here simply to dwell in the experience of being human and to come to know that wherever that experience may take us, and to whatever heights or depths we may rise or fall in it, it is all nothing less than an unspeakably generous and miraculous gift of life and great love.”

More about Bill Scorzari: 

Bill Scorzari is a New York native, with a richly raspy voice and a stellar ear for lyrics and composition. At a later age, he transformed his life as a New York Trial Lawyer, to a new life as an accomplished, full-time musician. To date, his discography includes four full-length albums: Just the Same (2014), Through These Waves (2017), and Now I’m Free (2019)—-all independently released to critical acclaim.

Through These Waves landed on many Top-Ten-Albums-of-2017 lists including Folk Alley and Elmore Magazine, with Elmore saying, “…this is a must hear for singer-songwriter aficionados.” More recently, Now I’m Free was premiered by Billboard, with an exclusive interview by Gary Graff who described the album as “delicately nuanced” with “detailed arrangements” and Glide Magazine’s Jim Hynes wrote, “Like them [Dylan, Waits, Kristofferson, and Sam Baker] too, Scorzari’s facility with words and poetic flair, instills a calming wisdom and creaks of hope among the dark.”

More information can be found at: www.billscorzari.com.

Pre-order The Crosswinds of Kansas at https://billscorzari.hearnow.com/the-crosswinds-of-kansas. 

Album Art & Design by Anna Berman

www.billscorzari.com

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The Freeway Jubilee Independently Release A Lively New Album, ‘On The Horizon Vol. 1,’ TODAY 11/12

THE FREEWAY JUBILEE KEEPS IT IN MOTION WITH NEW ALBUM

ON THE HORIZON VOL. 1 INDEPENDENTLY RELEASED NOV 12

www.freewayjubilee.com

Available Now →  https://lnk.to/OnTheHorizon

ASHEVILLE, NC —  With song premieres in Glide, Americana Highways, and VENTS, The Freeway Jubilee is excited to independently release On The Horizon Vol. 1 on November 12. 

Glide Magazine says, “Right out of the gate, the band lays down a funky groove that is only heightened by the presence of brass. Channeling the Southern laid back rock of Little Feat alongside New Orleans R&B and greasy blues, the song [‘Sunlight Stream’) is a testament to this crazy pandemic-laden world we have all dealt with over the last year and change.” 

The Freeway Jubilee’s evocative blend of gospel-tinged southern rock and hard-driving soulful grooves is met with a flare of psychedelic mountain music and a strong dedication to the craft of the song. Their heartfelt lyrics weave imagery through a tasteful layering of vibrant 4-part vocal harmonies, crisp Telecaster licks, smoky saxophone riffs, and an eclectic assortment of organ/piano arrangements, creating a soundscape that is both musically intricate and soulfully energetic. Rest that on the groove of a unique and driving rhythm section, and you are sure to feel the magnetic force of this band. 

The Freeway Jubilee
Photo by Nick and Chelsea Anderson / ASONMediaGroup

The group formed in Asheville, NC in 2015 and is made up of a collective of songwriters including twin brothers, both vocalists, Adam and Jonathan Clayton on keys and guitar, respectively, along with singer and bass player Kenny Crowley, blazing bari and tenor saxophonist Hunter Parker, and the John Bonham-style drumming of Cartwright Brandon.

Cultivating positivity, especially through challenges, is the overarching theme of the album. This clear optimism can be heard in the upbeat opener “In Motion,” the bright rock and soul vibe of “Reachin’,” and the gospel and mountain music inspired closing track “Humble Song” (in which Chris Moe adds to the playfulness of the sound via his harmonica accompaniment.)

The Freeway Jubilee says, “As a hard-working independent band, it tends to feel like you’re constantly moving towards goals that are far out on the horizon and hard to reach. It’s a long and challenging road and it can feel never-ending, but something on a deep and meaningful level keeps driving you onward towards those ever elusive landmarks. For us it’s truly the music and the brotherhood that keeps us going. Combine that with actually being on the road a lot and literally headed towards that horizon on a regular basis, and the fact that we’ve been working on this album so long in striving to capture the real essence of Freeway, this release feels like it’s been ‘On the Horizon’ for a long time. Especially since there’s a Volume 2 yet to come…”

Produced by Kenny Crowley and The Freeway Jubilee, On The Horizon Vol.1 was recorded mostly at the band’s home studio in Asheville, NC, mixed by Robin Applewood and Kyle Brone, and mastered by Justin Weis at trakworx.com [Sammy Hagar, Papa Roach, The Polish Ambassador, NOFX]. 

With “In Motion” as the opener, the band presents their vocal harmonies front and center over a straightforward rock and roll beat with a catchy saxophone hook. This track was recorded by Gar Ragland at Citizen Vinyl—a newly converted communal space housing a record press facility, cafe, bar, recording studio, and more – located in the historic Citizen Times building in downtown Asheville. The album includes 7 original tracks and clocks in at 45 minutes, the perfect length to fit on vinyl—which is being pressed at Citizen Vinyl and is due out this Winter. Watch “In Motion” →  https://youtu.be/-9n2cRyYNnU.

The funky, groovy “Sunlight Stream” turns up the heat with the additions of Dr. Bacon’s Michael Crawford on harmonica and Myles Dunder on alto and tenor sax as well as Jacob Bruner on trombone. Penned by Crowley on a solo camping trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the song speaks of a divine communion with nature restoring a hopeful outlook at a time when the state of humanity seems to be unraveling and perilous.

Two of the more lengthy tracks include a blazing country rock suite, “Not the Same,” and the genre-spanning epic, “Rugged & Free,” of which Americana Highways says, “In this song of outlaws and individualists on the run in the natural countryside, you can hear the ‘spirit of America… rugged and free.” The song features former Freeway member Freddie Barry and pays homage to the beautiful and dark history of American music, art, and literature. Crowley says, “It’s a nod to the wealth of world-influencing art that our young country has created in its short life, due in large part to the underprivileged and working class, and the cross-pollination of cultural influence throughout our history.” 

Barry also joins in on the album’s ballad “Let Me Try”— a song written by Adam Clayton about how being sincere and honest with people in life contributes to personal peace and how living openly, intently, and putting your best foot forward is the key to finding and keeping your path clear. 

Always striving to evoke an emotional experience in their listeners, the band continues to shape their lyrics and compelling vocal harmonies towards the human condition, inspired by the real life experiences of a traveling band on the current American landscape. Freeway says, “Music is such a powerful form of expression and a truly universal language. We think the thing that has always drawn us the most to music is the chance to share something meaningful that people can relate to, and hopefully we’re uplifting or moving them in the process.”

Sheryl and Don Crow of Nashville Blues Society say of Freeway, “You’re gonna hear a little bit of everything we’ve grown up with–the Allmans, Garcia-era Dead, Dylan, on up thru the likes of Gov’t Mule, the CRB, and Tedeschi-Trucks on today’s scene. We don’t want to call them ‘Southern rock,’ because, although they have Southern roots, this music is much, much more… Their incredible musicianship, collaborative songwriting, and spot-on harmony arrangements make this set special.” 

