Pert Near Sandstone Covers The Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait” – New Video + Single Out Now

Pert Near Sandstone Covers The Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait”

New Video + Single Out Now

Stream/Buy “Can’t Hardly Wait” → https://linktr.ee/pertnearsandstone 

On Tour this Spring with Armchair Boogie
(see dates below)

ST. PAUL/ MINNEAPOLIS, Minn — Fresh on the heels of the release of their 8th studio album, Pert Near Sandstone has recorded a cover of The Replacements “Can’t Hardly Wait” which they are excited to release today, April 19. Longtime stewards of the modern stringband resurgence throughout their 20 years as a band, Pert Near Sandstone are known for their contemporary appeal and collaborative spirit with their lively music, quick pickin,’ creative lyrics, and choice covers.

Pert Near selected this iconic song to cover as an experiment to see how they could translate The Replacements’ sound to their acoustic ensemble and style—funked up with the addition of special guests on saxophone and trumpet.

The band says, “The arrangement was prompted by our hometown performance at Minneapolis’ First Ave‘s mainroom for our Waiting Days album release show [Dec 2023]. It was so enjoyable to play that we decided to record our live version in the studio. May it represent our gratitude and be an homage to the incredible Twin Cities music scene.”

Song & Video Credits:
“Can’t Hardly Wait” (Live cover of The Replacements) 
Arrangement by Pert Near Sandstone 
Recorded and mixed by Ryan Young at NeonBrown Recording Studio
Cover Artwork by Nate Sipe 
Video recorded and edited by Matt Hussey
Lead vocals, Bass: Justin Bruhn
Banjo: Kevin Kniebel
Guitar: J Lenz
Mandolin: Nate Sipe
Fiddle: Chris Forsberg
Saxophone: Max Felsheim 
Trumpet: Bobby Jay

Pert Near Sandstone on Tour with Armchair Boogie this Spring:
4/25 Thu – Roots Music Project – Boulder, CO
4/26 Fri – Cervantes’ Other Side – Denver, CO
4/27 Sat – Mesa Theater – Grand Junction, CO
4/28 Sun – The Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
4/30 Tue – Neurolux – Boise, ID
5/1 Wed – Volcanic Theatre Pub – Bend, OR
5/2 Thu – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA
5/3 Fri – Trout Lake Hall – Trout Lake, WA
5/4 Sat – The Showdown – Portland, OR

Pert Near Continues the tour (more tba): 
5/31 Fri – The Potter’s Shed gallery – Shell  Lake, WI
6/1 Sat – Thrasher Opera House – Green Lake, WI
6/6 Thu – Vivarium – Milwaukee, WI
6/7 Fri – Summer of the Arts – Iowa City, IA
6/8 Sat – Shops & Hops Festival – Vergas, MN
6/27-29 – Blue Ox Music Festival – Eau Claire, WI
7/13 Sat – Nordic Bluegrass & Folk Festival – Keystone, CO

ABOUT WAITING DAYS 

Well known for their humor and levity, with charm that is never far from the surface, the connectedness to community is at the core of Pert Near’s music and philosophy. Nobody on earth is having a singular experience, which the songs in their most recent full album release, Waiting Days, shine a light upon. 

Waiting Days (released in October 2024) has received numerous accolades from a variety of publications including JamBase (“poignant”), Americana Highways (“deliciously raucous”), The Alternate Root (“a compelling sound that goes from rousing revelry to sounds of steady assurance”), AmericanaUK (“Four horsemen are approaching as the sands of time run out”), Bluegrass Today (“Ultimately, these striking songs — rich in both melody and meaning — make this a highly impressive effort overall”), antiMusic’s Root 66 (“‘Out of Time’ sounds like R.E.M. performed as bluegrass but the plaintive song dripping with urgency and detailing social ills”), Star Tribune (“laced with post-pandemic hope and a raw elegance”), and many more.

Music Mecca listed them on their ‘Year In Review: Top 15 Folk, Americana, & Roots Albums of 2023,’ and said, “This Midwest bluegrass quartet caught my eyes and ears several years back when I went to and covered their rad summer music festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Blue Ox Music Festival. This group of pickers can hang with the best of ’em, and are just nice dudes to boot… Their singles ‘I’ve Been Traveling’ and ‘Out of Time’ reeled us in on Waiting Days, and the whole thing is full of killer ebbs and flows among the 11 tracks.” 

ABOUT BLUE OX MUSIC FESTIVAL

Pert Near Sandstone helped to launch the Blue Ox Music Festival in 2015. Acting as curators and hosts for this prestigious and eclectic roots music event, they have brought in a slew of their favorite performers for 2024 including Band of Horses, Sierra Ferrell, The Devil Makes Three, Watchhouse, Sam Bush Band, Leftover Salmon, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Del McCoury Band, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Lindsay Lou, The High Hawks, and more!

The 10th anniversary edition of the Blue Ox Music Festival will take place at The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, WI, June 27-29! 

Nate Sipe and Justin Bruhn host ‘The Road to Blue Ox’ Podcast where they interview Blue Ox Music Festival artists, play music from the year’s lineup, and discuss features of the 3-day outdoor festival. Listen to get an idea of what to expect → www.blueoxmusicfestival.com/road-to-blue-ox-podcast 

”We’re very proud of (Blue Ox Music Festival). We’re really thrilled to be a part of it. It’s really injecting a lot of life into the midwestern acoustic groups. It’s kind of developed a life of its own at this point,” says Sipe to Volume One.

Stay up to date with Pert Near Sandstone at www.pertnearsandstone.com, facebook.com/pertnearsandstone and instagram.com/pertnearsandstone.

