Category: Music News

Lydia Luce lets love guide through uncertainty on new song Yellow Dawn

The single Yellow Dawn is from the upcoming new album Garden Songs, out June 24, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Underneath the lush arrangements and spellbinding vocal melodies of Lydia Luce’s latest output lies a story of human persistence—the idea that we will carry on, letting hope and love guide us, in the face of an uncertain future. On June 24, Luce is set to release Garden Songs, a five-song EP sown from her time spent reconnecting with songwriting during an artist in residence on Orcas Island, just off the coast of Washington state; the first writing Luce had done since her 2021 album, Dark River. Luce shared “Yellow Dawn” from Garden Songs, a letter to herself that serves as a reminder to keep writing, creating, and believing. Most importantly, to keep going. (Lydia Luce, 2022)

“As an artist my job is to create, and it remains that even when I have no idea what I’ll do with the projects I make,” says Luce, giving listeners a rare glimpse into an all-too-common thought that passes through creative minds. “‘Yellow Dawn’ is the unknown that I must keep plunging into even when I’m unsure and afraid.” Luce’s beautiful metaphor is framed by an endearing refrain of “I will carry on, we will carry on, love will carry on.” “Yellow Dawn” is punctuated by a string quartet that includes Luce on viola, contributing a retro, unison arrangement vibe that furthers the song’s timelessness and complements Luce’s vocal delivery immaculately. Fans can hear “Yellow Dawn” now at this link and pre-order/pre-save Garden Songs ahead of its release right here.

Writing in such a picturesque setting helped her focus her attention on the world around her—quite literally in the case of the EP’s first song, “Matter of Time.” The summer before Luce landed on Orcas Island, the northwest suffered two brutal heat waves, and the extreme weather killed dozens. It got Luce thinking about the cognitive dissonance of wanting to be present in this remarkable place while grappling with how the same area was deadly to so many during a bout of extreme weather.

Luce turned to her impending wedding for “Vow,” which is the tale of the next step in a relationship that had been turbulent. The song lands on a moment of looking forward. Another love is at the heart of “Air Castle”—that of Luce’s great grandparents. Her father shared a book of their love letters, written between 1909 and 1920, while he was in California and she was in Georgia. The song captures how important it can be to feel like someone is in your corner, seeing the best of you and rooting for your triumph.

“Cosmic Flower” offers a series of similes, drawing a parallel between nature and love. It folds Luce’s passion and inspiration for the vastness of nature with those same feelings in her relationship. Written in a period of separation, Luce penned it on the side of a cliff—more literal than metaphorical. The EP ends with the aforementioned “Yellow Dawn,” summing up the feeling that propelled the writing and creation of Garden Songs. Persistence, in love and living, is a choice Luce continues to make, and the fruits of her carrying-on are on full display through this gorgeous musical window into her life.

In addition to her solo work, Luce created Lockeland Strings, a community arts organization that showcases local artists with a string quintet and performances of new contemporary classical pieces from local composers. They have been joined by Kacey Musgraves and Lucie Silvas, among others, and partners with nonprofits, including the ACLU of Tennessee, Girls Write Nashville and The Little Pantry That Could. She also plays viola as a session musician.

Garden Songs track list:
Matter of Time
Vow
Air Castle
Cosmic Flower
Yellow Dawn

Catch Lydia Luce on tour:
May 21 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room: Lockeland Strings with Katy Kirby and most likely Devon Gilfillian and Liza Anne
June 9 Nashville, TN – Jaans House: Lockeland Strings Nicki Bluhm, Volunteer Department and more
June 26 – Fox Island, ME – Crab Tree
June 26 – North Haven Island, ME – CrabTree Session
June 30 – Plymouth, MA – The Spire
July 1 – Cape Cod, MA – Cultural Arts Center
July 2 – Portsmouth, NH – Music Hall
July 6 – Bristol, CT – Acousticool

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John Inghram balances vintage style with modern meaning on debut album

His debut album, John Inghram will be out May 13, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Within the first few seconds of its first song, John Inghram’s debut self-titled album gives off an unmistakable vintage vibe—swirling guitar arpeggios giving way to thumping drums and deep, perfectly-timed bass—but once he starts singing, the bigger picture quickly comes into focus. This is not just folk-rock nostalgia, but a well-crafted take on connecting modern experiences with old-school sounds, allowing listeners to feel in a more circular than linear fashion. Fans can check out “Palisades” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save John Inghram ahead of its May 13 release right here.  (John Inghram, 2022)