Formerly dubbed ‘The Freeway Revival,‘ the group has been continually growing a dedicated grassroots fan base with their energetic sound. After the successful release of their 2016 self-titled EP, The Freeway Revival burst onto the scene in the Fall of 2017 with their heavy hitting debut album Revolution Road. Freeway exhibits, “an assured balance between flash and restraint. 

For this band, the song is the thing… Listeners who appreciated Delaney & Bonnie in the ’70s — or who enjoy the Tedeschi Trucks Band today — will find a similarly eclectic and soulful mindset at work,” says music journalist, historian, and author Bill Kopp of Revolution Road.

Freeway continues to show relentless work ethic and a prolific sense of creativity and in early 2019, as they stepped into a bigger and bolder sound with the addition of a saxophone, they evolved into what is now The Freeway Jubilee. Since then, The Freeway Jubilee released The Revival Days, a digital only compilation pulling from the two previous albums, and in 2020 they put out a single, “Let Me Try.” With On The Horizon Vol. 2 yet to come, The Freeway Jubilee is heading out into the horizon.

On The Horizon Vol.1 Track Listing

1. In Motion  (5:06) 

2. Sunlight Stream  (6:54) 

3. Not the Same  (9:07) 

4. Rugged & Free  (9:48) 

5. Let Me Try  (3:55) 

6. Reachin’  (4:01) 

7. Humble Song  (5:29) 

Website: www.freewayjubilee.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thefreewaymusic
Twitter: @freewayjubilee       
Instagram: @thefreewayjubilee

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Out Today: Tenth Mountain Division’s ‘Butte La Rose’ Produced by Tim Carbone

Tenth Mountain Division Independently Releases Their Third Studio Album 

Butte La Rose — June 18, 2021

Produced By Tim Carbone at Silo Sound Studio in Denver

Available now to stream or purchase→ https://outnow.io/t/buttelarose

BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado-based band Tenth Mountain Division is excited to independently release their latest album, Butte La Rose, June 18. Produced by Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) at Silo Sound Studio in Denver, Butte La Rose captures the essence of Tenth Mountain Division—fun, danceable, and surprisingly thoughtful and heartfelt. 

Tenth Mountain Division
Photo by Mountain trout Photography

Tenth Mountain Division is built upon the long-friendship of mandolinist Winston Heuga and guitarist MJ Ouimette along with drummer Tyler Gwynn, keyboardist Campbell Thomas, and bassist Andrew Cooney. The band’s electro-acoustic sound is a high-energy fusion of roots-inspired, Southern Rock boogie that heads into unchartered territories. This is elevated even more with all members sharing in the songwriting, vocals, and arrangements. The band is named in honor of the famed military unit the 10th Mountain Division, the WWII pioneers of mountain combat who founded Vail, CO and many other ski areas across the country. 

Ouimette calls the 10-track album, “a snapshot of TMD’s last year of touring fused with new offerings that will intrigue the ear with stylistic diversity, unified by the personality etched in each song.”

With song premieres in JamBase (“Highland Morning” Featuring Elliott Peck), Glide Magazine (“Got Too Excited”), and Festy GoNuts (“Sad Summer”) the album is garnering national attention. They will perform to a sold out crowd at the Mishawaka Amphitheater on the night of the album’s release. 

What People Are Saying About Tenth Mountain Division and Butte La Rose:

“…the band’s got chops, and though Butte La Rose might feel unpredictable, it’s surely a recipe for an interesting live show.” —BandWagon Magazine, Kevin Johnston

“eclectic and rootsy” —Westword, Nick Hutchison

“Brimming with bright and hopeful horns, [‘Got Too Excited’] finds the band tapping into a soulful sound that brings to mind the bluegrass-soul-rock stylings of acts like the Gourds… Andrew Cooney commands the spotlight with his big, vibrant vocals that balance swagger and humbleness.” —Glide Magazine

“Not only did they evolve musically, the band also tackled some deeper subjects on their new album. Introspectively reflecting on questions such as self-doubt, depression, and death, the band demonstrate versatility and growth in their songwriting… Balancing those deeper reflections with hip shakers and head bangers, Butte La Rose has something for everyone. As it weaves its way through a variety of sonic stylings, the album tells a story. One that is unapologetically the rockin’ Tenth Mountain Division sound.”  —MP3 Mag, Reed Albrittain

“‘Get Out of My Head’ is soulful, somber, and subtly strong. It includes producer Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) on backing vocals. It’s quite an effective audio offering.” —Steemit, Will Phoenix

“The experience of listening to TMDs new record, Butte La Rose, instantly takes me to a place. I feel like I’m on the bus, windows down, cruising through the south. But something’s different: there’s no time, decade, or era… the mood is simultaneously classic, modern, happy, sad, earthy, and intergalactic. TMD and Carbone have tapped into a new level of artistry and creativity that will undoubtedly lead to great things in the future.” —Erik Deutsch (The Chicks, Leftover Salmon, Shooter Jennings)

“’Sad Summer’ has a playful hook and surf-pop beat that would fit right in on a 60’s ‘Best of the Beach’ album. Still, it maintains a modern groove and creative sound that will have a new generation of music lovers dancing along.” —Festy GoNuts

“It’s a tie dye swirl of edgy yet familiar sounds and great songs. All of the musicianship and singing is on point.” —Jeremy Garrett (The Infamous Stringdusters)

“soaked with American flavor” —JP’s Music Blog, Jim Pasinski
“Butte La Rose is a freewheeling road-trip through the soul of American music with visits to Bourbon Street, the California coast, and all-night mountain parties in their Colorado home, as the band speeds down the highway carrying a trunk full of good times with Lowell George riding shotgun and Leftover Salmon hanging out the window.” —Tim Newby, Americana UK

When asked how the future was looking for the band with live music venues opening back up across the country, Heuga said in an interview with Denver’s Westword “It’s looking up. We’re seeing a lot of offers coming in for festivals and other dates, and we’re happy to be getting out from under COVID. Because of the pandemic, it was almost a four-year process just to get this album done. We’re really excited to finally have it out there.”

This is a big shift from the previous year in which Gwynn tells The Colorado Sound, “The pandemic was a real shock to the system for the band and us as individuals. We went from having a headlining Bluebird Theater show and a six-week tour around the US, seeing a different city every night, to not being able to leave the house. It put a lot of things on pause for us. That being said, it wasn’t all negative. It gave us a chance to catch our breaths and look at our creative enterprise from simply the musical standpoint. With no shows at first, we could really dive into the new tunes we have been working on the last year or so. When we were able to actually record them at Silo Studios a few months ago it was clear we had evolved and grown as a band in a short time.”