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Armchair Boogie Releases New Single “Liquor Store” – Winter Tour Announced

Armchair Boogie Announces Winter Tour &
Releases 2nd Single from Hard Times & Deadlines 

“Liquor Store” is Out Now → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/armchairboogie/liquor-store

“Armchair Boogie Showcase Lightning-fast Bluegrass Chops & Strong Lyricism on ‘Liquor Store’”
—Glide Magazine Song Premiere “Liquor Store”

Hard Times & Deadlines, Boogie’s 4th Studio Recording, Independently Released March 15

Presave the full album Hard Times & Deadlines →
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/armchairboogie/hard-times–deadlines 

MADISON, Wis. — Armchair Boogie offers a funked up spin on bluegrass with their unique lineup of drums and electric bass backing acoustic/electric guitar and banjo. A band on the verge, the good word of the Boogie continues to spread like wildfire. Listed as a “Must-See Roots Artists at Bourbon & Beyond” by The Bluegrass Situation who says, “We recently caught this jammy Wisconsin outfit at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, where they burnt down their late-night set.”

Armchair Boogie has announced an extensive Winter Tour with shows in the Midwest, Rocky Mountains, and West Coast and will continue on throughout the States in 2024. They aim to help you boogie down even more in your living room, in your car, on your phone, or anywhere you listen to music when you’re not at a gig with the independent release of Hard Times & Deadlines, their fourth studio album, on March 15. 

To get you in the spirit, “Liquor Store,” the album’s 2nd single, is out now. Written by Augie Dougherty to address the nostalgic feeling of looking back on his youth, “reminiscing on the younger days of love and liquor.” The track features special guest Ernest Brusubardis IV on fiddle. 

Glide Magazine writes, “The song is a hyper-paced work of alt-country-laced bluegrass that balances impressive picking with strong lyricism that could just as easily fit in a work of quiet folk. Propelled by Dougherty’s banjo, the music careens forward with a lively energy that you can imagine turning into an explosive jam onstage.”

This follows the November release of the Hartforesque lead track “Hard Times,” which demonstrates the 3-part harmonies that drive home the album’s namesake. Premiered by Live For Live Music, Michael Broerman writes, “‘Hard Times’ highlights the dualities that define Armchair Boogie.”

“On one hand, there’s the opening picking of Augie Dougherty‘s banjo, which elucidates the group’s traditional elements,” explains Broerman. “By the time he breezes through the opening verse, however, the rest of the band comes alive as Denzel Connor‘s drums awaken the track to reveal Armchair’s folk-jam sensibilities. The stylistic personalities of the four-piece—which also features Eli Frieders on electric bass and Ben Majeska on guitar—work in tandem on ‘Hard Times,’ as Armchair Boogie powers through the hard times and deadlines to discover what life is about.”

Self-produced, this new album shows a maturing of the band’s songwriting and musical capabilities. Composing these songs around the beginning of the pandemic, Majeska and Dougherty—who sing lead on the respective songs they wrote—were experiencing the stresses of entering their late twenties. 

“Hard Times & Deadlines is a pretty literal explanation of what I felt life was turning into,” Dougherty says. “The fluffy part of college and party life was beginning to fade away and it seemed like it was time to put my head down and work.” 

Majeska, who plays both electric and acoustic guitars throughout the album, says “Life comes with highs and lows, and Hard Times & Deadlines captures the fleet of emotions that come with it. From broken hearts and fond memories. To broad horizons and the inevitable end of this human journey.” 

Once the tunes were drafted, they were brought to the whole band for collaboration. “This is where the tune truly becomes a Boogie song. Everyone adds their touch of creative input and we’re able to polish it up collectively pretty quickly,” explains Dougherty.

Along with “Liquor Store” and “Hard Times,” the ten original songs that make up Hard Times & Deadlines were recorded and mixed by Jeffrey Peterson at Lunar Lava Audio in Fort Atkinson, WI and mastered by Collin Jordan. 

They cover a variety of topics, including capturing the fervor of a hopeless circumstance in “Gone in a Day” (with special guest fiddler Jeremy Garrett [Infamous Stringdusters, appearing courtesy of Organic Records]), toasting to wild nights and timeless stories in ‘Skippin’ Town,’ and bringing poignant moments with “You’ve Been Hurt” and “Empty Pools.”

While upbeat and cheerful on the outside,  ”Low Down Time” pleads, “It’s been a low down time, And things been out of line. And I just need some help getting by. Won’t you help me stay alive?”  The song features special guests The Payback Horns (Jamie Kember on trombone, Jon Schipper on trumpet, and Allen Cordingley on tenor sax).

Dougherty’s characteristic fast-talking vocal wit shines through in the buoyant “All the Same and the electrifying “Livin’“—inspired by a quote from The Hobbit: “What’s the good in living, if the living isn’t good?” Using his best “John Prine energy” while writing about our inevitable finish line in the tongue-in-cheek “Boneyard,” Augie sings, ‘‘I’m headed to the bone yard. So are you. It’s the same old story that they’re following too close to.” 

Jamgrass, newgrass, funkgrass, whatever you want to call it—Armchair Boogie is rapidly becoming one of the country’s hottest acts. Their unconventional lineup enhances their lightning-fast bluegrass, allowing them to freely venture into the realms of funk or country. With an unbounded sound, this Wisconsin-based quartet is known for their powerful harmonies, timeless originals, and choice covers, along with their enthusiastic live performances.

“Armchair Boogie is a name that somehow oddly perfects their vibe: a folk, funk, and bluegrass that originated on a front porch. A band that can turn downhome bluegrass into an upbeat groove with contagious rhythm is not to be missed…” writes The Pitch Kansas City’s Allison Scavo. “As I entered, the crowd was already screaming to the point where I questioned if I had missed them. I quickly realized they had just gotten on stage and the frenzied elation was merely for their presence. From the first note to the elongated jams and everything in between, Armchair Boogie aerated the venue with unforgettable energy.” 

