Bill Scorzari Releases 3 Acoustic Singles to Accompany ‘The Crosswinds of Kansas’

Bill Scorzari Releases 3 Acoustic Singles to Accompany ‘The Crosswinds of Kansas’

“I – 70 East (Acoustic)” – Out THIS FRIDAY February 17

“The Broken Heart Side of the Road (Acoustic)” – AVAILABLE NOW! 

“Multnomah Falls (Acoustic)” – Out March 10

HUNTINGTON, NY —  With a rich, raspy voice and a remarkable ear for lyrics and composition, prolific songwriter Bill Scorzari is thrilled to release three acoustic versions of songs featured on his most recent album, The Crosswinds of Kansas (Independently Released Aug 2022): “The Broken Heart Side of the Road (Acoustic),” “I-70 East (Acoustic),” and “Multnomah Falls (Acoustic).” 

“Now that we’ve started a new year (Happy New Year!), it’s great to be able to look back at the good things that have come out of all of the effort we put into The Crosswinds of Kansas… It’s been a long road and I’m so grateful to everyone who has made it all possible,” says Bill. “As a thank you to everyone who has listened to and enjoyed the songs, I decided to release new versions of three tracks from the album, which I’ve re-recorded in a singer-songwriter style, with just acoustic guitar and vocals.”

The album was listed in Americana UK’s Top Albums of 2022! Mark Whitfield writes, “The simple use of imagery and clever phraseology make it a very poignant record at times… The pain on some tracks is visceral in its honesty—and Scorzari’s voice is the perfect match for these substantial songs.” 

Today (2/13), Americana UK premiered “1-70 East (Acoustic)” here: https://americana-uk.com/track-premiere-bill-scorzari-i-70-east-acoustic 

“Bill Scorzari has captured the sonic embodiment of the Tolkien quote ‘not all who wander are lost’ with each album he’s released, yet The Crosswinds of Kansas bleeds this sentiment with each chord and word. The vivid storytelling balances delicately on masterful musicianship to create a massively memorable album,” writes Nanobot Rock in their Top 10 Discoveries of 2022.

These stripped down versions reflect more of what seeing Bill perform live and solo is like, and had been requested by a handful of terrestrial radio stations. Recorded at his First Thunder Recording Studio in Huntington, NY, the abridged songs were mastered by Jim DeMain at Yes Master Studio in Nashville in 2022.

“The Broken Heart Side of the Road (Acoustic)” is the first of the three songs released—Hear it now at  https://billscorzari.hearnow.com/i-70-east-acoustic. Glide Magazine premiered the album version and wrote, “With its melancholy tone, Scorzari lends his gritty vocals to a work of dark Americana roots music…  a song that carries a stirring energy and a haunting tale.” Americana Highways’ John Apice wrote, “‘The Broken Heart Side of the Road,’ is pure Bill. Precise, an impressive composition that’s subtle & striking. Bullseye.” 

“I-70 East (Acoustic)” will be out February 17. Americana Highways’s Melissa Clarke calls it a, “song of the anguished parallels between an elderly mother fading and passing on, and a lover’s betrayal. He’s captured such pain. And the beauty of a Rose.” 

“Multnomah Falls (Acoustic)” weaves a chronicle of a rainy day’s hike into an account of the trials of change and transcendence. It will be out March 10. 

FervorCoulee’s Donald Tepylske says, “The poetic rhythm of Scorzari’s lyrics is most impressive… Scorzari doesn’t do conventional… Each song envelopes the listener, sharing its secrets and truths.” Jim Hynes of Glide Magazine seems to concur, “To be sure, one needs solitude to appreciate his literate craft, a blend of prose and poetry put to music, a Walt Whitman of sorts for our times… With Scorzari, one hangs not just onto every word, but just about every breath.” 

We hope that listeners will be as moved by the acoustic renditions as these folks were by the originals. Bill has also started working on a new album! It is too early to say when it might be finished; so stay tuned to Bill’s social media for more information as things start to gather momentum and move forward.

More about Bill Scorzari: Born and raised in New York, Bill transformed his life as a New York Trial Attorney to a new life as a full-time musician beginning around 2011. He has independently released four studio albums including 2014’s Just the Same, 2017’s Through These Waves (Produced by Jonah Tolchin at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville), 2019’s Now I’m Free (Produced by Neilson Hubbard at Skinny Elephant Recording in Nashville), and The 2022’s Crosswinds of Kansas (Co-Produced with Neilson Hubbard at First Thunder Recording and Skinny Elephant Recording). Some of the musical artists that can be heard on Bill’s albums include Fats Kaplin, Eamon McLoughlin, Matt Menefee, Will Kimbrough, Michael Rinne, Dan Mitchell, Juan Solarzano, Brent Burke, Marie Lewey, Cindy Richardson Walker, Joachim Cooder, Kim Richie, Chris Scruggs, Laur Joamets, Jonah Tolchin, Erin Rae, John Estes, and Kyle Tuttle, among others.

Scorzari’s music has been well received by the press over the years with nods from those mentioned above in addition to Billboard, Acoustic Guitar, No Depression, The Bluegrass Situation, The Boot, Music City Magazine, Music Mecca, Making A Scene!, The Aquarian Weekly’s Rant ‘n’ Roll, Country Standard Time, The Alternate Root, DittyTV, Beyond A Song, Australia’s Listening Through The Lens, Alt Country Netherlands, and more.   

His music can be heard on the airwaves across the country and beyond! The Crosswinds of Kansas made a handful of DJs’ Year End Lists including KPFA Radio’s Tim Lynch, XPN’s Chuck Elliot, KVMR’s Kim Rogers, WFPK’s Michael Young, and WWSP’s Jim Canales. In 2022, Bill did in depth interviews with WVTF’s Luke Church, Beyond A Song’s Rich Reardin, High Plains Public Radio’s This Is the Place with host Jenny Inzerilo, and The Long Island Sound Podcast with Steve Yusko. The Crosswinds of Kansas peaked at #4 on the Alt. Country Specialty Chart, hit #36 on the Folk DJ Chart, and #85 on The Americana Music Chart. Some of Scorzari’s top spins come from Americana Boogie Radio; WBCM in Bristol, VA; WVMO in Madison, WI; KNOW in St Paul, MN; and KSYM in San Antonio, TX. 