Glide Magazine premiered John Inghram album-opener “Palisades,” writing, “Backed by soulful organ and jagged guitar, Inghram brings together Americana, folk-rock, and a kind of laid back 70s rock sound to make for a song that feels reflective yet forward-thinking.” Like most people hearing Inghram’s brand of Appalachia-drenched songcraft, Glide went on to note just how well he delivers great lyrics via feel-good instrumentation. “With its lyrics that speak to living in the moment and embracing the present, Inghram proves once again to have a penchant for crafting smart tunes that resonate in a universal way and then complementing them with big guitar solos and an inviting, full-band sound.”

“My whole career has been about serving other people, and other people’s music,” Inghram explains, “And that is beautiful. But there was some piece that I felt was missing as a creative. I needed to serve my own original music with the creation of this album.” For Inghram, the past is a complicated topic. “Like a lot of my fellow musicians, I spent much of my 20s strung out, partying, and generally just made a lot of poor life choices,” he says. “A big part of making this album has been deciding that it’s not too late. All I’ve got is the now and I’m going for it.” With a breadth of musical knowledge and experience, Inghram finds his own unique musical mantra on this debut record. While it is always tempting to dwell on the past, or dream about the future, he challenges listeners to move into an existential, yet completely joyful mindset with him. “Now that I have a beautiful family, and life is better than I ever thought it could be,” he says, “I just want to make use of this moment and make sure I give everything I have to offer.”

Recorded at two different studios between 2020 and 2021, Bud Carroll and Justin Francis engineered John Inghram while Francis mixed and mastered it. It features Carroll and Adam Meisterhans on guitars, Randy Gilkey and Micah Hulscher on keys, and Sam Wiseman on drums. 

For nearly two decades, bassist, composer, and producer John Inghram has been making a name for himself as one of the most sought-after musicians in the Appalachian region, Mid-Atlantic, and beyond. John tours and performs regularly with Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (2011 Winner of “America’s Got Talent”), jazz pianist Bob Thompson (Mountain Stage), bluegrass mandolinist Johnny Staats, and jam-band Fletcher’s Grove. In addition to these, John performs regularly on NPR’s Mountain Stage Radio Show and serves as the show’s assistant producer. He has also toured with and/or backed up musical luminaries such as Chuck Prophet, Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Joshua Hedley, Catherine Russell (Steely Dan, Bowie), Roosevelt Collier, Larry Coryell, Branford Marsalis, Janis Ian, Kathy Mattea, Kris Myers (Umphrey’s Mcgee), Patrick Sweany, Christian Lopez, and many more.

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Railroad Earth turns the page on new album All For The Song

The ten song, Anders Osborne-produced LP is available now. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Easing into their third decade as a band, jam-scene pioneers Railroad Earth have been hard at work keeping their bluegrass soul and rock and roll spirit alive and well. On April 22, the next chapter of RRE unfolded with the release of their new album All For The Song; a ten-song collection filled with tales of biblical road-trip rainstorms, Louisiana getaways, and losing their brother too soon. Since the completion of All For The Song, Railroad Earth has trickled out singles like “The Great Divide,” “It’s So Good,” and “Runnin’ Wild,” to the delight of fans and critics alike, slowly giving tastes of what the band refers to as their “destination” album produced in New Orleans by the Big Easy’s favorite guitar-slinging Swede, Anders Osborne. (Railroad Earth, 2022)

In 2018, Railroad Earth—Todd Sheaffer [lead vocals, acoustic guitar], Tim Carbone [violins, electric guitar, vocals], John Skehan [mandolin, bouzouki, piano, vocals], Carey Harmon [drums, percussion, vocals], and Andrew Altman [upright & electric bass]—bid farewell to founding member and lifelong friend Andy Goessling who passed away from cancer. His shadow loomed over the process as the guys retreated to New Orleans for the first time to record.

Another first, they recorded with Anders Osborne behind the board as producer. It might have been the gumbo, but the guys seamlessly absorbed the homegrown flavors of the Big Easy by osmosis, incorporating horns, blues harmonica, and the producer’s own perspective and guitar playing. “His enthusiasm is contagious,” exclaims Carey. “There are five producers in this band, so a strong-willed voice from the outside is usually pretty essential. Anders was the voice.” Todd agrees, “He brought a pure and striving soul, unforgettable laugh, rich palette of emotion, a great stash of guitars and amps, philosophical driftings, freedom, unguarded honesty, warmth, and love.”