Armchair Boogie Winter Tour

12/15 Fri – The Hive – Fond du Lac, WI
12/31 Sun – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI #
1/16-17 Tue-Wed – Belly Up – Aspen, CO*
1/18 Thu – Mesa Theater – Grand Junction, CO*
1/20 Sat – Center For The Arts – Crested Butte, CO*
1/21 Sun – Sheridan Opera House – Telluride, CO*
2/3 Sat – Grand Theater – Wausau, WI
2/9 Fri – Fox Hollow – La Crosse, WI
2/10 Sat – Ice Dance Music Fest – Appleton, WI
2/21 Wed – WOW Hall – Eugene, OR*
2/22 Thu – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR*
2/23 Fri –  Midtown Ballroom/Domino Room/Annex – Bend, OR
2/24 Sat – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA*
2/25 Sun – Wild Buffalo – Bellingham, WA*
3/1 Fri – Talbott’s Cider Company – Palisade, CO*  
3/2 Sat – WinterWonderGrass – Steamboat Springs, CO
3/16 Sat – Stoughton Opera House – Stoughton, WI

# w/ Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Dead Horses
*w/ The Kitchen Dwellers

Visit www.armchairboogiemusic.com for more information and keep up to date with their adventures on facebook.com/armchairboogieboys and instagram.com/armchairboogieboys.

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Armchair Boogie Debuts Title Track From Upcoming Album ‘Hard Times & Deadlines’

Armchair Boogie. Photo by Dan Waterman.

Armchair Boogie Independently Releases 4th Studio Recording
Hard Times & Deadlines – March 15, 2024

With their unique lineup of drums and electric bass backing acoustic/electric guitar and banjo, Armchair Boogie offers a funked up spin on bluegrass

Out Today- Stream the 1st Single “Hard Times”https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/armchairboogie/hard-times

Madison, WI funk-grass outfit Armchair Boogie is ready for whatever
life throws its way on its new single, “Hard Times”
—Premiered by Live For Live Music

Presave Hard Times & Deadlines →
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/armchairboogie/hard-times–deadlines

MADISON, Wis. — Jamgrass, newgrass, funkgrass, whatever you want to call it—Armchair Boogie is rapidly becoming one of the country’s hottest acts. With an unbounded sound, this Wisconsin-based quartet is known for their powerful harmonies, timeless originals, and choice covers, along with unforgettable live performances. Listed as a “Must-See Roots Artists at Bourbon & Beyond” by The Bluegrass Situation who wrote, “We recently caught this jammy Wisconsin outfit at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, where they burnt down their late-night set.”

Armchair Boogie is Augie Dougherty on banjo and Ben Majeska acoustic and electric guitars backed by tight, driving rhythms of Eli Frieders on electric bass and Denzel Connor on drums. This unconventional lineup enhances their lightning-fast bluegrass, allowing them to freely venture into the realms of funk or country. A band on the verge, Armchair Boogie is excited to independently release their fourth studio recording, Hard Times & Deadlines, on March 15.

The lead track, and first single, “Hard Times,” demonstrates the 3-part harmonies that drive home the album’s namesake. Dougherty says of his perspective of the song, “‘Hard Times’ is about my navigation of life’s realities. Entering my late twenties came with a lot of pressure to pursue musical and other professional endeavors. Feeling lost, feeling a lack of freedom, feeling like I have to push on through.” 

The Hartforesque sounding tune can also take on a plethora of new meanings with lyrics like, “We’re out here all alone, this big ol’ world is our only home, What do you do, if you find yourself lost? You can find a friend, you can find a bucket, You can find a piece of wood and just chuck it. If you’re real lucky, you can find a soul… Well the hard times and deadlines pushin’ me through till the good times.”

Live For Live Music premiered the song and Michael Broerman writes, “‘Hard Times’ highlights the dualities that define Armchair Boogie. On one hand, there’s the opening picking of Augie‘s banjo, which elucidates the group’s traditional elements. By the time he breezes through the opening verse, however, the rest of the band comes alive as Denzel‘s drums awaken the track to reveal Armchair’s folk-jam sensibilities. The stylistic personalities of the four-piece—which also features Eli on electric bass and Ben on acoustic guitar [for this track]—work in tandem on ‘Hard Times,’ as Armchair Boogie powers through the hard times and deadlines to discover what life is about.”

Self-produced, this new album shows a maturing of the band’s songwriting and musical capabilities. Composing these songs around the beginning of the pandemic, Majeska and Dougherty—who sing lead on the respective songs they wrote—were experiencing the stresses of entering their late twenties. 

Majeska says “Life comes with highs and lows, and Hard Times & Deadlines captures the fleet of emotions that come with it. From broken hearts and fond memories. To broad horizons and the inevitable end of this human journey.” 

“Hard Times & Deadlines is a pretty literal explanation of what I felt life was turning into,” Dougherty says. “The fluffy part of college and party life was beginning to fade away and it seemed like it was time to put my head down and work.” 

Once the tunes were drafted, they were brought to the whole band for collaboration. “This is where the tune truly becomes a Boogie song. Everyone adds their touch of creative input and we’re able to polish it up collectively pretty quickly,” explains Dougherty.

The ten original songs that make up Hard Times & Deadlines were recorded and mixed by Jeffrey Peterson at Lunar Lava Audio—who specializes in classic recording techniques and organic sounding results—in Fort Atkinson, WI. It was mastered by Collin Jordan—owner of The Boiler Room Mastering in Chicago.