If you have not yet heard The Crosswind of Kansas, listen here https://billscorzari.hearnow.com/the-crosswinds-of-kansas.  
For more information, updates and tour dates, visit ww

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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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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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Out Today – Edward David Anderson’s New Muscle Shoals Recording ‘Chasing Butterflies’

Edward David Anderson Releases Chasing Butterflies
Out Today October 19 on Black Dirt Records
Recorded at the NuttHouse in Muscle Shoals with Producer Jimmy Nutt

Available Now On All Outlets → http://smarturl.it/8bdvv6

BLOOMINGTON, IL — Edward David Anderson has been writing songs, making records, and playing shows for a living for more than 2 decades. An American songwriter and rock & roll veteran who spent his formative years fronting the revered Midwest band, Backyard Tire Fire, and having penned eight albums for the band, he is known for infectious melodies and memorable messages. Since their hiatus in 2011, EDA has continued to write and tour as a solo artist and his 3rd solo studio record, Chasing Butterflies, is out today October 19, 2018 on his own Black Dirt Records.

“The story of my life’s written on my skin,” sings Edward David Anderson on the devilishly sardonic “Bad Tattoos” on Chasing Butterflies. The song, like the artist, is brutally honest and has a worn feel; like it’s coming from someone that has been around and put in the miles. “I don’t think I could have written these tunes when I was 25,” Anderson explains. “Everything I’ve done, the people I’ve met, all the places I’ve been, have brought me to this moment.”

It was through a tip from a friend that Anderson connected with GRAMMY Award winner Jimmy Nutt (SteelDrivers) from the iconic Shoals region of north Alabama. During their first conversation it was clear the two had a natural rapport and he quickly set a course for Jimmy’s NuttHouse Recording Studio in Sheffield. Diverging from past albums EDA used local session musicians for his backing band. “I felt the way to get the most authentic Shoals sound was to play with people who live and work there,” he said. Nutt played bass and brought in Jon Davis (Dylan LeBlanc) on drums, Brad Kuhn on keys, Todd Beene (Lucero) on pedal steel, and Kimi Samson on violin and the chemistry was instant.

The core of the 10-track album was cut live in just a few short days with minimal overdubbing, making it feel both cohesive and human. “We brought in strings on a few and pedal steel on one, but didn’t want to get too carried away,” Anderson recalls. The result is a stunningly sublime, less-is-more snapshot of a writer in his prime.  

On Chasing Butterflies there is a feeling of arrival. Absorbing and learning and growing through life experience has clearly refined his ability to write about the human condition. In “The Best Part,” he sings to his wife “You help me to understand/you make me a better man/I’m gonna do the best I can/to love you,” and you believe him. This kind of sincerity and honesty along with a candidly dry sense of humor recur throughout the album.

WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING:

“There are a handful of songs spread throughout the 40-minute disc that would make Chris Stapleton sit up and notice… Musically, the album has a deep southern soul feel… Grooves are deep, guitar breaks are extended (but not exaggerated), and emotion is palatable… Chasing Butterflies is a stunning collection of modern Americana. Poetic and fresh with a deceptively laconic quality making it all the more momentous. I don’t use the word often: brilliant.” —Fervor Coulee, Donald Teplyske

“Thematically, Anderson again weaves stories about the multi-faceted South, painting character portraits, dealing with its duality, its mysteries, and its special charms. Of course, there are love songs too…. Anderson has a knack for infectious hooks as evidenced by ‘Bad Tattoos’ and ‘Only in My Dreams’… Anderson continues to impress.” —Country Standard Time,  Jim Hynes

“He has the rare ability to open his soul and unfold his stories in a natural style that is simultaneously guileslees and universal. Another fine collection from my good friend!” —Johnny Hickman (Cracker)

“The album’s other standout track… ‘The Ballad of Lemuel Penn’ tells the true story of a black war hero and Assistant Superintendant of the D.C. Public School System who was shot near Athens, GA by white supremacists nine days after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Taking a story song format similar to Bob Dylan’s ‘The Hurricane,’ the song tells of how, despite witnesses turning in the three Klansmen who shot Penn, the ‘all white jury’ acquitted the trio. It’s an old story, but one that resonates just a year after the events of Charlottesville, especially in the closing lines, when Anderson reminds us that ‘one still lives in Athens today.’ Anderson’s tale is greatly assisted by fiddler Kimi Samson’s haunting melodies.” —Concert Hopper, Chris Griffy

“Edward David Anderson’s Chasing Butterflies paints a melodic Americana picture that humanizes symbols we see every day.” —Jon Norton (WGLT)

“EDA has always been one of my favorite songwriters and singers, and on this record he has beautifully managed to capture the elusive dichotomy that is the American South- a combination of mystery, darkness and relaxed geniality. Great album.” —Steve Berlin, Los Lobos

“An artist to the bone who is raw, open, gritty… A portal into the human condition.” —Seth Walker

“Chasing Butterflies is a treasure chest full of American songs, just waiting for you to open and find all of the joy and mysteries stored inside.  Edward David Anderson’s voice and these songs are like a back porch conversation with a great old long lost friend. You can pick up right where you left off and it always feels right.” –Ed Jurdi (Band of Heathens)

The Bluegrass Situation Song Premiere “The Best Part”

Americana Highways Song Premiere “Chasing Butterflies”

Live And LIsten Song Premiere “Only In My Dreams”

Chasing Butterflies Track Listing:

1. Harmony (3:19)
2. The Ballad of Lemuel Penn (4:02)
3. The Best Part (3:23)
4. Bad Tattoos (4:19)
5. Crosses (4:03)
6. Only in My Dreams (4:49)
7. Dog Days (2:32)
8. Chasing Butterflies (4:19)
9. Sittin’ ‘Round at Home (2:23)
10. Seasons Turn (5:45)

Edward David Anderson – vocals, acoustic, electric & baritone guitars, banjo
Jimmy Nutt – Bass, Percussion
Jon Davis – Drums, Percussion
Brad Kuhn – Keys (Wurlitzer, Hammond A100, Yamaha C7 Grand, Rhodes)
Kimi Samson – Violin (2,6,9)
Todd Beene – Pedal Steel (8)

For more information, please visit www.edwarddavidanderson.com, facebook.com/edwarddavidandersonmusic, twitter.com/edanderson72, and instagram.com/edwarddavidanderson.