All For The Song track list:
The Great Divide
Blues Highway
It’s So Good
Showers of Rain
Come And Go Moon
Runnin’ Wild
My Favorite Spot
Slippin’ Away
Driftin’ – The Bardo – Driftin’
All For The Song

Catch Railroad Earth on tour:
May 20 – Kansas City, MO – Bluegrass in the Bottoms
May 26 – Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall
May 27-28 – Cumberland, MD – DelFest
May 29 – Thornville, OH – Dark Star Jubilee
June 23 – Eau Claire, WI – Blue Ox Music Festival
June 30-July 3 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
July 8 – Jay, VT – Jeezum Crow Festival
July 21-24 – North Plains, OR – Northwest String Summit
July 29 – Johnstown, PA – Flood City Music Festival
July 31 – Floyd, VA – FloydFest

Michael Shaw’s debut album He Rode On

Michael Shaw’s debut album He Rode On will be out June 3, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Surrounded by the majestic beauty and rugged wilderness of the Northern Rockies, songwriter Michael Shaw worked as a horseman and wilderness ranger in Western Montana for more than a decade, patrolling the wildest reaches of Glacier National Park with his two horses, Pancho and Snuffy. Without knowing it at the time, that unpredictable natural landscape, and the isolation that goes along with it, shaped his upcoming debut album, He Rode On, bringing an unbridled authenticity to his music and truth in every lyrical reference—from living off the land to cheating death. Wide Open Country premiered the first taste of He Rode On with the hard-driving, honky-tonk lust story of “Cowboy Boots And A Little Country Dress.” (Michael Shaw, 2022)

“Cowboy Boots And A Little Country Dress” came about after Shaw and his cronies ventured to Elko, Nevada, for the “National Cowboy Poet Gathering”—a weekend which included an encounter with Canadian country artist Corb Lund’s guitar player and now-He Rode On producer Grant Siemens, Shaw learning the fine art of yodeling, having the legendary Ramblin’ Jack Elliot sign his guitar, and meeting the song’s muse while swing dancing at a country music concert. “It’s exactly what happened on our second night in Elko,” says Shaw. “In fact, nearly every idea from ‘Cowboy Boots’ is pulled directly from my experience that weekend.” Fans can relive the wild memories via the raucous Jerry Lee Lewis-meets-Dwight Yoakam vibe of “Cowboy Boots And A Little Country Dress” right now at this link. He Rode On is now available to pre-save or pre-order ahead of its June 3 release right here.  

He Rode On leads with “Bad Honky Tonker,” a sly anthem described by Shaw as “the bastard love child of Keith Richards and Dwight Yoakam.” “Outlaw’s Refuge” follows, written when Shaw was living along tribal wilderness on the Flathead Indian Reservation, making homemade wine, hunting, and fishing, and harvesting the fat of the land. Carrying on that independent streak, the song “Billy” is inspired by his long-time friendship with a wilderness muleskinner who leads his life in an inimitable fashion. Through his time living in rural places all across Western Montana, including an off-the-grid cabin without running water or electricity, to his stint as a National Parks Service Backcountry Ranger, to seven winters as the lone caretaker of an isolated horse ranch on the Blackfoot River—and all of the rambunctious extracurriculars in between—Shaw’s captivating songwriting can be directly traced to his own experiences in the West. Yet his stories are universal, whether he is delivering a rowdy barroom anthem or a meditative song about the loss of a loved one. With a swagger in his vocal and a sharp eye for detail, Shaw brings authenticity to He Rode On, as everything he references on the album is rooted in truth.

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New album release: Barton Stanley David’s Crest

Barton Stanley David’s new album Crest will be out April 22 via Kenshire Records. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

After nearly a decade of recording and performing in New York City, fifth-generation Texan Barton Stanley David decided it was time to return home. However, a fresh romance developed around the same time that left him torn between his grand return to the Lone Star State and Marketa, a Czech immigrant living in the Bronx who stole his heart. Eventually, love won out, with the pair now married and living in Dallas, but the road back to Texas inspired the first track on BSD’s upcoming album Crest, set for release on April 22, 2022. “Cicada” instantly conveys a sense of longing in a lush expanse of acoustic guitar, anthemic drums, and expressive vocals, landing somewhere between Americana and 90s alternative. “The city’s made of promises,” he sings on the album’s visceral opener. “But I’m too old to wait.” Central Track premiered “Cicada,” writing, “With a spacious and clean sound, Barton and his studio players sound confident and bright here. It’s great folky pop that gets right to the point.” Fans can hear “Cicada” and watch the video here. (Barton Stanley David, 2022)