ARMCHAIR BOOGIE DOWN THE ROAD

Armchair Boogie emerged from the central waters and woods of Wisconsin, after meeting at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 2015. The members moved to Madison in 2017, releasing their debut self-titled album in 2018, followed by 2019’s What Does Time Care?, and a 4-track EP in 2021—The Western. 

Nowadays Armchair Boogie continues touring and climbing their way up notable festival lineups. In 2023 alone they performed at Summer Camp Music Festival, Old Settler’s Music Festival, Bourbon and Beyond, Grey Fox, Blissfest, Suwannee Spring Reunion, Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Shoe Fest, and Sugar Pine Music Festival. Adding to previous years at WinterWonderGrass, Northwest String Summit, Blue Ox Music Festival, John Hartford Memorial Festival, Charm City Bluegrass, MerleFest, Albino Skunk Fest, and more. 

They started hosting their own event, The Boogiedown Music Festival, in 2021 at Driftless Music Gardens during the summer in Yuba, WI. The band has performed throughout the country, with regular stops throughout the Midwest—including sold-out shows in their hometown of Madison—as they continue to break through into new markets. 

Over the years and through the shows, they’ve had the honor to share the spotlight at shows and or performed with members of with Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The HillBenders, Daniel Donato, Pert Near Sandstone, and jammed with many more.

The good word of boogie continues to spread like wildfire! Armchair Boogie has several Midwest performances coming up to close out the year, culminating on New Year’s Eve at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee with Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Dead Horses. They begin the new year with performances throughout the Rocky Mountains, followed by Telluride. February resumes with a few gigs in Wisconsin before heading to the Northwest for a run with Kitchen Dwellers. They kick off March at WinterWonderGrass in Steamboat Springs, CO with spring tour dates soon to be announced. Visit www.armchairboogiemusic.com for a full list of tour dates.

With Hard Times & Deadlines they want to help you boogie down in your living room, your car, on your phone, or wherever you listen to music when you’re not at a show. 

Presave the album at https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/armchairboogie/hard-times–deadlines. 

Visit www.armchairboogiemusic.com for more information about Armchair Boogie and Hard Times & Deadlines. Keep up to date with their adventures on facebook.com/armchairboogieboys, instagram.com/armchairboogieboys, and youtube.com/@armchairboogie4522.

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Our Waiting Days are Over: Pert Near Sandstone Release a Vibrant Album with Inventive Lyrics – Out Today

Our Waiting Days are Over:
Pert Near Sandstone Independently Releases 8th Studio Album

Curators of Blue Ox Music Festival Offer a Vibrant Album with Inventive Lyrics

Waiting Days Out Now → li.sten.to/t2sthw1c

Kind Words About Waiting Days

“Produced by Pert Near Sandstone the 41-minute CD continues in the tradition of music that was ignited by the likes of Old and In the Way with Jerry Garcia & David Grisman, a little of Seatrain, lots of John Hartford, a swipe at Goose Creek Symphony & if Alison Krauss ever chooses to use a different band other than Union Station this is my choice… it’s all delightful to listen to… ”
—Americana Highways, John Apice

“This mighty Minnesota bluegrass group is working to… use their music to charm and connect with its listeners while providing them with a welcome break from the tense & fast-paced world we live in today.”
—Music Mecca, Mikayla McGrory

“What sets Pert Near Sandstone apart is its ability to breathe fresh life into folk and bluegrass tunes while staying true to the genre’s timeless spirit. With heartfelt lyrics, this band has continued to make waves in the modern folk and bluegrass scene.”
—Bend Source Weekly, Armando Borrego

“Where Pert Near Sandstone differ from many other string bands is that their focus is not on the past, they are definitely in the here and now… ‘Out of Time‘ exemplifies this aspect of the band as they riff on the short-sightedness of mankind… Is it a message of despair and doom? Yeah, that is exactly what it is.”
—AmericanaUK, Jonathan Aird

“Overall, this is an album on which each of the act’s songwriters offers their own individual perspective; each musician adds in their own rhythmic reciprocity to audibly illustrate their train of thought. They offer infectious energy without pushing the pop on an album that includes songs often honest as dirt, pertinent, and pert near perfect for anyone who likes prog bluegrass.”
—Something In Music, Will Phoenix, Track by Track Review

ST. PAUL/ MINNEAPOLIS, Minn — Pert Near Sandstone independently release Waiting Days Oct 20. Longtime stewards of the modern stringband resurgence, Pert Near Sandstone are known for their contemporary appeal and collaborative spirit with their vibrant music, intricate pickin,’ and inventive lyrics.

Pert Near Sandstone
Photo by Tony Nelson

“The band seems to forever seize the importance — and sound — of being earnest, while never fearing the somewhat strange. It’s a winning combination, and one worth waiting to hear,” writes Aarik Danielsen in the Columbia Daily Tribune.

It’s a strikingly different world than when Pert Near Sandstone first began nearly two decades ago near the sandstone river bluffs of St. Paul. The former latchkey kids who grew up together a few Mississippi-miles upstream have grown into a band of brothers, bonded together as family. 

Pert Near’s four songwriters/vocalists—also all instrumentalists: Justin Bruhn (bass), Kevin Kniebel (banjo), J Lenz (guitar), and Nate Sipe (mandolin, steel guitars, fiddle)—write songs that speak to the present and are rife with allusions—spanning a breadth of content including traveling songs, concerns of the modern era, and surrealistic scenarios.  

Chris Forsberg, a recent inclusion to the outfit, puts his fiddle stamp on the overall sound with turnbuckle solos and harmonious response to the melodies. Trampled By Turtles’ fiddler and original Pert Near member, Ryan Young, recorded and mixed the album during several of the harshest weeks of a midwestern winter in Ryan’s NeonBrown Recording Studio in Crystal, Minnesota. Ryan also added his fiddle and other accouterments to bolster the energy of the songs.  