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Roy Schneider & Kim Mayfield Release Reckless Saints 11/2 – Blue Twangled Folk & Roll

Roy Schneider & Kim Mayfield Release Reckless Saints November 2, 2018
Blue Twangled Folk & Rollers Firing on All Cylinders!

Reckless Saints is available to pre-order now, with some additional fun perks, through Indiegogo:
https://igg.me/at/reckless-saints

FORT MYERS, FL — Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Roy Schneider has been touring and performing full-time with musical partner Kim Mayfield since 2008. The duo is slowly working toward a new band name, with a collection of original songs on what will become an eponymous title, Reckless Saints. Slated to be released November 2, the 11-track album features songs by both Schneider and Mayfield, as well as a gritty cover of Blaze Foley’s “Election Day,” which features Gurf Morlix on lead guitar and contributing vocals.

Morlix says, “Their ‘Blue Twangled Folk ‘n’ Roll’ sound rides like a V8, firing on all cylinders.”

Along with Morlix, Reckless Saints features other specials guests including some stellar harmonica by GRAMMY-winner and Country Music Hall-of-Famer, Charlie McCoy, and great bass lines from Freebo [Bonnie Raitt] on the song “Walkin’ on a Wire.” Freebo also plays bass on the energetic kickoff for the record, “Jump In,” a fast-paced “day-in-the-life” of the duo as full-time traveling musicians.

“This truly is a wonderful record. It is one of the finest singer/songwriter records to come across my mastering desk in a long time!” says esteemed producer, songwriter, and engineer, Mark Hallman [Carole King, Ani DiFranco and Eliza Gilkyson]. Self-produced, Reckless Saints was mostly recorded at Schneider’s studio, Shiny Gnu Records, in Fort Myers, FL.

Roy Schneider & Kim Mayfield

Roy began playing and writing songs as a seventeen year old while recovering from a horrific, year-long incarceration in 1985 at the now defunct Straight, Inc. “No freedom, no dignity and no way to contact anyone, nobody even knows where you are,” says Schneider, “I didn’t talk about my experience at Straight for 30 years, I’m ready now.”

“Angels Along the Road” tells the true story of his hard-knock survival following a challenging escape from a year of institutional confinement and attempted psychological reprogramming, under the guise of drug rehabilitation. Schneider, who became a touring Deadhead in the late 80s/early 90s, says the song was “written as a thank-you card for some very kind people who took a risk to help a well-intended, aimless waif find some direction.”

The experience has influenced his songwriting in surprising ways, resulting in a generally positive outlook in his lyrics, and gratitude for those who gave him shelter or other support after his escape from the facility. He’s been honing his craft ever since, and was making his living playing music when he met Kim Mayfield in 2003. Kim brought harmony vocals, and accompaniment on rhythm guitar, mandolin, and keyboard, as well as the idea to take the music on the road.

On Reckless Saints, Mayfield takes the lead on vocals on the haunting and contemplative “If I Die Tomorrow” and her harmonies with Schneider on “Poison Arrow” tug on the listeners heartstrings. Mayfield also sings lead on the two songs that she penned: the pensive ballad “Ring Around The Moon” and “Buddha Baby,” the story of her adopted baby boy… “ Siberia is harsh and cold… You won’t remember it I’m told… We both know the place we call home… It’s deep inside us wherever we roam.”

Other tracks on the album include the Dylan-inspired, “Subjugated Love,” which is a fun little ditty about love gone wrong, “Runaway Train,” a song that addresses the frustrations and lack of peace of mind resulting from living in a society that – were it a train – might appear to be running rapidly off the rails without a knowledgeable engineer, and “After The Storm,” written in the aftermath of hurricane Irma in September 2017, amidst downed trees and debris, flooding, unbearable heat and humidity, no power, mobs of the unprepared getting cranky and scary… touching on the coming-together of neighbors and friends in challenging times.

In their ten years of touring, the duo has played in 40 states, Canada, England, Belgium, and The Netherlands at hundreds of venues and festivals including 30A Songwriters Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews, the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition, Nashville’s Bluebird Café, and Roy’s appearance on NBC’s The Voice in 2013. Prior to 2008, Schneider wrote and drew a syndicated comic strip that ran for over 3 years in newspapers (still in reruns on Comics.com), as well as working a corporate job in the 1990’s designing Happy Meal toys. Music, though, remains his true calling.

Schneider has raised over $20k through fan funding to produce and successfully promote his most recent albums (which also featured Mayfield): 2012’s Walls That Talk and 2015’s Ten From the Pen. Both received generous airplay and accolades from respected reviewers including No Depression calling him, “a singer-songwriter in the grandest tradition of Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Guy Clark and Lyle Lovett… His gift for blending Southern-influenced folk, blues, country, and rock into a seamless genre with his own signature sound demonstrates his connection to the best in the tradition of fine wake-me-up and kick-me-in-the-ass roots music”. The UK’s Maverick magazine wrote, “Sometimes he sounds like he’s auditioning for Little Feat (he’d get in, too), sometimes he’s light and jazzy and sometimes he’s a proper acoustic rocker. All the time he’s interesting, with the changes of pace keeping the listener on their toes…”

Schneider and Mayfield are excited to bring Reckless Saints into the world… Jump In and hang on!