Ouimette recounts, “Summer of 2020 saw a greater understanding of the precautions one could take to better arms oneself against contracting the virus, which in turn allowed Todd, Tim, and us to strategize a Covid-safe plan to get the album back into production. In June, at Silo Sound, we spent 7 days recording the remainder of Butte La Rose. It’s our third album, but man does this one feel different. The quality is higher, the songs are stronger and it really SOUNDS the way a lot of the songs have in my head, which is the ultimate in creative realization.”

“Making Butte La Rose with Tenth Mountain Division was like being a kid in a candy store,” says Carbone. “The songs all have their own personality and the band was open to exploring new sounds and ways to approach how each song was recorded. The spirit of wanting to get the essence of each song permeated the sessions and I hear it every time I listen to it. And we all had a blast!”

TMD has always loved having horn sections sit in throughout the years, so it was only fitting to record a few songs with horns on the record. Ouimette elaborates, “Tim was on the same wavelength and knew just the crew. Due to Covid, we actually had to stay out of the studio while the horn players were recording. It was a really cool experience to not be involved in the recording of the horn lines of our own songs and then seeing how much the energy and the whole song had changed afterwards.”

Bringing together some of the hottest horns from the area—Scott Flynn (ODESZA) on trombone, Gabriel Mervine (Lettuce, Karl Denson, The Colorado Symphony) on trumpet, and Nathan Peoples (Coral Creek) on saxophone—the results of these sessions can be heard on two of the albums stand out tracks: the album’s fiery opener “Hot Sweaty South,” and deeper into the album, with it’s classic Memphis soul vibes from the horns to the hook, “Got Too Excited.” 

Synth-pop meets surf-rock in a melancholic lament about the pitfalls of heartbreak in “Sad Summer,” while the powerful and somber “Get Out of My Head,” “Burning Heart,” and the eerie final track, “Big Blue Sky” run deep and dark. 

Taking a different turn and bringing forth a lighter mood are the subtly sweet “Highland Morning,” featuring special guest Elliott Peck (Midnight North) on harmony vocals; the inspiring and hopeful instrumental epic “Spring Chicken;” the slick guitar and bass rocker, “Drown You With the Bottle; and the groovin’ “Girl Like You.”

Tenth Mountain Division released their debut album, Cracks in the Sky in 2016, followed in 2018 by In Good Company.  In September of 2020, Tenth Mountain Division released a stand alone single and animated music video music video for their single “9 to 5.” The band also created their own music and comedy webisode series, TMDtv, which they aired during the fall of 2020.  

More information about Tenth Mountain Division:

www.tmdtunes.com 

www.facebook.com/TMDBand

www.twitter.com/TMDtunes

www.instagram.com/tenthmountaindivision

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Mandolinist/Singer Nate Lee Releases Wings of a Jetliner Today! Featuring Members of Becky Buller Band

Mandolinist/Singer Nate Lee Releases Wings of a Jetliner
Out Now → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/natelee/wings-of-a-jetliner

Produced by Professor Dan Boner at ETSU Recording Lab in Johnson City, TN

The Album Features Todd Phillips, Wyatt Rice, Ned Luberecki,
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Thomas Cassell, Daniel Salyer,
and the Becky Buller Band!

LIVESTREAM TODAY (Fri 6/12) at 6pm CT/ 7pm ET
Nate Lee with Professor Dan
Hear the new tunes and more about the process of making the album!
A special guest or two may join in…
Tune in via their facebook pages

www.facebook.com/LikeNateLeeLLC   |  www.facebook.com/ETSUProfessorDan 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kind Words about Wings of Jetliner

“This is bluegrass as free-ranging and masterful as any you’d be hearing at our currently silent festivals… Lee has a gift for themes, the strong melodic hooks that give a tune its architecture and its roadmap for improvisation.”
—WMOT, Craig Havighurst

“All of the cuts are stellar. Nate really brings his vocals to a level impossible to imagine… A gorgeous tune on the album is ‘Serenity.’”
—Steve Martin’s Unreal Bluegrass
Tune in Sunday 6/14 to Steve Martin’s Unreal Bluegrass for an interview with Nate Lee
7-10pm ET on WSDL 90.7FM Delmarva Public Radio www.unrealbluegrass.com

“Even while bluegrasser and multi-instrumentalist Nate Lee puts the main focus on the powerhouse instrumentalists… the lyrics and masterful chordal harmonies of ‘Love Medicine’ — a song about addiction and tough situations — shine through.”
–The Bluegrass Situation

“The album showcases a brilliant collection of players… A singer of nuance and an exceptional instrumentalist, this is a worthy testament to Lee stepping further into the spotlight, providing an unreserved lift to the spirit in these troublesome days.”
—Listening Through The Lens (Australia), Rob Dickens

“The qualities which make Hold On [Sam Bush and David Grisman’s 2003 duo album] such a compelling listen — deep musicality, honking groove, smart pacing, a balance of melody and flash — are indeed found throughout Jetliner”
—Mandolin Cafe, Michael Eck

“…an outstanding picker and songwriter of considerable worth. He wrote the five instrumental tracks on the record and knows a good song prospect when he sees one… he’s set to be one of tomorrow’s masters”
—Flying Shoes Review (UK), Maurice Hope

“[‘Comealong Brown Dog’] is one of the catchiest tunes on the album. Built on a simple melody, it could be mistaken for a classic old time tune. A beginning mandolin player might pick up the melodic line easily and then spend years mastering Nate’s nuances.”
—Music City Music Magazine, Nancy Posey

“Fingers were clearly flying when mandolinist Nate Lee—who additionally plays fiddle and banjo on a few of the tracks—made this upbeat album of traditional- and modern-sounding bluegrass.”
—The Morton Report, Blog Critics, Americana Highways, Jeff Burger

“Beautiful, clean bluegrass, played with world class musicians (Wyatt Rice and Todd Phillips join Lee). Nate Lee plays crisp mandolin and has a pleasing voice. There are songs that remind me of David Grisman’s ‘dawg music’… Excellent sound production on this album.”
—Americana Music Show, Bill Rutsch

“Nate’s voice simply warms your heart (like James Taylor) with the gentle folk ballad ‘Somewhere Far Away,’ before quickening the pace with the exciting bluegrass strumming of ‘All Along.’”
—JP’s Music Blog, Jim Pasinski

“This is an excellent, quite musical recording by a very talented player and singer, with great songs and solid instrumentals, all of them beautifully arranged.”
—Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association, Peach Hampton

“Overall, this album is an ample example of Lee’s range and what he can do… Indeed, Lee works hard to put his tuneful trademark on every note he plays. The surprises are welcome and even the expected inclusions do not disappoint.”
—HVY.com, Will Phoenix

“The disc features a combination of covers and original instrumental tunes… Bluegrass music for me has always seemed to have an inherent power to raise our spirits and push away the darker elements of reality, and we could all use some of that right now.”
—Michael’s Music Log, Michael Doherty

“Uplifting at the right time!” —MisterG, greenarrowradio (Madison, WI)

NASHVILLE, TN — Nate Lee is an International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award-winning instrumentalist and renowned teacher of private lessons and music camps. The overlapping landscapes of folk, bluegrass, old-time, and new acoustic music offer a wide field to hoe and singer/mandolinist Nate ably covers every bit of that ground. Tuneful lopes, the muscular bounce of ‘grass, the sparkling charm of Grisman-Rice inspired dawg music, and more are all in his comfort zone and he moves between them with uncommon ease. Nate is known as the kind of musician who is able to put his own stamp on whatever he plays and his forthcoming album, Wings of a Jetliner, brings that home and out on June 12, 2020 on his own Adverb Records.