Ryan says, “I’ve been recording Pert Near Sandstone since 2004 when I’d set up some mics to record our practices. I feel like we know each other really well and I know what kind of sounds they are going for. Some songs call for a stripped down feel of friends playing folk music together in a living room, and others are more elaborate with influences from metal to electronic music to rock and more.” 

The intimacy of collaboration is at the heart of this album. The interplay of mandolin and fiddle carries much of the music across the songs, and the mixture of guest instrumentalists gives this album a unique tapestry of sounds and texture—with accents of piano, trumpet, choral vocalists, steel guitar, and percussion. 

“I think the voice of all the songs on Waiting Days is clearly written from a post-pandemic reality,” says Nate Sipe in an interview with Music Mecca. “There is a lot of searching for a new way to belong from a distance beyond an old way of understanding. I also hear a lot of hope throughout the songs, which I believe is as important, or even more important, than identifying the obstacles that we face in life.”  

“Our waiting days are finally over,” the title track from Pert Near Sandstone’s new album decries, echoing the sentiment of a community recently pent up and beyond longing. What can develop from the turbulence of a still dwindling global pandemic and also respond to the noise of prattling politics? Art has its purpose in this exact hour. 

“Out of Time,” the album’s heaviest hitting song, is a gazette of concerns that we face in troubled times. The explicit itemization is an alarm for movement; the singer’s vocals singe of desperation is motivation to confront the things most feared and to hold on to what is most dear. Pert Near’s Nate Sipe created an intricate and vintage-looking video collage (with his original artwork) for “Out of Time” → https://youtu.be/7Qpi3y20jxc.

Lest we get lost in despair, we can find rejuvenation in one of the strongest songs, and first radio single, “All Waves Break,” which gestures with surrealism to offset the bleakness of a just-as-wacky reality. The Current, Minnesota Public Radio, NPR listed “All Waves Break” as the Song of the Day (9/29) and it was premiered by JamBase who called the song “poignant.” 

“I’ve Been Traveling,” “Soo Line,” and “On To Dawn” are traveling songs, sung by a band that has hit the pavement hard over their time, simultaneously creating a soundtrack for those all night drives that music festival devotees well know.

In “Clouds Are Gathering,” the story and images reach into a field that isn’t always aglow with sunlight, while finding beauty in the tenderness of relationships. “Lay Down Your Burdens” has a simplicity that indeed helps us believe the genuine intentions of Pert Near Sandstone’s creative resolve. 

Adventures in Americana premiered the symphonic “Believe,” and wrote, “It’s a beautiful contemplative ballad perfect for early fall… [it] opens gently with only banjo, soon joined by fiddle and gradually the other instruments and vocals. While this often boisterous band is able to reach the stratosphere with their layered sound and blazing fast solos, their interplay throughout this track is soft and tender, highlighting the beauty of each instrument’s individual sound.”

“Who To Choose” gives permission to an indeterminate personality to decide their own path in this human condition. The railroad laden album cover looks as though it could be an illustration, “End of The Line,” wherein a conversation between a hobo and railroad brakeman confront the possible obsolescence of their livelihoods. A distant whistle is heard as a token of hope with Sipe’s electric steel guitar sliding into the conversation with a nod to early country music.

Well known for their humor and levity, with charm that is never far from the surface, the connectedness to community is at the core of Pert Near’s music and philosophy. Nobody on earth is having a singular experience, as these songs shine a light upon. We are all here together. As the title track declares, “… I want to take you with me when I go.” Let’s get ready. Now is our time. The waiting days are over. 

Stream/buy Waiting Days here → https://li.sten.to/t2sthw1c.
Or purchase a physical copy on vinyl or CD HERE. 

Pert Near Sandstone on Tour

10/20 Fri – Portland, OR – The Jack London Revue
10/21 Sat – Centralia, WA – Juice Box 
10/22 Sun – Seattle, WA – High Dive 
11/3 Fri – LaCrosse, WI – Mid West Music Fest 
11/8 Wed – Lincoln,  NE – Zoo Bar*
11/9 Thu – Ft Collins, CO – 830 North* 
11/10 Fri – Boulder, CO – Velvet Elk Lounge* 
11/11 Sat – Denver, CO – Ophelia’s*
11/24 Fri – Chicago, IL – Park West* 
11/30 Thu – Alluvial Brewing – Ames, IA^ 
12/1 Fri – Mankato, MN – Mankato Brewery^
12/2 Sat – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue^

* w / Henhouse Prowlers
^ w / Them Coulee Boys

Looking ahead to 2024

2/9 – White Pine, MI – 34th Annual Midwest Telefest 
6/27-29 – Eau Claire, WI – 10th Blue Ox Music Festival

ABOUT BLUE OX MUSIC FESTIVAL

Pert Near Sandstone helped to launch the Blue Ox Music Festival in 2015. Acting as curators and hosts for this prestigious and eclectic roots music event, they have brought in a slew of their favorite performers including Bela Fleck, Tyler Childers, Jerry Douglas, Margo Price, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Billy Strings, The Infamous Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, and more!

The waiting days for Blue Ox Music Festival 2024 are over as well! The 10th anniversary edition of the festival will take place at The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, WI, June 27-29! Tickets are on sale now at →  https://aftontickets.com/BlueOxMusicFestival2024

“As the curators and hosts of Blue Ox, Pert Near certainly has a presence at the Eau Claire, Wisconsin festival, but being a couple of kids from Colorado, we had yet to see or hear them,” writes Festy GoNuts. “By the end of that epic weekend [at the inaugural event], we were fully on board and proudly sporting Pert Near stickers, singing their praises and humming their tunes in our heads. So here we are, 10 years later… Pert Near Sandstone is continuing to make incredible new music.” 