Reckless Saints Track Listing:

 

1. Jump In   (3:00)
2. Walkin’ On A Wire   (3:21)
3. If I Die Tomorrow  (4:05)
4. Subjugated Love   (3:27)
5. Poison Arrow  (4:00)
6. Ring Around The Moon (3:27)
7. Angels Along the Road (4:47)
8. Buddha Baby   (3:40)
9. Runaway Train (3:37)
10. After the Storm (3:56)
11. Election Day  (3:41)

Roy Schneider – Vocals, resonator, acoustic, and electric guitars, harmonica, percussion, drums, banjo, bass
Kim Mayfield – Vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, baritone ukulele, mandolin
Freebo – Bass (1,2)
Charlie McCoy – Harmonica (2)
Keven Aland – Violin (2,3,7,10)
Dan Fidanze – Piano (4)
Robert Houghtaling – Violin (6,9)
Thomas Callahan – Bass (7)
Rob Pastore – Pedal steel guitar (8)
Tim Coletti – Bass (10,11)
Gurf Morlix – Vocals, electric lead guitar (11)

For more information and tour dates, please visit:
www.RecklessSaints.com,  www.facebook.com/RecklessSaintsMusic, and www.twitter.com/2RecklessSaints

 

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Chad Elliott & The Redemptions’ ‘Rest Heavy: The Sun Studio Sessions’ OUT TODAY

Chad Elliott & The Redemptions Release Rest Heavy on August 10, 2018
Bluesy, Rockin’ and Soulful Original Music
Recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis

Available now on all outlets → https://chadelliottrestheavy.hearnow.com

LAMONI, IA — Iowa singer-songwriter, artist and author, Chad Elliott, independently releases Rest Heavy: The Sun Studio Sessions TODAY, August 10, 2018. With Rest Heavy, Elliott shows his love of roots-rock, soul, and blues music with a rocking band behind his artfully crafted songs and gravelly delivery. The self-produced album was recorded by Ples Hampton at the famed Sun Studio in Memphis, TN. Hampton said, “It was honestly one of the best sessions I’ve ever had up here. This is gold.”

Elliott’s writing weaves love, loss and forgiveness into well-worn lyrics with timeless melodies. “Low, loose, and full of juice. This album’s got a lot of life to it,” said acclaimed Iowa singer-songwriter Greg Brown.

Elliott, performing on acoustic guitar and harmonica, is joined by his full band, The Redemptions, which includes Tommy Lewis (electric guitar, harmonica, background vocals), Travis McFarlane (piano, B3 organ, keys), Kevin Boehnke (acoustic guitar, trumpet), Joseph Cafaro (upright bass), and Jim Van Dorn (drums).

“I could, literally, feel the shift in the music just by walking through the doors at Sun Studio. The room seemed to have its own electric currency running through it and it made the songs come alive. We walked away feeling like we had an out of body experience. There were times I would just sit in the corners and look into the air of the room to see if that legendary music was still floating there, mixing with ours,” Elliott said.

Elliott performs more than 200 shows each year and is lauded as “Iowa’s Renaissance Man” by Culture Buzz. He has cultivated over 1,000 songs in his career while also honing his skills as a painter, sculptor, and children’s book author/illustrator (Wilderman’s Treetop Tales). He recently published a poetry book, Rumble & Flash.

What Folks Are Saying:

“Iowa suggests such names as Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, and Pieta Brown among others but now singer-songwriter, artist and author, Chad Elliott can join their esteemed company with Rest Heavy. Even if you didn’t know that these tracks were recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, you’d still sense a bit of that Elvis Presley style in Elliot’s mix of roots-rock, soul, blues and modern gospel… This album just oozes soul, truth, and seems rather timeless as it could have been recorded almost any time in the last fifty-sixty years.” —Elmore, Jim Hynes

“Rest Heavy… opens with an arpeggiated piano riff and cymbal crash before launching into a leaned-back, eyes-closed, soulful-howl gospel-blues tune of which Sam Cooke would have approved… As he croon-wails his way through tracks that range from hardscrabble stories and ain’t-life-like-that tunes to songs of somber reflection, his constellation of influences is clear, with stylized moments and melodic arrangements that evoke the likes of Tom Waits, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and Doc Watson.”  —Little Village Magazine, Lucas Benson

“ … there is a timeless feel all along the tracks that tell his talent.. roots rock, gospel, soul, blues in a perfect spirit… I would even say this album is the perfect tribute to the spirit of the Sun Studios. I already listened at least 10 times to it and these songs take me with them…” —Mike Penard, ISA Radio, France

“Right out of the gates with the title track, ‘Rest Heavy,’ the listener knows they are about to take a journey” —A Soulful Sound

“[‘Rest Heavy’ is] a modern gospel love song written on Easter Sunday that grabs your heart and soul with its classic harmonica-infused melody, tempered backbeat, and Elliott’s gravelly yet warm delivery that nods to the memory of the greats who made their mark at Sun.”  —The Daily Country premieres the title track “Rest Heavy”

“Rest Heavy jumps right at you and doesn’t let go. The whole piece has an edge you can shave with.” —Rob Ellen, Medicine Show Radio (UK)

“Chad’s songs are inspired by real life and by real people. They’re not conjured up in a cookie cutter fashion designated by songwriting rules or regulations. He sings out loud and proud about the places he’s been, the things he’s seen, his life experiences and those of his family and friends.” —Bronson Herrmuth

Rest Heavy Track Listing:
1. Rest Heavy  (3:12)
2. Shy of Shameless  (5:23)
3. Hills of Tennessee  (3:29)
4. Shining Stars  (4:22)
5. Cadillac Problems, Buick Times  (4:56)
6. Alberta  (4:20)
7. Slow Again  (3:47)
8. Dirty River (Catfish Blues)  (3:45)
9. Embarcadero Street  (5:08)
10. Water Under the Bridge  (7:06)
11. St. James Infirmary  (6:21)

Chad Elliott – vocals, electric guitar, harmonica
Tommy Lewis – electric guitar, harmonica, vocals, track 10 chorus
Travis McFarlane – piano, B3 organ, keys, track 10 chorus
Kevin Boehnke – acoustic guitar, trumpet, track 10 chorus
Joseph Cafaro –  upright bass, track 10 chorus
Jim Van Dorn – drums (all), track 10 chorus
Roger D. Feldhans – track 10 chorus

All songs written by Chad Elliott except “St. James Infirmary” (Anonymous)

For more information, tour dates and news from Chad Elliott, please visit www.chadelliott.net, www.facebook.com/elliottmusic, www.twitter.com/chadelliottlive, and www.instagram.com/chadelliottmusic.