Nate is known as a member of award-winning bluegrass group, the Becky Buller Band, which he joined in 2017. For this project Nate assembled an inspired collection of iconic players, modern masters, and rising stars—including bandmates from Becky Buller Band: Becky Buller herself, banjoist Ned Luberecki, bassist Daniel Hardin, and the album’s producer and engineer Dan Boner. Also joining in on guitar is original member of the Tony Rice Unit and flatpicking legend, Wyatt Rice,  icon of acoustic music and sideman to the stars, living-legend bassist Todd Phillips, and rising star Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Mile Twelve) on fiddle. Bluegrass singer and songwriter Daniel Salyer joins in on harmony vocals on a few songs and Thomas Cassell (Circus No. 9) serves as Nate’s duet partner on the Grisman-inspired two-mandolin instrumental “Serenity.” 

Renaissance man, Professor Dan Boner, came on board early as producer and engineer and primarily tracked the album at the ETSU Recording Lab. Professor Dan says, “Wings of a Jetliner mirrors all that I have observed in Nate’s persona. He is an objective seeker, lifelong learner, patient teacher, and a quick-witted responder to happenstances.”

Nate composed all five instrumental numbers on Wings of a Jetliner: The lead-off track and bluegrass ripper, “Wonderbat,” the light-hearted jazzy “Quick Select,” the lovely and spare “Comealong Brown Dog,” and the spiraling “Rook Roller.”

Listeners will find equally satisfying variety in the carefully chosen vocal numbers, penned by an eclectic assortment of accomplished songwriters, on Wings of a Jetliner. All here to delight are hard-driving bluegrass songs (“Tobacco” – Daniel Salyer), western swing (“The More I Pour” – Tim Stafford & Mark Bumgarner), nuanced tales (“Miner’s Grave” – Ashleigh Caudill, “Somewhere Far Away” – Bradford Lee Folk & Nicholas Ian Woods ), the waltzy “Sweet Allis Chalmers” (Bill Caswell) and the new-grassy sounds of “Love Medicine” (Chris Sanders), as well as a cover of 90’s rock icons The Offspring’s “All Along” (Bryan Holland).

Nate Lee’s Wings of a Jetliner is an album of significant range and each track breathes with life. This release is a new high-water mark for Nate. Ned Luberecki says, “Wings of a Jetliner is your first class window seat on an exciting musical journey with Captain Nate Lee at the helm. So put on your noise cancelling headphones, recline the seat and enjoy your flight!”

Nate Lee: Wings of a Jetliner Track Listing and Credits

1. Wonderbat 1:54
2. Tobacco 3:21
3. Quick Select 3:05
4. Somewhere Far Away 3:27
5. Serenity 3:45
6. All Along 2:20
7. Comealong Brown Dog 4:10
8. Miner’s Grave 2:55
9. Rook Roller 3:39
10. The More I Pour 2:54
11. Sweet Allis Chalmers 3:45
12. Love Medicine 3:57

www.thenatelee.com
www.facebook.com/LikeNateLeeLLC
www.twitter.com/NateLeeLLC
www.instagram.com/nateleellc
www.PlayNately.com (teaching information)

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Nate Lee To Release New Album 6/12 ‘Wings of a Jetliner’ w/ Members of Becky Buller Band

Nate Lee Independently Releases Wings of a Jetliner June 12, 2020

Featuring Members of Becky Buller Band
Produced by Dan Boner at ETSU Recording Lab in Johnson City, TN

Watch Nate Lee Perform Solo on Americana Highways Livestream
on FaceBook Wed 4/22 at 7:45pm ET 

NASHVILLE, TN — Nate Lee is an International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award-winning instrumentalist and renowned teacher of private lessons and music camps. The overlapping landscapes of folk, bluegrass, old-time, and new acoustic music offer a wide field to hoe and singer/mandolinist Nate ably covers every bit of that ground. Tuneful lopes, the muscular bounce of ‘grass, the sparkling charm of Grisman-Rice inspired dawg music, and more are all in his comfort zone and he moves between them with uncommon ease. Nate is known as the kind of musician who is able to put his own stamp on whatever he plays and his forthcoming album, Wings of a Jetliner, brings that home and is set for independent release June 12 on his own Adverb Records.

Nate is known as a member of award-winning bluegrass group, the Becky Buller Band, which he joined in 2017 and he quickly became a fan-favorite. For this project Nate assembled an inspired collection of iconic players, modern masters, and rising stars—including his bandmates from Becky Buller Band.

Two-time GRAMMY winning songwriter, eight-time International Bluegrass Music Association award winner, and leader of the band that bears her name, Becky Buller contributes her fiddle and vocal chops to four of the songs on Wings of a Jetliner and says, “Nate is an incredible musician and human being. This project really shows the world the depth of his abilities, both as a picker and a singer. I’m so honored to be along for the fun!” 

Nate Lee. Photo by Scott Simontacchi

A Texas native residing in Nashville, Nate first came on the bluegrass scene playing fiddle with legendary banjo player and teacher, Alan Munde, in the Alan Munde Gazette, and later on fiddle and mandolin with the Jim Hurst Trio. He has also played with The Hard Road Trio and continues to record with the band. When he’s not playing, Nate is heavily involved in the work of the International Bluegrass Music Association and is also a renowned teacher helping bluegrass musicians and the bluegrass community to develop and grow. Wings of a Jetliner finds Nate stepping forward as a leader in a new way, setting a higher bar for himself and bringing his singing and playing to the forefront.

Renaissance man, Professor Dan Boner, came on board early as producer and engineer. When not playing alongside Nate in the Becky Buller Band, Dan directs the bluegrass, old-time, and country music program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in Johnson City, Tennessee. Nate credits Dan with fostering an environment and process that pulled the best from every musician involved in creating Wings of a Jetliner, a freedom that is apparent on each song, primarily tracked at the ETSU Recording Lab.

Professor Dan says, “Wings of a Jetliner mirrors all that I have observed in Nate’s persona. He is an objective seeker, lifelong learner, patient teacher, and a quick-witted responder to happenstances. He is as nimble on the fretboard as he is at racking up airline points. His smooth bow arm reflects his own pursuit of balance. Life is navigated best with a calculated efficiency of motion, energy, and time.”