Upon his return to Texas, with live music lost to the pandemic, Barton Stanley David formed Kenshire Records with executive producer Shane Stein and began recording remotely with Grammy-winning engineer Dave Schiffman (Tom Petty, Adele, The Killers) mixing from Los Angeles. Studio sessions finally began in January of 2021 with Jeff Saenz at Modern Electric in Dallas. However, tragedy struck six months into recording when Saenz lost both arms following a freak accident with a downed power line in his front yard. Remarkably, Jeff Saenz has since returned to producing at Modern Electric, which he owns, and his story has been featured in Rolling Stone and The Dallas Morning News.

With Saenz still hospitalized and the Dallas community rallying around the widely beloved producer, Barton eventually turned to Scarlett Deering, a young engineer and violinist (The Eagles) managing the late Charley Pride’s studio to complete the album. Other notable contributors to Crest include legendary mastering engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley) and additional mixers Matt Pence (Jason Isbell, Elle King) and Roman Klun (Sarah MacLachlan). Drummer Matt Young (White Denim) turns in a break-out performance, along with bassist Chris Anderson (Martin Sexton), pianist Ben Fisher, and David playing many of the instruments himself.

Thematically, Crest is a heavy but hopeful ride: the soaring alt-rock conviction of “All Ways,” chamber pop showstopper “Evelyn,” reincarnation themed closer “And The Crowd Goes Wild Again,” even ‘90s-tinged break-up ballad “If I Didn’t Tell You First” rings with a certain triumph. Still, at the album’s heart, there is a bracing. “Collectively, I think there is a feeling that we are at the crest of a societal and spiritual wave that is about to break,” the Texas songwriter says. “We paddled out on a sea of circumstance that brought us here,” he sings on the title track, “And a storm is coming clear.”

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Sound Cream Airstream returns to Pearl for special Bidi Bidi Party celebration

Thursday’s Bidi Bidi Party will be in honor of Selena’s birthday. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.

Pearl and Park Bar at the Food Hall at Bottling Department are excited to welcome Sound Cream Airstream back to the park to celebrate Selena’s birthday on Thursday, April 21 from 6p.m to 9p.m. Sound Cream Airstream is an “all-in-one mobile discotheque” that puts on a dance party and DJ showcase. DJ Manola Black will be spinning Selena hits, Tejano favorites, cumbia, and more in honor of the Queen of Tejano. The event is free and open to the public.

Enjoy treats from San Antonio’s first food hall, The Bottling Department, which includes the restaurants Tenko Ramen, Mi Roti, Chilaquil and Kineapple. The Food Hall offers both indoor and outdoor seating, with tableside delivery and option to use QR codes for customers seated at select outdoor tables.

Pearl Park
312 Pearl Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78215

Pearl is a dynamic neighborhood built around the historic Pearl Brewery, which operated from 1883 to 1999. Located just north of downtown San Antonio on the banks of the San Antonio River, it is home to architecturally significant buildings like the brewhouse and stable—both built in 1894—and numerous plazas. Today, Pearl is home to dozens of unique culinary concepts, one-of-a-kind retail, weekend markets, residential communities, innovative office tenants, the San Antonio campus of the Culinary Institute of America, and the award-winning Hotel Emma. Pearl is a vibrant district where community gathers to play, work, and live; it is a place where things are made and celebrated with purpose and sincerity. We invite all to gather and experience the best of what San Antonio has to offer. 