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Chicago Farmer Shares New Song From ‘Quarter Past Tonight,’ Due Out Aug. 3

‘Quarter Past Tonight’ Live Album Art by Keith Berson Photography

Chicago Farmer Releases a Live Double Disc Album on Aug. 3
Quarter Past Tonight
Recorded at the Apollo Theater in Peoria, IL
During Two Nights of Sold Out Shows

“Chicago Farmer has a truly eclectic style that echoes Arlo Guthrie’s with a contemporary twist, and his storytelling is presented in clear syncopated cadence.” —Americana Highways: Song Premiere of “Dirtiest Uniforms”

BLOOMINGTON, IL — Some live albums are so good they become the recordings those artists are known for. Frampton Comes Alive and Cheap Trick at Budokan were monster hits and catapulted them to rock superstar status. Cody Diekhoff, too, has big hopes for his first live Chicago Farmer first live album, Quarter Past Tonight, a two-disc set to be independently released Aug. 3. “Folk superstar would be just fine,” Diekhoff says.

A touring musician for 20 years with a quarter century of writing songs under his belt, Diekhoff has seen the type size for his moniker grow steadily larger on festival posters over the years. He called his 21-song 2005 debut album About Time, and the same title would have fit for the new live album, recorded Dec. 1-2, two sold-out nights at the Apollo Theater in Peoria, IL in 2017. This is a solo record with Cody being the only performer, singing and playing guitar as well as harmonica as Chicago Farmer. Fans have requested a live album for years with a love for his stories and banter as much as his songs.

Chicago Farmer. Photo by Troy Phillips

“People for the longest time have been coming up to me at the merch table — ‘What do you have that’s just like what you just did on stage,’” Diekhoff says. “So after a long time of putting it off, I finally did it.”

Quarter Past Tonight is a celebration of a musical career in which he’s recorded five studio albums of Chicago Farmer music, criss-crossed the country playing thousands of shows, and shared stages with Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider, Greg Brown, Greensky Bluegrass, The Wood Brothers, Elizabeth Cook, Wayne Hancock, Del McCoury, and Gene Ween — the last two on the same weekend. It also marks a milestone in his life, coming out just before his 40th birthday. “This is kind of my big tribute to me for sticking around this long,” he says.

Growing up in the tiny Illinois town of Delavan (born the same year Cheap Trick at Budokan was recorded), Diekhoff got the writing bug in high school, translating daydreams into stories. He thought of becoming an English teacher… but then he got a guitar. A friend’s father with a guitar introduced him to the timeless artistry of Hank Williams, and when he moved to Chicago after high school he went to the famed Old Town School of Folk Music to hone his harmonica skills and took a deep dive into work of John Prine and Steve Goodman, giants of the Chicago folk scene. Neil Young, John Fogerty, and Arlo Guthrie were among the other role models Diekhoff turned to as he launched his career.

The storytelling he does came early on, from having to fill a four-hour gig without repeating his songs, so he began crafting elaborate introductions to his songs. “In some cases, I guess the story of the song became more entertaining than some of the songs themselves, so people started reciting and requesting those as well,” he says.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Chris Harden of The I.V. Labs Studios in Chicago, Quarter Past Tonight offers a greatest-hits retrospective of his work with 32 tracks of stories and songs, including “Watch Doctor,” “Round Table,” and “Postcards” from his debut album, “Illinois Anthem” and “Assembly Line Blues” off of From a Small Town in Illinois [2006], “Weatherman” from Talk of Town [2007], “Workin’ On It” and “Backseat” from Backenforth, IL [2013], and “Rocco N’ Susie” and “Umbrella” from Midwest Side Stories [2016]. The album also features three new original Chicago Farmer songs — “Dirtiest Uniforms,” “$13 Beers,” and “I Need A Hit “— as well as a cover of Backyard Tire Fire’s “Good to Be.”

Quarter Past Tonight is about as authentic as they come. The first disc is the first night’s show, as presented, and disc two documents the second night just as it happened. What’s on those discs is about 98 percent of what he gave the audiences those nights. “We tried to keep it as real as we could,” he says, and that’s his approach to songwriting, too. “Now that I’m older, there’s way more honesty and realness that goes into my songs. Life has happened to me in the last decade, good and bad, and that’s what these songs are about.”

Todd Snider has called Chicago Farmer “the genuine heir to Arlo Guthrie and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot,” and he’s one of Pokey La Farge’s favorite singers. Accolades like that and the chance to record a double live album have Diekhoff feeling fortunate. He’s grateful for what he’s been able to do, for being able to make his daydreams come true, and yet he wants more, has unfulfilled ambitions and feels no relief from “the creativity bug.”

“My heroes all have their own chapter in the Great American Folk Book. Right now, I have a run-on sentence,” he says. “With this live album, I hope it will turn into a paragraph, and maybe a page, and who knows, maybe a chapter of my own. I’m a quarter century into it and feel my best adventures and songs are yet to come.”

Chicago Farmer 2018 Tour Dates
7/12 Thu – The Village Idiot – Maumee, OH
7/14 Sat – Acorn Theater – Three Oaks, MI
7/26 Thu – The Southgate House Revival Sanctuary – Newport, KY
7/27 Fri – Zanzabar – Louisville, KY
7/28 Sat – The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy  – St. Louis, MO
8/2 Thu – SPACE (40th B-day Celebration) – Evanston, IL
8/3-4 Fri-Sat – Castle Theatre (40th B-day Celebration) – Bloomington, IL
8/9 Thu –  Codfish Hollow Barnstormers – Maquoketa, IA
8/10 Fri – The Washington – Burlington, IA
8/11 Sat – People Fest – Hillsboro, WI
8/15 Wed – Harmony By The Bay – Sturgeon Bay, WI
8/16 Thu – 3 Sheeps Brewing – Sheboygan, WI
8/17 Fri – Minocqua Brewing Co. – Minocqua, WI
8/18 Sat – Short Branch Saloon – Neenah, WI
8/22 Wed – Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN
8/23 Thu – Whispering Beard Folk Fest – Friendship, IN
8/31 Fri – Brewgrass Festival at Edgewater – Madison, WI
9/1 Sat – Shoe Fest – Manteno, IL
9/6 Thu – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH
9/13 Thu – Raccoon Motel – Davenport, IA
9/14 Fri – Cavalier Theater – La Crosse, WI
9/15-16 Sat-Sun – Prairie Burn Music Festival – Hudson, WI
10/12-13 Fri-Sat –  Wander Down Music Festival – Makanda, IL