“Great soundscapes resonate with listeners in the same internal places as the sound-makers,” Dan continues. “Nate so thoughtfully recruited this group of like-minded artists to create a most fascinating listening experience.”

The musicians that joined Nate for this project would make anyone’s all-star ballot and many annual awards lists. Appearing on all but two tracks, 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year and host of “Derailed” on SiriusXM, Ned Luberecki pulls double-duty on the five-string banjo in Nate’s studio band and as a member of the Becky Buller Band. Joining Nate and Ned in the studio band on guitar is original member of the Tony Rice Unit and flatpicking legend, Wyatt Rice, and icon of acoustic music and sideman to the stars, living-legend Todd Phillips plays upright bass. Rounding out the studio band, rising star Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, founding member of IBMA Momentum award-winners Mile Twelve, handles fiddle duties on eight tracks.

Guesting in, we find bass monster Daniel “The Hulk” Hardin laying down the groove on a few and Dan Boner steps out from behind the glass to provide guitar and harmony vocals as well as fiddle on a track. Bluegrass singer and songwriter Daniel Salyer joins in on harmony vocals on a few songs. Three songs call on the talents of Buller Band members (Buller, Boner, Luberecki, and Hardin) exclusively: “Tobacco, “All Along,” and “Comealong Brown Dog.”

2016 winner of the prestigious Rockygrass mandolin competition (and founding member of the genre-bending group Circus No. 9), Thomas Cassell, serves as Nate’s duet partner on the Grisman-inspired two-mandolin feature “Serenity” a song (named for the spaceship in the sci-fi television show Firefly) which grew from a harmonic reworking of a traditional Irish tune that pays tribute in melody to the great David “Dawg” Grisman, mandolin innovator and father of the dawg style of jazz-bluegrass fusion. The whole band shines here, especially Nate, who plays both fiddle and mandolin.

Nate’s wide-ranging taste, not to mention his deep well of musical tools, give a lot for fans to enjoy in the striking variety of instrumentals on Wings of a Jetliner. Nate composed all five instrumental numbers on Wings of a Jetliner, and the quality of instrument and operator shine on each one. Mandolin players in particular will find much to love. Nate takes full advantage of his axe’s tone, monster chop, and uncommon sustain— which he says has had a significant impact on his playing—to great effect. 

The lead-off track, “Wonderbat,” is a bluegrass ripper named after his trusty mandolin, which Nate, a die-hard fan of The Simpsons, named after the baseball bat that Homer used in an episode. “Quick Select” is a light-hearted jazzy piece with a playful bounce that was inspired by his favorite video game, Ratchet & Clank. Nate is joined by Buller and Hardin on “Comealong Brown Dog,” a patient, lovely, and spare instrumental lope inspired by Nate’s dog, Cashew, which uses the “three T’s” of taste, timing, and tone. “Rook Roller” is a spiraling bluegrass number that comes from Nate’s favorite finishing move in chess and it’s traditional flavor belies the twists and turns of a decidedly modern tune.

Listeners will find equally satisfying variety in the carefully chosen vocal numbers, penned by an eclectic assortment of accomplished songwriters, on Wings of a Jetliner. Hard-driving bluegrass songs, western swing, and more, are all here to delight. The same taste and mastery that make each of Nate’s tunes stand out make every song shimmer on it’s own.

A powerful and driving tale of resistance, at great personal risk, in the face of exploitation, “Tobacco,” written by Dan Salyer, and performed with The Becky Buller Band supporting, draws from the history of western Kentucky and Tennessee to tell a story about the Black Patch Tobacco Wars of the early 20th century.

The darkly tender and nuanced “Somewhere Far Away,” written by Nick Woods and Bradford Lee Folk, has a special resonance for Nate and the title of the album, Wings of a Jetliner, comes from a line in this song, ‘I like the lights on the wings of a jetliner as they blink out, and they cut through the cloud cover.’ I really love to watch planes, especially takeoff and final approach before landing. My back porch is a front row seat for final approach at the BNA airport.” 

Some listeners will recognize “All Along” from 90’s rock icons, The Offspring, delivered here with all the raw urgency of the original, by Nate and the rest of the Becky Buller Band. Nate says, “The drive they created between the bass/kick drum and the snare is just like a fast bluegrass groove. ‘All Along’ has always been one of my favorites; the lyrics are pretty lonesome and look like a bluegrass song on paper.”

Nate’s clawhammer banjo propels the atmospheric canter of “Miner’s Grave,” written by Ashleigh Caudill, is a dark and rich tale of a moonshiner’s tragic life drips with mood, and holds a bit of sonic experimentation. “The More I Pour,” penned by Tim Stafford and Mark Bumgarner, began life as a honky-tonk song, but Nate pulled from his experience and transformed it into a dancehall-ready charmer. “In days past, I was a fiddler in a Western Swing band and I’ve always loved triple fiddle and swing chord changes which are present here”

Written by Bill Caswell and made famous by bluegrass legends, Country Gazette, which included the equally legendary Alan Munde on banjo, “Sweet Allis Chalmers” is a favorite song of Nate’s, and was the first thing recorded for Wings of a Jetliner.  “Love Medicine” closes out Wings of a Jetliner on a contemporary-feeling note. The song was written by Chris Sanders, Nate’s former bandmate in the Hard Road Trio, and looks at addiction in tough-but-tender terms. The influence of the Red Hot Chili Peppers peeks through consistently and gives the song a uniqueness. The arrangement gives each player a closing opportunity to shine, and they all do.

Nate Lee’s Wings of a Jetliner is an album of significant range and each track breathes with life. This release is a new high-water mark for Nate. It’s sure to make a lot of new fans for a fast-rising talent. Ned Luberecki says, “Wings of a Jetliner is your first class window seat on an exciting musical journey with Captain Nate Lee at the helm. So put on your noise cancelling headphones, recline the seat and enjoy your flight! Earn double miles if you buy one for a friend!”