”We’re very proud of (Blue Ox Music Festival). We’re really thrilled to be a part of it. It’s really injecting a lot of life into the midwestern acoustic groups. It’s kind of developed a life of its own at this point, ” says Nate Sipe to Volume One.

Stay up to date with Pert Near Sandstone at www.pertnearsandstone.com, facebook.com/pertnearsandstone and instagram.com/pertnearsandstone.

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Pert Near Sandstone 1st Single From New Album “Waiting Days” + Tour Dates Announced

Pert Near Sandstone Releases Single “All Waves Break”

Listen and sing along with this Lyric Video Premiered By JamBase

Listen to “All Waves Break” on all streaming platforms Friday, Aug 11 → https://li.sten.to/t2sthw1c

8th Studio Album, Waiting Days, Independently Released Oct 20

Pre-save Waiting Days on Spotify → https://show.co/kHU93US

Summer and Fall Tour Dates Announced!

Performances in South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, 
Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Colorado, and Illinois

ST. PAUL/ MINNEAPOLIS, Minn — “Our waiting days are finally over,” the title track from Pert Near Sandstone’s new album decries, echoing the sentiment of a community recently pent up and beyond longing. What can develop from the turbulence of a still dwindling global pandemic and also respond to the noise of prattling politics? Art has its purpose in this exact hour. 

It’s a strikingly different world than when Pert Near Sandstone first began nearly two decades ago near the sandstone river bluffs of St. Paul. The former latchkey kids who grew up together a few Mississippi-miles upstream have been out on a spree, through the thicket, and have been performing and recording this past year in earnest, which has culminated in their eighth studio album. Waiting Days is set for independent release on October 20.

“Out of Time,” the album’s heaviest hitting song, is a gazette of concerns that we face in troubled times. The explicit itemization is an alarm for movement; the singer’s vocals singe of desperation is motivation to confront the things most feared and to hold on to what is most dear. Lest we get lost in despair, we can find rejuvenation in one of the strongest songs, “All Waves Break,” which gestures with surrealism to offset the bleakness of a just-as-wacky reality. 

They are releasing the first glimpse of the new tunes with “All Waves Break” as the album’s first single. Watch the lyric video for the song here → https://youtu.be/M_eB5cJyZ64 

Waiting Days has all the merit of maturity and the strengths of its four songwriters (all of whom are vocalists)—Justin Bruhn (bass), Kevin Kniebel (banjo), J Lenz (guitar), and Nate Sipe (mandolin, steel guitars, fiddle)—offering responses to each other’s compositions through a long camaraderie. Sipe says, “After almost twenty years together, our bond has grown to reflect more of a family, a band of brothers.”

Pert Near Sandstone.
Photo by Tony Nelson

As longtime stewards of the modern stringband revival, Pert Near has a songcraft informed by the American folk tradition in a delivery of acoustic instrumentation. The songs themselves tell a different tale, straying from the reliquary of common stringband selections, lightly veiled as bluegrass while sneakily appeasing their inner desire for a more modern musical timbre. Pert Near delivers another full album of original songs that meditates on this exact present, rich with context and reference.   

There are songs that reach into a field that isn’t always aglow with sunlight, while finding beauty in the tenderness of relationships. There are traveling songs sung by a band that has hit the pavement hard over their time, simultaneously creating a soundtrack for those all night drives that music festival devotees well know.  This isn’t music reaching for the banality of pop hits—this is fresh air for blades of new grass to grow in. At times there is an almost symphonic string section that lifts the melody, while other times the simplicity of banjo and pedal steel indeed helps us believe the genuine intentions of Pert Near Sandstone’s creative resolve. 

Chris Forsberg, a recent inclusion to the outfit, puts his fiddle stamp on the overall sound with turnbuckle solos and harmonious response to the melodies. The interplay of mandolin and fiddle carries much of the music across the songs, but it’s the mixture of guest instrumentalists that gives this album a unique tapestry of sounds and texture, opening a deeper space that has become standard in production for Pert Near Sandstone projects. 

Trampled By Turtles’ fiddler and original Pert Near member, Ryan Young, recorded and mixed the album—the fourth he has gifted his audio wizardry to— and added his fiddle and other accouterments to bolster the energy of the songs. The intimacy of collaboration is at the heart of this new project, after all, which spanned several of the harshest weeks of a midwestern winter in Ryan’s NeonBrown Recording Studio in Crystal, Minnesota. 

Ryan says, “I’ve been recording Pert Near Sandstone since 2004 when I’d set up some mics to record our practices. I feel like we know each other really well and I know what kind of sounds they are going for. Some songs call for a stripped down feel of friends playing folk music together in a living room, and others are more elaborate with influences from metal to electronic music to rock and more.” 

The railroad laden album cover looks as though it could be an illustration for the song, “End of The Line,” wherein a conversation between a hobo and railroad brakeman confront the possible obsolescence of their livelihoods. We can now hear that distant whistle as a token of hope. An electric steel guitar slides into the conversation and nods to early country music, played by the band’s train hopper and mandolinist. Several other songs also feature Sipe’s work on pedal steel guitar.

In an ever-changing terrain, digitally enhanced and quickly refreshed, only an album like this could be harvested. By contrast to tik tocs, reels, and tweets, this album was formed from the wilderness and carved from the heartwood. The band would say their music and sound come about organically, but under the tall oak trees of the Twin Cities, those wooden instruments may have been antennas drawn to the marrow, like a divination wand used to scratch an itch or soothe a wound, they tapped into this latest collection of songs.  