Quarter Past Tonight Track Listing:

Disc One

1. Dirtiest Uniforms   (4:52) [Previously Unreleased]
2. Round Table   (4:38)
3. Pulled Over On 29   (1:29)*
4. Anymore   (2:54)
5. Benefits   (1:23)*
6. Backseat   (7:57)
7. Assembly Line Blues   (3:23)
8. $13 Dollar Beers   (3:03) [Previously Unreleased]
9. Six Records   (1:00)*
10. Who On Earth   (4:42)
11. Fall   (4:05)
12. Illinois Anthem   (4:03)
13. Jon Stokes Prison Break Blues   (3:34)
14. People N’ Places   (10:56)
15. Good To Be   (3:27) [by Edward David Anderson & Backyard Tire Fire]
    
    Disc Two
16. I Need A Hit   (5:07) [Previously Unreleased]
17. Umbrella   (4:55)
18. We’re All Billy   (:48)*
19. Quarter Life Crisis   (2:17)*
20. Watch Doctor   (5:58)
21. Weatherman   (3:04)
22. Nostalgia & Folklore   (2:02)*
23. Postcards   (2:41)
24. Hats   (3:49)
25. Workin’ On It   (7:38)
26. Breaking Bad   (1:57)*
27. Rocco N’ Susie   (5:55)
28. Thank You’s   (:45)*
29. Victoria Walker   (5:13)
30. Farms & Factories   (4:22)
31. Won’t Let You Down   (5:04)
32. For Dad (Pool Song)   (8:04)
    
    All tracks FCC clean
    *Banter/Story
    
    Further information can be found at www.chicagofarmer.com, www.facebook.com/chicagofarmer, and twitter.com/chicagofarmer.

 

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Bluesy and Soulful, Chad Elliott Releases ‘Rest Heavy: The Sun Studio Sessions’ on Aug 10

Chad Elliott & The Redemptions Release Rest Heavy on August 10, 2018
Bluesy, Rockin’ and Soulful Original Music
Recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis

LAMONI, IA — Iowa singer-songwriter, artist and author, Chad Elliott, independently releases Rest Heavy: The Sun Studio Sessions on August 10, 2018. Elliott’s writing weaves love, loss and forgiveness into well-worn lyrics with timeless melodies. “Low, loose, and full of juice. This album’s got a lot of life to it,” said acclaimed Iowa singer-songwriter Greg Brown.

With Rest Heavy, Elliott shows his love of roots-rock, soul, and blues music with a rocking band behind his artfully crafted songs and gravelly delivery. The self-produced album was recorded by Ples Hampton at the famed Sun Studio in Memphis, TN. Hampton said, “It was honestly one of the best sessions I’ve ever had up here. This is gold.”

Elliott, performing on acoustic guitar and harmonica, is joined by his full band, The Redemptions, which includes Tommy Lewis (electric guitar, harmonica, background vocals), Travis McFarlane (piano, B3 organ, keys), Kevin Boehnke (acoustic guitar, trumpet), Joseph Cafaro (upright bass), and Jim Van Dorn (drums).

Chad Elliott
Photo by Michael Gruich

“I could, literally, feel the shift in the music just by walking through the doors at Sun Studio. The room seemed to have its own electric currency running through it and it made the songs come alive. We walked away feeling like we had an out of body experience. There were times I would just sit in the corners and look into the air of the room to see if that legendary music was still floating there, mixing with ours,” Elliott said.

Elliott’s live performances, whether with a full band or solo, are a blend of engaging storytelling and memorable song lyrics that captivate audiences of all ages. He said, “Live performance is every bit as creative as the writing process. I love the energy created between performer and audience. It can be a heartbreaking solo ballad or a full band, foot-stomping blues song. When it connects there is no better feeling.”

The Daily Country premiered the title track, “Rest Heavy,” and says it, “grabs your heart and soul with its classic harmonica-infused melody, tempered backbeat, and Elliott’s gravelly yet warm delivery that nods to the memory of the greats who made their mark at Sun.”
Listen here → http://bit.ly/TDC_RestHeavy_SongPremiere.

Rest Heavy ranges from modern gospel love songs like the title track (with its throwback soul sound) to the tale of unrequited love in “Alberta.” He delves into country soul with “Hills of Tennessee,” recalls early Tom Waits in the jazzy “Cadillac Problems, Buick Times,” adds in some Parlor blues in “Slow Again,” and offers some bottom feeder blues with “Dirty River (Catfish Blues).”

An American ramble song that tips its hat to beat poets, musicians, and ramblers of the world, “Shy of Shameless” is a travel log of sorts. It depicts Elliott’s years of touring and wandering America, living out of a vehicle.

“Embarcadero Street” has a raw feel to it with its slinky slide guitar, trashy drums, and the lyrics “Never would’ve guessed I was on the edge… Because I kept myself so clean… Shaved my beard up good and tight… Tried to wash away all the mean…” Elliott said, “Years ago, Embarcadero Street in San Francisco was my stomping grounds during a difficult time in my life. I slept on park benches and abandoned piers. This song is like a brief journal entry for me.”

A deeply personal song, “Shining Stars” has a more ethereal sound, highlighting the acoustics of the room and the B3 organ, making this intimate song feel like a throwback to the 50s. Similarly, “Water Under the Bridge” is a mending song with a serene groove. Elliott said, “Forgiveness for the sake of peace — that is what ‘Water Under the Bridge’ is about. Finding a place of atonement so one can move on past pain and fear.”

“St. James Infirmary,” the only cover on the eleven-track album, is an old New Orleans flavored traditional. Elliott said, “We were in Memphis, so we picked up the tempo and did it in just one take as a bonus track. I have always loved the dark mystery of this song. It was an added bonus track and the entire band let loose.”

Elliott’s early career demonstrates a love of folk, roots, and singer-songwriter music. He has worked with many greats and shared the stage with artists of the highest caliber, including Odetta, Tom Paxton, Loudon Wainwright III, R.L. Burnside, Greg Brown, Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Vaughan, etc.