Nate Lee: Wings of a Jetliner Track Listing and Credits

1. Wonderbat 1:54
2. Tobacco 3:21
3. Quick Select 3:05
4. Somewhere Far Away 3:27
5. Serenity 3:45
6. All Along 2:20
7. Comealong Brown Dog 4:10
8. Miner’s Grave 2:55
9. Rook Roller 3:39
10. The More I Pour 2:54
11. Sweet Allis Chalmers 3:45
12. Love Medicine 3:57

 

Nate Lee – mandolin (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12), lead vocals (2,4,6,8,10,11,12), fiddle (5,10), banjos (8)
Todd Phillips – bass (1,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12)
Wyatt Rice – guitar (1,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12)
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes – fiddle (1,3,4,8,9,10,11,12)
Ned Luberecki – banjo (1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12)

Becky Buller – fiddle (2,6,7), harmony vocals (2,6,11)
Daniel Hardin – bass (2,6,7), harmony vocals (6)
Dan Boner – guitar (2,6), fiddle (10), harmony vocals (10,11)
Thomas Cassell – mandolin (5)
Daniel Salyer – harmony vocals (8,10,12)

Songwriting Credits:
Nate Lee (Human Adverb Music, BMI) – 1,3,5,7 ,9
Daniel Salyer (Pay Low Music, BMI) – 2
Bradford Lee Folk & Nicholas Ian Woods (Folk/Woods, BMI) – 4
Bryan Holland (Round Hill Works, BMI) – 6
Ashleigh Caudill (Ashleigh Deanna Caudill Music, SESAC) – 8
Tim Stafford & Mark Bumgarner (Daniel House Music, BMI/Two Chairs Music, BMI) – 10
Bill Caswell (Farmhand Music, BMI) – 11
Chris Sanders (Desert Night Music, BMI) – 12

Produced by Professor Dan Boner at ETSU Recording Lab
© 2020 Adverb Records, a division of Nate Lee, LLC

www.thenatelee.com
www.facebook.com/LikeNateLeeLLC
www.twitter.com/NateLeeLLC
www.instagram.com/nateleellc

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Chicago Farmer’s ‘Flyover Country’ Featuring The Band of Heathens Out Today

Chicago Farmer Releases Flyover Country Today- Feb 7
Featuring The Band of Heathens
Recorded at The Finishing School in Austin, Texas

Buy & Stream now at → https://chicagofarmer.hearnow.com/flyover-country 

BLOOMINGTON, IL — Illinois-based Cody “Chicago Farmer” Diekhof paired up with Texas’ The Band of Heathens for Flyover Country, independently released February 7. In the past two weeks the album debuted at #33 on the Americana Radio Albums Chart and shot up another 10 spots to #23 with DJs across the country spinning many of the songs from the album.

The current single, “All In One Place,” is a humorous look at the sad truth about making money in the music business and debuted on the Americana Singles Chart at #43 this week. American Songwriter Magazine says, “This tale of high hopes and low returns [is] an outlaw country number that resounds with heart and humor.”

Through all the songs on Flyover Country — and most Chicago Farmer songs, for that matter —runs a common thread, a love and respect for regular folks, those who might be overlooked and underappreciated. He is a champion of the Midwest and the working class. “A lot of my friends are just getting by day-to-day,” Diekhoff said. “We keep at it, we keep working hard. Hopefully, eventually, things will turn around.”

Chicago Farmer. Photo by Bradley J Scott

Chicago Farmer is known for his clever and heartfelt songwriting and unique voice. Todd Snider exclaims, “I love Chicago Farmer’s singing and playing and songs, but it’s the intention behind the whole of his work that moves me to consider him the genuine heir to Arlo Guthrie or Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. He knows the shell game that goes on under folk music… which is sacred to me.” 

Flyover Country was recorded at The Heathens studio, The Finishing School, in Austin TX with Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi serving as co-producers alongside Diekhoff.  Diekhoff’s longtime collaborator Chris Harden served as recording engineer (and mixed the album), on top of adding harmonies on two songs, and Heather Horton added harmony vocals on three tunes. 

Jurdi says, “Cody (Chicago Farmer) came in with a stellar batch of songs and really had a good vision for what he wanted the album to be. The material really takes a look at the kaleidoscopic fabric of the Midwest. Chicago Farmer writes and sings in a truly authentic voice about the people that inhabit the spaces that America’s hopes and dreams have been built upon. Always the underdog, sometimes overlooked, but never to be forgotten.”

“I knew as I was writing these songs that they called for another direction — and a band. A band that was tight, had soul, and knew how to make records,” Diekhoff said about Flyover Country, his sixth full-length studio album. “I’ll always be a folksinger, but you can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over. I decided it’s time to throw some fuel on this fire and get it going. For me, it’s all about the poetry and playing with a band is about putting the poetry in motion a little differently.”

Diekhoff and the Heathens cover a lot of musical territory on Flyover Country including a country-tinged rootsy tale of a desperate drive down the road to redemption (“Indiana Line”), a country-folk singalong anthem extolling the virtues of intimate live music shows and cheap beer over corporate arena concerts (“$13 Beers”), a talking-blues tribute to hardworking, unsung, everyday heroes (“Dirtiest Uniform), an uptempo folk-rock  (“Deer in the Sky”), and you see his grunge-rock roots coming out on “Mother Nature’s Daughter.” The album features nine original tracks and a cover of Hank Williams “Ramblin’ Man.”

Pokey LaFarge says, “His lyrics, his stories and his heart are true. He’ll give you that feeling of ‘going home’. He’ll make you want to say all those things you’ve been meaning to say but were too afraid. At the same time his songs can make you ask yourself some deep questions. His songs give you hope.”

Kind Words about Flyover Country

“This album shows both Diekhoff’s ability to spin a tale and to write songs that get people to sing along. It also shows how well he is able to evoke emotions – whether it’s a song that makes you laugh or a song that hits you right in the heart. Beyond all that, you realize that his is a style that will endure in a world where music has seemingly become disposable.”
—Americana Highways, Gary Schwind

“A terrific release… The Americana/Country Rock tunes are top class and the lyrics so interesting that you’ll be thinking them through later.”
—Americana Music Show, Tony Ives

“Chicago Farmer’s ‘All In One Place’ Is Outlaw Country with Heart and Humor”
—American Songwriter, Matt Wallock

“You will be moved by the poetry of these songs… You’ll dance to these songs even if you’re a song-and-dance man who never learned to dance. You’ll sing to these songs even if you don’t have the prettiest voice. Best of all, you’ll feel good for having listened. I know I do.”
—Making a Scene!, Viola Krouse

“… [Flyover Country is] a fitting title for the new album by Cody Diekhoff, aka Chicago Farmer, for two reasons. First, it’s an exploration of the lives and quirks of the residents of ‘flyover country.’ It’s also a good descriptor of Chicago Farmer’s sound, which kind of ‘flies over’ country music, touching on folk, Southern rock, and even tinges of punk.”
—Concert Hopper, Chris Griffy

“It’s poetry with a kick. There is power in the songs, from the arrangements to the lyrics, it makes you feel.”
—Festy GoNuts, Jason Law

“Diekhoff is a warm-hearted soul who manifestly likes others, though he wraps the sentimentality in wry humor. He’s most fond, one infers, of ordinary people’s imperfections and limitations, about which he writes amiably, not sparing his own.”
––Rambles.net, Jerry Clark

“With an ominous western intro, ‘Indiana Line’ builds up to a foot stompin,’ thumpin’ instant singalong. This bodes very well for Chicago Farmer’s Flyover Country. The harmonies with The Band of Heathens are irresistible, and the style is absolute contagion.”
—Americana Highways, Mellisa Clarke

Putting his solo troubadour days behind him (after a run of solo dates opening for Todd Snider in January), at least for a while, when Flyover Country comes out in February, Diekhoff is hitting the road with a band, performing as Chicago Farmer and The Fieldnotes which includes Jaik Willis, Cody Jensen, & Cosmic Charlie Harris.

Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes Tour Dates:

2/7 Fri – The Bootleg – St. Louis, MO
2/8 Sat –  The Eagle’s Theater – Olney, IL
2/9 Sun – Stellar Cellar – Effingham, IL
2/14 Fri – Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL
2/15 Sat – Fitzgerald’s Nightclub – Berwyn, IL
2/16 Sun – Anodyne Coffee – Milwaukee, WI
2/20 Thu – Pearl Street Brewery – La Crosse, WI
2/21 Fri – The Turf Club –  St Paul, MN
2/22 Sat – The Outer Edge – Appleton, WI
2/27 Thu – Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza – Worthington, OH
2/28 Fri – Southgate House – Newport, KY
2/29 Sat – Duke’s Indy – Indianapolis, IN
3/6 Fri – Redstone Room @ River Music Experience – Davenport, IA
3/7 Sat – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
3/8 Sun – World Theater – Kearney, NE
3/12 Thu – Magic Rat – Fort Collins, CO
3/13 Fri – The Walnut Room – Denver, CO
3/14 Sat – Western Jubilee – Colorado Springs, CO
5/28-29 – Thu-Fri – John Hartford Memorial Fest – Bean Blossom, IN
6/19 Fri – Moccasin Creek Festival – Effingham, IL
6/27 Sat – Private Event – Wilmington, IL
8/7 Fri – Rock the Farm @ Mackinaw Valley Winery – Mackinaw, IL
8/8 Sat – People Fest – Hillsboro, WI

Flyover Country Track Listing and Credits
1. Indiana Line 3:51
2. Flyover Country 4:59
3. Mother Nature’s Daughter 3:01
4. $13 Beers 3:17
5. Collars 5:23
6. All In One Place 2:51
7. Deer In The Sky 3:23
8. Ramblin’ Man 4:44
9. Dirtiest Uniforms 4:43
10. The Village Revisited 6:56

Chicago Farmer – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar 

The Band of Heathens:
Ed Jurdi – Vocals, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Harmonica
Gordy Quist – Vocals, Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Trevor Nealon – All Things Keys
Richard Millsap – Drums, Percussion
Jesse Wilson – Bass

With Special Guests:
Heather Horton – Vocals (3, 5, 10)
Chris Harden – Vocals (8, 10)

Recorded February 2019 at The Finishing School in Austin, TX
Produced by Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist, & Chicago Farmer
Engineered & Mixed by Chris Harden 

All tracks written by Cody Diekhoff with the exception of Hank Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man” 

Further information and tour dates can be found at www.chicagofarmer.com, www.facebook.com/chicagofarmer, instagram.com/chicagofarmermusic, and twitter.com/chicagofarmer.

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Chicago Farmer’s ‘Flyover Country’ Features The Band Of Heathens – 2nd Single Out Today – Outlaw Country w/ Heart & Humor

Putting the Poetry in Motion,
Chicago Farmer Joins Forces with The Band of Heathens
New Album, Flyover Country  – Due Out Feb 7, 2020
Recorded at The Finishing School in Austin, Texas

2nd Single “All In One Place” Out Now →   chicagofarmer.hearnow.com/all-in-one-place

“Chicago Farmer’s ‘All In One Place’ Is Outlaw Country with Heart and Humor”
—American Songwriter “All In One Place” Song Premiere

BLOOMINGTON, IL — For recording artists, albums can be like children — it’s hard to go on record choosing one as a favorite. But Cody “Chicago Farmer” Diekhoff doesn’t hesitate to designate his forthcoming release, Flyover Country, as his “golden child.” 

Chicago Farmer is known for his clever and heartfelt songwriting and unique voice. Todd Snider exclaims, “Chicago Farmer is my brother; if you like me, you’ll love him,” and Pokey LaFarge says“Chicago Farmer represents the best qualities of Midwestern U.S.A. His lyrics, his stories and his heart are true… Definitely one of my favorite singers out there today.”

Flyover Country features The Band of Heathens and was recorded at the Heathens studio, The Finishing School, in Austin TX with Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi serving as co-producers alongside Diekhoff.

Jurdi says, “Cody (Chicago Farmer) came in with a stellar batch of songs and really had a good vision for what he wanted the album to be. The material really takes a look at the kaleidoscopic fabric of the Midwest. Chicago Farmer writes and sings in a truly authentic voice about the people that inhabit the spaces that America’s hopes and dreams have been built upon. Always the underdog, sometimes overlooked, but never to be forgotten.”

“I think it’s my best work so far and definitely the one that I put the most into,” Diekhoff said of the 10-song album, due out Feb. 7. This is Chicago Farmer’s first studio album in four years and it will be available on CD and vinyl, as well as digital & streaming services.

The 2nd single, “All In One Place,” is out now and starting to hit Americana reporting radio stations American Songwriter premiered the song and calls, “This tale of high hopes and low returns” an “outlaw country number that resounds with heart and humor.” 

“I knew as I was writing these songs that they called for another direction — and a band. A band that was tight, had soul, and knew how to make records,” Diekhoff said about Flyover Country, his sixth full-length studio album. “I’ll always be a folksinger, but you can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over. I decided it’s time to throw some fuel on this fire and get it going. For me, it’s all about the poetry and playing with a band is about putting the poetry in motion a little differently.”

Fans of Chicago Farmer will already know at least a couple of the songs on Flyover Country if they’ve seen a show in the past couple years. In fact, Diekhoff’s talking-blues tribute to hardworking, unsung, everyday heroes, “Dirtiest Uniform,” and his country-folk singalong anthem extolling the virtues of intimate live music shows and cheap beer over corporate arena concerts, “$13 Beers,” are among the highlights on 2019’s double-disc live release, Quarter Past Tonight.

Flyover Country Track Listing
Indiana Line 3:51
Flyover Country 4:59
Mother Nature’s Daughter 3:01
$13 Beers 3:17
Collars 5:23 
All In One Place 2:51
Deer In The Sky 3:23
Ramblin’ Man 4:44
Dirtiest Uniforms 4:43
The Village Revisited 6:56

Diekhoff and the Heathens cover a lot of musical territory on Flyover Country. 

The album opens with “Indiana Line,” a country-tinged rootsy raveup, a tale of a desperate drive down the road to redemption with great, growling slide guitar work. This track was released towards the end of 2019 as the album’s first single. Americana Highways premiered it, writing, “With an ominous western intro, ‘Indiana Line’ builds up to a foot stompin,’ thumpin’ instant singalong. This bodes very well for Chicago Farmer’s Flyover Country. The harmonies with The Band of Heathens are irresistible, and the style is absolute contagion.”

The title track is a languid waltz with a shuffling beat and jangly guitar, an ode to the people of the rural heartland, his people, putting Diekhoff’s high vibrato to great use. A brisker waltz beat propels “Collars,” another tribute to small-town folks, this one inspired by a young soldier who didn’t come home from Iraq.