Anyone that knows this band is aware of their humor and levity, and that charm is never far from the surface. It is a central component of their expression and shared experience. The connectedness to community is at the core of Pert Near’s music and philosophy. Nobody on earth is having a singular experience, as these songs shine a light upon. We are all here together. As the title track declares, “… I want to take you with me when I go.” Let’s get ready. Now is our time. The waiting days are over. 

Pre-save Waiting Days on Spotify: https://show.co/kHU93US.

Pert Near Sandstone on Tour

08.17 | Sioux Falls, SD – Icon Lounge
08.18 | Custer, SD – Beacon 
08.19 | Livingston, MT – Pine Creek Lodge
09.16 | St. Paul, MN – Dual Citizen Brewing
09.21 | Appleton, WI – Poplar Hall
09.22 | Winona, MN – Boats and Bluegrass Festival
10.04 | Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads 
10.05 | Columbia, MO – Blue Rose Music Hall
10.07 | Pelham, TN – Cave Fest
10.19 | Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pu
10.20 | Portland, OR – Good Foot 
10.21 | Centralia, WA – Juice Box 
10.22 | Seattle, WA – High Dive 
11.03 | LaCrosse, WI – Midwest Music Fest 
11.08 | Lincoln, NE – Zoo Bar 
11.09 | Ft Collins, CO – 830 N
11.10 | Boulder, CO – Velvet Elk Lounge 
11.11 | Denver, CO – Ophelia’s 
11.30 | Ames, IA – Alluvial Brewing
12.01 | Mankato, MN – Mankato Brewery 
12.02 | Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue 

Stay up to date with Pert Near Sandstone news and tours at www.pertnearsandstone.com, www.facebook.com/pertnearsandstone, and www.instagram.com/pertnearsandstone.

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On The Rise In Americana & Folk Radio: Chicago Farmer’s ‘Flyover Country’ Featuring The Band of Heathens

Chicago Farmer’s Flyover Country Featuring The Band of Heathens
Is Making Waves on the Americana And Folk Radio Charts

Currently at #18 on the Americana Radio Albums Chart
#9 on the NACC Folk Radio Chart

“All In One Place” is at #33 on the AMA Radio Singles Chart

Available 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. With DJs across the country spinning many of the songs from the album, it is climbing up the Americana and Folk radio charts in an increasingly competitive landscape. In the past few  weeks the album shot up to #18 after debuting at #33 on the Americana Radio Albums Chart and is currently at #9 on the NACC Folk Radio Chart.

The current single, “All In One Place,” is a humorous look at the sad truth about making money in the music business is on the rise and currently at #33 on the Americana Singles Chart. American Songwriter Magazine says, “This tale of high hopes and low returns [is] an outlaw country number that resounds with heart and humor.”

Chicago Farmer is known for his clever and heartfelt songwriting and unique voice. 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.”

Kind Words about Chicago Farmer & Flyover Country

“a continuation of what the Delavan, Illinois, native does best — clever and heartfelt songwriting that looks at the fabric of the Midwest.”
—Chicago Sun Times, Mary Houlihan

“… with Flyover Country, his sixth solo effort to date, he opts to make a bigger noise, thanks to an album that finds this midwest native teaming with the formidable Texas ensemble, Band of Heathens. The music still retains its intimacy and introspection, but given the Heathens’ backing there’s also an added sense of grit and determination…  Consequently, the possibility of wider recognition becomes a more likely possibility with Flyover Country, a set of freewheeling songs clearly spawned from a populist perspective.”
—Goldmine, Lee Zimmerman

“His trademark appeal is his ability to sing about the regular person, the working person, in a relatable way… No doubt, Chicago Farmer has a serious outlook, but he wants listeners to have fun listening to these tales, spike with humor in places and this time around, bolstered by a terrific band.”
—Elmore Magazine, Jim Hynes

“Chicago Farmer has spent the last two decades writing and performing as a solo artist, but in The Band of Heathens… Diehkoff found natural collaborators.”
—American Songwriter, Matt Wallock

“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

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

Chicago Farmer Tour Dates

All Shows with The Full Band, The Fieldnotes, Unless Otherwise Noted:
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
3/27 Fri – Inside Out – Gilman, IL *solo show
4/2 Thu – Music Box Supper Club – Cleveland, OH
4/3 Fri – Sportsmens Tavern – Buffalo, NY
4/4 Sat – Moondogs Pittsburgh, PA
4/6 Mon – Woodsongs Radio Hour – Lexington, KY
4/10 Fri – Founders Brewing Co – Grand Rapids, MI
4/11 Sat – The Livery – Harbor, MI
4/16 Thu – Rose Music Hall – Columbia, MO
4/17 Fri – Kenny’s Westside Pub – Peoria, IL
4/18 Sat – The Venue – Aurora, IL
4/23 Thu – Crossroads Music Fest Seymour, IN
4/24-25 Fri-Sat – Rose Bowl Tavern – Urbana, IL
5/21 Thu – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI
5/22-5/24 Fri-Sun – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL
6/5 Fri – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO
6/6 Sat – Brew Skies Music Festival – Hannibal, MO
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

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’ 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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Sticks N’ Thorns on Tour a Handful of Dates Winter 2020 (Jon Stickley & Andy Thorn)

Sticks N’ Thorns on Tour Winter 2020
Featuring Jon Stickley of Jon Stickley Trio and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon

Sticks N’ Thorns is the new project from Leftover Salmon banjoist Andy Thorn and flatpicking guitarist Jon Stickley of the Jon Stickley Trio. Since their teenage years together in North Carolina, Andy and Jon have played together in numerous bands including the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band (with Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass, and Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters). At the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Festival summer Broke Mountain reunited amid rabid excitement (mostly their own). This was slightly more epic than the open mic nights the two had played together back in Durham. 