“Chad’s songs are inspired by real life and by real people,” said Bronson Herrmuth, “They’re not conjured up in a cookie cutter fashion designated by songwriting rules or regulations. He sings out loud and proud about the places he’s been, the things he’s seen, his life experiences, and those of his family and friends.”

Elliott has released 22 albums including The Den Sessions in 2010 which is a ten-volume set. His most recent being RINGGOLD (2017) and Wreck and Ruin (2015). He has been featured on Iowa Public Radio’s Java Blend (“rootsy, gravely growl and impressive, tasteful guitar work”), showcased at Folk Alliance International, composed and performed music for several IPTV documentaries, and won prestigious awards, such as the Woody Guthrie Song Contest (2009).

Elliott performs more than 200 shows each year and is lauded as “Iowa’s Renaissance Man” by Culture Buzz. He has cultivated over 1,000 songs in his career while also honing his skills as a painter, sculptor, and children’s book author/illustrator (Wilderman’s Treetop Tales). He recently published a poetry book, Rumble & Flash.

“Rest Heavy jumps right at you and doesn’t let go,” said Rob Ellen of The UK’s Medicine Show Radio. “The whole piece has an edge you can shave with.”

Rest Heavy Track Listing:
1. Rest Heavy  (3:12)
2. Shy of Shameless  (5:23)
3. Hills of Tennessee  (3:29)
4. Shining Stars  (4:22)
5. Cadillac Problems, Buick Times  (4:56)
6. Alberta  (4:20)
7. Slow Again  (3:47)
8. Dirty River (Catfish Blues)  (3:45)
9. Embarcadero Street  (5:08)
10. Water Under the Bridge  (7:06)
11. St. James Infirmary  (6:21)

Chad Elliott – vocals, electric guitar, harmonica
Tommy Lewis – electric guitar, harmonica, vocals, track 10 chorus
Travis McFarlane – piano, B3 organ, keys, track 10 chorus
Kevin Boehnke – acoustic guitar, trumpet, track 10 chorus
Joseph Cafaro –  upright bass, track 10 chorus
Jim Van Dorn – drums (all), track 10 chorus
Roger D. Feldhans – track 10 chorus

All songs written by Chad Elliott except “St. James Infirmary” (Anonymous)

For more information, tour dates and news from Chad Elliott, please visit, www.chadelliott.net, www.facebook.com/elliottmusic, www.twitter.com/chadelliottlive, and www.instagram.com/chadelliottmusic.

 

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Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Play Salvage Station Fri 7/20

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Play Salvage Station on Friday, July 20
opener tba
$15 adv/ $18 dos
468 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC
www.salvagestation.com/events2/2018/7/21/amanda-anne-platt-and-the-honeycutters

ASHEVILLE, NC —  Lyrically driven, the songs of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters blend the band’s old-school country roots attitude with their shared influences of rock and folk. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Amanda Anne Platt is a storyteller by nature with an incredible band backing her. Performing along Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith on pedal steel and guitar, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums and harmony vocals, and Evan Martin on keys and guitar.

There is an empathetic and charming wit ingrained in Platt’s songwriting. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and applying it to her story-telling, whether she is writing from her own experiences or immersing herself into the melody of emotions in another person’s life.

Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst writes, “She’s soothing (even in the hurtin’ songs) and sobering (except for the drinkin’ songs) and nuanced in a way that I think tops even those rather famous ladies of the moment named Margo and Kacey… I’d be hard pressed to find a finer string of recordings from any band working in the classic country/mountain tradition in these last five years.”

A homegrown entity, the band is critically acclaimed locally, regionally, nationally, as well as overseas. Their most recent album Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters [Organic Records 2017] placed #2 (sandwiched between Jason Isbell and Gregg Allman) in their regional radio station WNCW’s year end listeners poll for 2017! The station’s Music Director Martin Anderson said to No Depression, “Amanda Platt writes songs on par with Lucinda, Isbell, Lauderdale, Hank Sr. In my opinion, anyway.”

“This is a band that does everything right,” says Goldmine’s Mike Greenblatt. “Platt deserves all that might come to her over this, her fifth (and best) album. Backed by pedal steel, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, and vocal harmony, it’s Platt’s show as she writes, sings and co-produces. Complete with lyrics of introspection with the kind of words you can chew on long after the album ends, it also works on a lighter level by dint of the fact that it just sounds so damn good. Go as deep as you want. It’s all good, as they say.”

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters received a shout out from Fodor’s Travel Magazine in a write-up about the band’s hometown of Asheville, NC, and a couple of years back they were also featured on XPN World Cafe’s Sense of Place series. In 2017, their music also placed into the Americana Music Association Year End Top 100 list of Americana Airplay for the second year in a row!

For the past ten years Amanda Anne Platt has been singing her original songs with her band The Honeycutters. In that time they have toured all over the United States and (parts of) Canada, as well as making their first trip overseas last summer, playing shows in England and Scotland garnering much praise and many sold out shows, and they made a lot of new friends and fans that they are excited to see again!

The UK’s American Roots’ Magazine Mike Morrison writes, “This is a band whose back catalogue is a match for anyone’s and yet still they’re improving. Modern country music really doesn’t get much better than the highly individual style of Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters.”  

The band is thrilled to have another overseas tour booked for this summer which will take them back to England and Scotland as well as to Ireland, Spain, and The Netherlands from late August through the end of September! They have an Indiegogo campaign currently running to help raise funds to cover the travel costs associated with the trip including round trip airfare to Dublin from the US for 5, internal flights, van and backline (amps, drums) rental, lodging (travelodges, tents, etc), and fuel with a goal aiming to raise $9000 by June 25 which they just surpassed today!

Everyone who donates will gain access to an exclusive (ooo!) tour blog (ahh!) featuring updates and anecdotes from Amanda, as well as photo and video documentation of the band as they experience some inevitable culture shock. Other perks include limited edition tee shirts, handwritten lyrics to an AAP song of your choice, pet portraits (Amanda says, “I don’t claim to be good at drawing, but it will be unique. I can guarantee that.”), CD packages, stickers, drink koozies, and a private House Concert.