Izaak Opatz’s new single Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies

Izaak Opatz has a real It’s a Wonderful Life moment on new single ‘Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies’ from upcoming album Extra Medium, due out April 29. 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Songwriter Izaak Opatz has a thing for words. More specifically, fitting them together in couplets and verses of wry humor, thoughtful simile, and close observation—a therapeutic process of narrating his own life that, almost as a byproduct, turns out savory nuggets of literate, confessional pop, processing life’s tough stuff into downright enjoyable musical moments. Extra Medium, Opatz’s upcoming release—out April 29 via Mama Bird Recording Co.—splits time between his native Montana, up the East Coast, and in faraway Los Angeles. (Izaak Opatz, 2022)

Montana and LA become the main characters of more than a few tunes on Extra Medium, including the freshly debuted “Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies,” which was written after Opatz was suddenly dumped in Montana by a lady friend who, a couple months later in LA, refused to acknowledge their previous relationship. “She’d visited me in LA when we were dating, and the contrast in feeling between the two visits almost gave me the sense that I had gone crazy, and maybe our relationship never existed, similar to George Bailey’s experience of having never been born in It’s a Wonderful Life,” remembers Opatz. “We went for a walk in Glendale’s Forest Lawn cemetery, where a number of celebrities are buried, and only after finishing the song did I find out that James Stewart, who played George Bailey, was actually buried there!” Opatz released the tremendous, perfectly-disjointed music video for “Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies,” directed by Aaron Curry. Fans can hear “Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Extra Medium ahead of its April 29 release right here. 

Extra Medium features Opatz’s bandmates and collaborators, Malachi DeLorenzo and Dylan Rodrigue, who he met in Los Angeles while working alongside Jonny Fritz at the infamous Dad Country Leather. DeLorenzo, Rodrigue, and Opatz worked together on taking the album’s songs from demo form to the quirkily-arranged, ever-evolving final track list of Extra Medium. Utilizing varying instrumentation, creative engineering, and blends of non-traditional hooks with classic song forms, the trio creates a living, breathing work, at once familiar—borderline nostalgic—and wholly unique. Fans of country and Americana will be just as likely to enjoy Extra Medium as those who lean more indie rock or experimental, perpetuating Opatz’s hard-to-describe but easy-to-listen-to style, one that Opatz and his band have dubbed dirtwave. From the feel changes and horn stabs in the previously-released single “Chinook Wind,” to the tension of the unison melody line that opens “Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies,” Opatz provides never ending excitement for adventurous listeners, windows-down fun timers, and jaded industry vets alike. If Izaak Opatz’s life outside of music was noy interesting and free-wheeling enough, a step inside of his sonic world is sure to enrapture fans and fans-to-be upon first listen.

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Heart of Texas Concert Band presents the music of Robert Russell Bennett

The Heart of Texas Concert Band will be performing music composed or arranged by Robert Russell Bennett this Sunday April 10, 2022. Photo: Heart of Texas Concert Band, used with permission.

Robert Russell Bennett will always be close to the top of the most influential American musicians. His association with the greatest figures of the 20th century including Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky, and Sergei Rachmaninoff is well documented. The Heart of Texas Concert Band has scheduled a performance consisting entirely of music either composed or arranged by Robert Russell Bennett, including “Suite of Old American Dances,” “Four Preludes,” “Rose Variations,” and “The Sound of Music.” This concert will be held this Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 3p.m. at Johnson High School. (Heart of Texas Concert Band, 2022)

Admission is free, no tickets are needed. Venue is wheelchair accessible.

Johnson High School 
23203 Bulverde Rd 
San Antonio, TX 78259

Other concerts coming up:
May 8- Mother’s Day Concert
In the British Isles

July 4 – “The Sounds of Freedom”
With the San Antonio Chorale Society and the River City Ringers

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see our newest posts there. To make your secure online PayPal donation, visit Heart of Texas Concert Band.

For a mail-in contribution:
HTxCB
4128 Warm Winds
San Antonio, TX 78253

Mission:

  • To provide challenging performance opportunities for adult musicians of all ages.
  • To provide opportunities for qualified young musicians to enrich their musical education by playing in an adult ensemble.
  • To stress the importance of music as an integral part of the community culture and to actively pursue better integration and heightened awareness of the arts.
  • To interact in a cooperative spirit with all cultural organizations in the community.
  • To cooperate with the local schools and community organizations in planning all activities.

Sponsored Post

Upcoming new album: Ebunctions’ This Just In

Self-described ‘yacht soul supergroup’ brings together top tier touring and studio musicians for a modern take on beloved vintage sounds. Photo: Ebunctions, used with permission.