Harmonica and baritone guitar drive “Deer in the Sky,” an uptempo folk-rock number about the benefits of flying over driving (you can drink beer on a plane and you’ll never hit a deer). Things get downright raucous on a couple songs, with Diekhoff’s grunge-rock roots coming out on “Mother Nature’s Daughter,” an environmental protest song, while the guitars go to town on “All in One Place,” a humorous look at the sad truth about making money in the music business.

Diekhoff pays tribute to Hank Williams with the album’s sole cover, Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man,” while also honoring Kenny Forbes, a friend’s father who introduced a young Diekhoff to the music of Hank Williams, setting him off on his musical quest as a folksinger. “Ramblin’ Man” starts with a stripped-down presentation but by the final verse it explodes with intensity.

The album ends with “The Village Revisited,” a sprawling, gospel-tinged song about the importance of community that recalls Creedence Clearwater Revival’s take on “Midnight Special” at times and at the end sounds like a party has broken out in the studio.

Through all the songs on Flyover Country — and most Chicago Farmer songs, for that matter —runs a common thread, a love and respect for regular folks, those who might be overlooked and underappreciated.

“A lot of my friends are just getting by day-to-day,” Diekhoff said. “We keep at it, we keep working hard. Hopefully, eventually, things will turn around.”

When Flyover Country comes out in February, Diekhoff will put his solo troubadour days behind him, at least for a while. He’ll hit the road with a band, performing as Chicago Farmer and the Fieldnotes which includes Jaik Willis, Cody Jensen, & Cosmic Charlie Harris.

Chicago Farmer Solo Supporting Todd Snider:
1/15 Wed – The Lyric – Oxford, MS
1/16 Thu – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL
1/21 Tue – Key West Theater – Key West, FL
1/23 Thu – The Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL
1/24 Fri – Centro Asturiano de Tampa – Tampa, FL
1/25 Sat – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
1/26 Sun – Iron City Bham – Birmingham, AL
1/29 Wed – Georgia Theater – Athens, GA
1/30 Thu – Victory North – Savannah, GA
1/31 Fri – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
2/1 Sat – Rocky Mount Mills – Rocky Mount, NC

Winter Shows Featuring Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes:
2/7 Fri – The Bootleg – St. Louis, MO
2/8 Sat –  The Eagle’s Theater – Olney, IL
2/9 Sun – Stellar Cellar – Effingham, IL
2/14 Fri – Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL
2/15 Sat – Fitzgerald’s Nightclub – Berwyn, IL
2/16 Sun – Anodyne Coffee – Milwaukee, WI
2/20 Thu – Pearl Street Brewery – LaCrosse, WI
2/21 Fri – The Turf Club –  St Paul, MN
2/22 Sat – The Outer Edge – Appleton, WI
2/28 Fri – Southgate House – Newport, KY
2/29 Sat – Duke’s INDY – Indianapolis, IN
3/6 Fri – Redstone Room – Davenport, IA
3/7 Sat – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
3/8 Sun – World Theater – Kearney, NE
3/12 Thu – Magic Rat – Fort Collins, CO
3/13 Fri – Walnut Room – Denver, CO
3/14 Sat – Western Jubilee – Colorado Springs, CO

Further information and tour dates can be found at www.chicagofarmer.com, www.facebook.com/chicagofarmer, instagram.com/chicagofarmermusic, and twitter.com/chicagofarmer.

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Out Today: The Drunken Hearts’ ‘Wheels of the City’ 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

Out Now: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thedrunkenhearts/wheels-of-the-city-4

DENVER, CO — The Drunken Hearts release Wheels of the City October 18 on LoHi Records. Produced by Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), the album was recorded at Silo Sound Studios in Denver, Colorado, and mastered by Jim Wilson. On Wheels of the City, The Drunken Hearts deliver tales of adventure, love, risk, and realization. 

Kind Words about Wheels of the City:

“Powerhouse singer Andrew McConathy is commanding from the outset on ‘Fire in House’ as he proceeds to light up Wheels of the City… More than anything, Drunken Hearts will evoke little snippets of our nostalgic memories of our favorite country-rock and rock bands. Yet, their music, as stated, is a bit more complex, without the usual clichés. And, surely McConathy has one of the most memorable voices in roots music.”
—Glide, Jim Hynes

“They bring positive proof of their sturdy existence in the form of Wheels of the City, a pulsating, ambitious, adventurous new record… Throughout an 11-song escapade, gutsy listeners might experience any number of thrilling sensations: the beauty of a string section on ‘Passchendaele’; a vibrant brass attack on ‘Wheels of the City’, the title cut inspired by Jack Kerouac’s essay ‘The Vanishing American Hobo’; and a psychedelic bridge on both ‘Two Hearts (On a Limb)’ and ‘Unrest’, the latter a lively folk tale about a weary man dying to go to sleep.” 
—PopMatters (full-length album premiere stream), Michael Bialas

“Made up of songs that emphasize positivity they start with ‘Fire in a House’ — a typical classic rock era swipe without sounding too retro. What’s commendable is the band maintains an absorbing pace… Rock & roll seeps into the fibers of ‘Unrest.’ It’s piano pounds as drums bop similar to The Beatles White Album years — quite impressive. This song is stellar.”
—Americana Highways, John Apice

“This album is a rare and natural gem that embodies its beauty through its rawness… Unlike a sad whiskey shot, these are eleven tequila toasts in a row.”
—Live Gig Source, Nathan M. Emerson

“Throughout the album, you hear examples of McConathy’s way of painting a picture with his words. The best example of that is in the title track. Over a gentle rhythm and a muted melody, he sings about someone who sleeps in a doorway, back to the wall. He goes on to sing, “Let’s build a bridge and not a wall. Something to bind us and not to divide us all.’ While the subject matter is heavy, the message is ultimately one of hope that is accented nicely with some horns at the end.”
—Americana Highways, Gary Schwind

“Listening to The Drunken Hearts pending release, Wheels of the City, dispels the notion that they are a one dimensional entity. There is country, with pedal steel and banjo, as well as elements of soul, some of the classic Laurel Canyon sound, touches of rock comparable to Drive-By Truckers, and alt-country stylings reminiscent of Son Volt.”
—NYS Music, Brian Cornish

More about The Drunken Hearts:

 

The Drunken Hearts. Photo by Tobin Voggesser

Mixing their mountain-spirit with the twang of the south, this electrifying five-man band met and live in the Denver/Boulder 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 Jon McCartan, from Upstate New York by way of Vermont, and, from the outskirts of Chicago, drummer Alex Johnson.

The band wanted to try something new for this album: to create and record a new song each day, and continue that model until an entire album was realized. The result is eleven full-fledged, living, breathing, musical time capsules that make up Wheels of the City.  

“I loved working on this record with The Drunken Hearts,” exclaims Tim Carbone, a partner in LoHi Records. “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!” 

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:

10/18 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

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

 

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