Amanda says, “In these crazy days we live in it’s easy to forget that when a song comes on the radio and makes your day a little easier, there were a lot of people involved in getting that song there. However you support the arts, you are making it possible for working artists to keep creating. And when you do that, you are ensuring that this world will continue to have a thriving stream of original art and music. And we all need that!”

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters are a diamond in the rough, and through their music, travels, the friendships they make along the way, they will continue to bring music straight from the heart to the world.

Watch the official music video for “Birthday Song” → https://youtu.be/K168ib7ltTc

Watch the official music video for “Jukebox” → https://youtu.be/T87FD97QNRU

More information at www.TheHoneycutters.com, www.facebook.com/Honeycutters, and www.twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

 

 

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Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, Country Roots Album Released Today on Organic Records

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters New Album
Out June 9 on Organic Records
Country Roots Band from Asheville, North Carolina

Stream or purchase today at all outlets –> https://clg.lnk.to/Lj4Wo

“’Learning How To Love Him’ is a prime example of the new intimacy Platt shares with her audience. Her voice, rising and falling above a simple, spare guitar line, is on display in a way it never has been before.” –Elena See
LISTEN to the song premiere on NPR’s Folk Alley

“A coming-of-age song of sorts, ‘Diamond in the Rough’ is a rock-tinged, rootsy track”–Amy McCarthy
LISTEN to the Song Premiere on The Boot

ASHEVILLE, NC — Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters new self-titled album is out today, June 9, on Organic Records. “We’re switching things up a little. After four albums I’ve decided to step out and start using my own name. It’s something that a lot of people have encouraged me to do over the years, and I guess that 2017 just felt right.” says Amanda. “We’re keeping The Honeycutters too because we don’t want to confuse people… really, we’ve always been Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters. I think I’ve just gotten to a place where I feel comfortable enough to be in the spotlight.”

Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Amanda is a storyteller by nature with an incredible band backing her. Performing along with Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith on pedal steel and Stratocaster, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums and harmony vocals, and Evan Martin on keys and Telecaster. Lyrically driven, the songs on Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters blend the band’s old-school country roots attitude with their shared influences of rock and folk.

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters will tour extensively in US this year and are traveling to Europe for the first time this summer. Tour dates and more information at www.TheHoneycutters.com.

Critical Acclaim for Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters:

“Writing with a maturity that belies her early thirties age, Amanda pens tunes about a couple with a 40-year relationship, reflections of a spouse with a terminally ill husband, break-up, strangers, leaving, the music industry, and, of course, love. Platt is as good a songwriter as anyone with an Americana label by their name and that includes Isbell and Lucinda to name just two of them… You will need to listen repeatedly as the album is lengthy and Platt’s lyrics are so damn real and relatable on so many levels.”
—Elmore, Jim Hynes

“They… deliver a feisty, witty, hard-knock life realism on their records and this eponymous release, their fifth, is like the continuation of a classic serial novel you just can’t put down… My favorite track is ‘Eden’ and I must have listened to it at least five times because it’s just bloody brilliant, cheeky and slightly heart-wrenching all at once: ‘Don’t keep a TV ’cause the news is always bad and it teaches us to want all the things we’ll never have’ and then the storyteller asks to be let ‘back inside that garden, I won’t eat anything that’s fallen from that goddamn tree.’ —That Mag, Jane Roser

“Platt can find a tune and express it exquisitely with a distinctive voice and a sympathetic band… Her wonderful lyrics seem to be an assessment of the people and circumstances that surround her to find the good bits.”
—Americana Music Show, Tony Ives

“Platt opens with the reflective ‘Birthday Song’, warmed in among other things, tasty piano the album is immediately up and running on greased wheels. Blending country with folk and country pop you have Americana music with a capital ‘A’ and it is good!” —Flying Shoes Review (UK), Maurice Hope

“Platt sings like she means it on this country-tinged folk album, and whether or not her nuanced lyrics are drawn directly from real life, they sure sound as if they are… Platt’s vocals convey joy and tenderness and her band provide amiable backup. At its best, this music is on a par with Lucinda Williams’s, which is saying a lot.” —The Morton Report, Jeff Burger

“There is, as with the two before, an easygoing warmth to the album, and a certain kind of knowing. The kind from that comes from being a keen and empathetic observer. From the upbeat ‘Diamond in the Rough’ to the poetic ‘Eden’ to the solemn ‘Long Ride,’ Platt and her band flesh out all that’s real and been missing in country music for lo these many years.”  —No Depression, Amos Perrine

“a gem of an album… The collection combines sharp and emotive songwriting with crisp production values. A successful blend of country roots and honky-tonk, but with a defining Appalachian twist. Above it all hovers Platt’s voice – laconic, sultry, pitch perfect and ultimately charming.” —Listening Through The Lens, Rob Dickens

“Amanda Anne is one of the best songwriters I have ever heard – and I have been listening carefully to music for about 55 years. She writes with her heart and her brain and her observations on life, love and other matters of importance are sparkling …
Her songs get into your blood and become a part of you.”
—letter from David Whittaker who commissioned the song “Rare Thing” for his wife Holly

“Amanda is so good it’s ridiculous. I don’t even know what words to use. Her singing, songwriting and presence is unmatched in Americana, Country, Pop… Simply breathtaking.” — Saul Davis: producer (Percy Sledge), manager (Gene Clark, Carla Olson, Phil Seymour).

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Track Listing

1. Birthday Song 4:15
2. Long Ride 3:47
3. What We’ve Got 4:46
4. Diamond In The Rough 4:37
5. Eden 5:33
6. The Guitar Case 4:18
7. Learning How To Love Him 4:17
8. Brand New Start 3:14
9. Late Summer’s Child 3:57
10. The Good Guys (Dick Tracy) 4:38
11. Rare Thing 4:43
12. The Things We Call Home 2:39
13. The Road 2:40

Produced by Amanda Anne Platt and Tim Surrett

Mixing and Mastering by Recording Engineer Scott Barnett at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC

Stream or purchase Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters here →  https://clg.lnk.to/Lj4Wo

More information at www.TheHoneycutters.com, www.facebook.com/Honeycutters, and www.twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

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