Today, both Jon and Andy are prominent members of the Jam Grass scene (and still best friends), despite divergent musical paths. Jon stayed in North Carolina and briefly played mandolin with Asheville favorites The Biscuit Burners. Shortly afterwards, he formed his own group, the Jon Stickley Trio, which has been praised by both NPR and the New York Times for the band’s boundary-defying bluegrass. 

Meanwhile, Andy enjoyed a stint in Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, then relocated to Colorado, where he joined the Emmitt-Nershi Band (with Bill Nershi of the String Cheese Incident, and Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon). Soon, Andy joined Leftover Salmon, ending the band’s multi-year hiatus. Leftover Salmon had just been waiting, it turned out, for their “missing banjo link.” Since then, the band has released multiple studio albums, using Andy’s original songs as the title tracks.

Sticks N’ Thorns is for everyone who wants to see what happens when two childhood friends reunite to bring everything they’ve learned from their music careers — and from life on the road —  to their new musical hijinks. Get ready for old-school classics, buddy shenanigans, and genre-defying bluegrass.

Sticks N’ Thorns Winter 2020 Tour Dates:
1/9 Thu – 185 King Street – Brevard, NC
1/10 Fri – The Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC
1/11 Sat – The Hunt House – Atlanta, GA
1/12 Sun – 3rd and Lindsley – Nashville, TN *
2/13 Thu – Steamboat Unplugged – Steamboat, CO ^
2/14 Fri – Animas City Theatre – Durango, CO #
2/15 Sat – The Liberty – Telluride, CO
2/16 Sun – The Surf Hotel – Buena Vista, CO
2/17 Mon – Shakedown Bar – Vail, CO
2/19 Wed – The Mesa Theater – Grand Junction, CO

* w/ Jon Stickley Trio
^ w/ Tyler Grant & Presented by Partners in Routt County & WinterWonderGrass
# w/ Robin Davis

For more information please visit www.facebook.com/JonStickleyTrio and www.facebook.com/andythornmusic. 

 

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Leftover Salmon Announce Winter 2020 Tour Dates

Leftover Salmon Announce Winter Tour Dates

Watch LoS Perform “All Night Ride” on Ditty TV

Tickets On Sale: Wednesday, December 4 @ 10am MT

Ticket links here →  www.leftoversalmon.com/tour

DENVER, CO — Few bands stick around for thirty years. Even fewer bands leave a legacy during that time that marks them as a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime type band. And no band has done all that and had as much fun as Leftover Salmon. NPR’s Mountain Stage says, “One of the most fun-loving bands you’ll encounter, Leftover Salmon has built a fervent audience with an insatiable thirst for living, and re-living, its energetic live performances,” while Offbeat calls them, “One of the most spirited, jovial bands of the jam band nation.”

Since their earliest days as a forward thinking, progressive bluegrass band who had the guts to add drums to the mix and who was unafraid to stir in any number of highly combustible styles into their ever evolving sound, to their role as a pioneer of the modern jamband scene, to their current status as elder-statesmen of the scene who cast a huge influential shadow over every festival they play, Leftover Salmon has been a crucial link in keeping alive the traditional music of the past while at the same time pushing that sound forward with their own weirdly, unique style. Billboard writes, “By blending so many elements of two-step, rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass and more, they’re able to repeatedly maintain a fresh sound, no matter how many years pass.”

Leftover Salmon formed in 1989 when members of two Colorado-based bands that occasionally jammed with one another, Vince Herman’s Salmon Heads joined forces with Drew Emmitt’s Left Hand String Band to play a New Year’s Eve show at the Eldo, a live music venue in Crested Butte. Salmon is a band who, over their thirty-year career, has never stood still; they are constantly changing, evolving, and inspiring. If someone wanted to understand what Americana music is they could do no better than to go to a Leftover Salmon show, where they effortlessly glide from a bluegrass number born on the front porch, to the down-and-dirty Cajun swamps with a stop on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, to the hallowed halls of the Ryman in Nashville, before firing one up in the mountains of Colorado.

The band now features a line-up that has been together longer than any other in Salmon history and is one of the strongest the legendary band has ever assembled. Built around the core of founding members Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman, the band is now powered by banjo-wiz Andy Thorn, and driven by the steady rhythm section of bassist Greg Garrison, drummer Alwyn Robinson, and keyboardist Erik Deutsch.

Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman says, “A long strange swim it’s been for Salmon. Through many incarnations, losses, joys, festivals, bars, barns, mountains, rivers, oceans, benefits, weddings, and goat yoga sessions; we have kept the big ball rolling with a love of music and each other to keep ourselves plowing ahead the only way we know how. Thank you all for letting us have this much fun for so long.”

Leftover Salmon Winter 2020 Tour Dates
1/15 Wed – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX*
1/16 Thu – Empire Control Room & Garage – Austin, TX*
1/17 Fri – Gas Monkey Live! – Dallas, TX*
1/18 Sat – Gruene Hall – New Braunfels, TX*
3/6 Fri – Crystal Bay Casino – Crystal Bay, NV
3/7 Sat – Warfield Theatre – San Francisco, CA^
3/12 Thu – Community Concert Hall Durango, CO
3/13 Fri – The Commonwealth Room – Salt Lake City, UT
3/14-15 Sat-Sun – Knotty Pine – Victor, ID
3/20-22 Fri-Sun – Boogie At The Broadmoor – Colorado Springs, CO

* w/ Jason Boland & The Stragglers
^ w/ ALO

For more information, tour dates, and other LoS news, please visit www.LeftoverSalmon.com.

 

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