A combination of all things funky—and a stacked list of Los Angeles’ finest, hardest working musicians—is exactly what vocalist/saxophonist Woody Mankowski envisioned when he started piecing together quarantine tunes with keyboardist/songwriter Jeff Babko for Ebunctions’ debut album This Just In. With touring sidelined in 2020, every piece of their puzzle fell miraculously into place. (Ebunctions, 2022)

Ebunctions—the band’s name stemmed from a dream in which Mankowski was a contestant on American Idol introduced by Ryan Seacrest as “Ebunctions Hef”—gathered in the studio with giddy enthusiasm running high and nailed down the ten tunes that make up This Just In. The first of which to see the light of day is the roller-rink ready, get yourself unstuck anthem, “Running In Place.” “I wrote ‘Running In Place’ on bass as a nod to Freddy Washington’s bass line on Patrice Rushen ‘Forget Me Nots’ and Cameo’s ‘Alligator Woman,’” says Babko. With bassist Ethan Farmer bringing slap bass into this millennium and horn work from Mankowski, Babko, and the additional “Hef Horns,” “Running In Place” provides a throwback straight from the late 70s to the early 80s for modern fans to nerd out to. Check out the hilariously fitting video for “Running In Place” at this link and pre-order or pre-save This Just In ahead of its April 22 release right here.

This Just In is a fun-loving testament to the power of sharing music with friends. When Mankowski found himself “looking for his lost mojo” after being burnt out on the music business, he finally moved back to California full of devotion and dedication to a life in music, eager to make something happen. An open heart and a head full of ideas led to his connecting with Babko, which led to the creation of Ebunctions, which leads to a sense of joyfulness for anyone who puts their ears to the music. As Mankowski says it best, “I would like this music even if I wasn’t a part of it. It reminds me of happy times.”

This Just In track list:
Nothing But Your Love
Feast or Famine
Running In Place
This Ain’t Over
The Real Thing
One Year
I Wouldn’t Change A Thing
Cold Hard Truth
Somebody Like You
She Don’t Love Me

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Dallas Ugly’s debut album Watch Me Learn

Dallas Ugly explores the vast reaches of three cords and the truth on their debut album Watch Me Learn, due out April 8, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The music of Dallas Ugly shines with lustrous nostalgia on their debut album, Watch Me Learn. Built on a foundation of mellow interchanges of electric guitar and pedal steel, the rhythm and flow evoke an old-school country version of lo-fi hip hop radio. Combined with soaring fiddle and heartfelt vocals, it becomes something wholly new – a sound as unique as it is dreamy. Themes of change, loss, and growth, felt alongside the band members’ decade-long friendship, lend themselves naturally to the rolling country music vibes of their melodies and instrumentation. Together, Owen Burton, Eli Broxham, and Libby Weitnauer present a dreamy, last-call rendition of three chords and the truth. If you close your eyes, you can practically feel yourself slow dancing under the lazy orbit of a disco ball at midnight. (Dallas Ugly, 2022)

Dallas Ugly’s unique, quietly intense sound is all at once nostalgic and new, carrying an Americana torch into their own technicolor future. This group of college friends turned dedicated bandmates shared a track from their upcoming full-length debut, Watch Me Learn, out April 8, 2022. You can pre-order the album here.

The song, “Liberated No Ones,” lumbers along, ghostly, with touches of Gillian Welch-esque verses and bursts of spazzy Radiohead-sounding drum beats and violin-turned-arpeggiator fills. Watch the historically inspired video here which features footage of coal miners sourced from documentaries Steel: A Symphony of Industry, “Original Pocahontas” Coal and A Chance To Play.

The whole of Watch Me Learn—produced by Alec Spiegelman (Cuddle Magic, Ana Egge, Taylor Ashton)—explores the missed adventures and misadventures of life in one’s early twenties—mistakes being made, lessons being learned, bonds being formed and broken as one grows into the person they are meant to be. The band explores these themes with fondness and love, a gentle empathy for the inner child they have left behind. More than anything else, they explore them together. “I hope that what people take away from the album is an emotional response—take away the feeling of having just caught up with some old friends in a very intimate experience,” says Weitnauer. After all, that is what the album was to them: a way to reconnect with old friends after time apart—sharing the stories of the hardships and triumphs that led them back to each other. It is an album that in part looks back on the journeys and evolutions we make as individuals, but also looks towards the communities and people who shape our lives in equal measure.

Watch Me Learn track list:
Remember When You’re Leaving
Watch Me Learn
Anyone New
Saint-Louis
Part of a Time
Gold
Money
Liberated No Ones
Fool’s Life
Big Hands
Ought To Miss You By Now
Sleight of Hand

Courtesy photo, used with permission.
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