Category: Music News

Dallas Burrow finds a new kind of adventure on self-titled LP

Dallas Burrow’s new LP will be out July 23, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

A Texas-born Americana artist rooted in the tradition of his home state’s songwriting heroes, Dallas Burrow built a career on both sides of the Atlantic with his 2019 debut, Southern Wind. Recorded in Nashville, the album reached Number 25 on the UK Americana Chart and Number 4 on the US Alt-Country chart, paving the way for a string of cross-country shows alongside fellow road warriors like Charley Crockett. Dallas Burrow has built his own unique brand of American roots music. It is a sound rooted in folk, shaped by classic country, and heavily influenced by the Texan craftsmen who came before him. On July 23, he will be introducing a new side of himself on record, that of a newly sober man embracing the stability of fatherhood and family life. (IV-PR, 2021)

The full-length, self-titled album, Dallas Burrow, is a collection of songs about maturing and finding one’s path, recorded to two-inch analog tape by producer Bruce Robison and shot through with the rich storytelling, organic Texas twang, and authentic Americana that have all become Burrow’s sonic signature. Last week, Holler premiered the first single from Dallas Burrow, the groovy, slow-burn blues of “Born Down In Texas.” Holler praised the album’s old-school, straight-to-tape recording process, saying, “That live feel crackles throughout Dallas Burrow, which, when thread through Burrow’s singular voice, captures the humidity and haunts of the Texas countryside that formed him.” Fans can hear “Born Down In Texas” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Dallas Burrow ahead of its July release right here.

The result is a 14-song collection of western Americana, sung by Burrow in a voice that bears both the road-worn weariness of a lifelong highwayman and the fierce fire of a man reborn. This is an album about craft and conviction, from the moody western folk of the opening song, “Country Girl,” to the woozily gorgeous closer, “Outlaw Highway.” The latter track features lyrics written long ago by Burrow’s father, whose own songwriting helped lay the brickwork for his son’s career. Album highlights “Easter Sunday,” “American Dream,” and the anthemic “Independence Day” double down on that family theme, with Burrow nodding to his new role as a father and husband. Dallas Burrow is a celebration of fresh starts and new beginnings. Burrow is not cheating death anymore; instead, he is rediscovering a new way to live, with this self-titled album serving as the soundtrack.

Dallas Burrow Track list:
Country Girl
American Dream
Born Down In Texas
Easter Sunday
Holy Grail
Independence Day
Look At Us Now
My Old Friend The Shadow
Father’s Son
The Other Side
Street Hustler’s Blues
River Road
Keep On Tryin’
Outlaw Highway

When Burrow is not making records or on the road, he is the owner and proprietor of the newly opened Redbird Listening Room in New Braunfels, Texas; an intimate listening room inspired by places like Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe and Kent Finlay’s Songwriter Circle at the Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, TX, where Burrow and countless others cut their teeth.

2021-07-23T13:24:00

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Bluegrass Pride to kick off Porch Pride with Lavender Country Live

First weekend of Pride Month festivities will feature Lavender Country. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Bluegrass Pride, a California-based non-profit with a mission to uplift LGBTQ+ folks in roots music, is proud to announce the first weekend of their month-long pride celebration and virtual festival, Porch Pride, which will feature Lavender Country Live! On Sunday, June 6 at 1p.m. PDT / 4p.m. EDT Bluegrass Pride members, followers, and fans are invited to join the organization in kicking off Pride Month with music, conversation, and fellowship with seminal Pacific Northwestern queer country group, Lavender Country, featuring Patrick Haggerty. The event will be hosted by Bluegrass Pride board member, acclaimed roots musician, and scholar Jake Blount. (IV-PR, 2021)

All Porch Pride events are FREE to attend, but Bluegrass Pride encourages those who are able to donate to support all of the artists on the Porch Pride lineup as well as supporting the ongoing work of Bluegrass Pride.

Lavender Country blazed onto the PNW country scene in 1973 with a beautifully transgressive and controversial self-titled, self-released album that made waves with its first single, prompting the industry to blackball Lavender Country and frontperson Patrick Haggerty for decades. Since then, Haggerty and the band have remained committed to their radical, activist, anti-fascist roots. In recent years, they have received ample acclaim for their trailblazing efforts in the ‘70s and beyond and they have collaborated with artists and icons such as Trixie Mattel and Orville Peck.

Bluegrass Pride is excited to open their Porch Pride festivities with Lavender Country, deliberately and overtly paying tribute to the radical, progressive, and anti-fascist roots of the modern queer rights movement, of LGBTQ+ Pride, and of American roots music.

Tune in on Sunday, June 6 at 1p.m. PDT / 4p.m. EDT for Lavender Country Live with Bluegrass Pride! via Bluegrass Pride’s website, YouTube Channel, or Facebook page.

Porch Pride is the headline fundraising event for Bluegrass Pride, raising more than $22,000 in its first year. All of the event’s virtual programs are free to view and attend – and will be available to view on their website and channels after air – members, fans, followers, and listeners are encouraged to donate to support the musicians performing on Porch Pride, as well as the ongoing work of BGP.

Porch Pride will take place all month long during June 2021. Over the course of Pride month, Porch Pride will feature performances by folks like Lavender Country, Rainbow Girls, Gangstagrass, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Jake Blount, Sunny War, and many more, plus a virtual Bluegrass Pride Brunch and open house, a beginner-friendly jam-along, and so much more. Schedule of events include:

June 6, 2021 – Lavender Country Live with Bluegrass Pride, hosted by Bluegrass Pride Board Member Jake Blount

June 12, 2021 – Bluegrass Pride Brunch & Information Session, an informal gathering and Q&A period hosted by Bluegrass Pride Board Members. Open to all members, fans, followers, and folks new to Bluegrass Pride.

June 13, 2021 – Beginner-Friendly Jam-Along with Luisa Lopez, “bring” your instruments and voice to play and sing along with protest songs and movement music. Lyrics and chord sheets provided

June 19, 2021 – Juneteenth: A Rainbow Revival, featuring Sunny War, Jake Blount, Yasmin Williams, Faith Nolan, Jackie & Resa, Stephanie Anne Johnson, and Lenworth O’neal. An evening of musical performances curated by Brandi Pace of non-profit Decolonizing the Music Room that will highlight the essential contributions of Black queer, trans, and non-binary folks to roots music and the Pride movement.

June 26 & 27, 2021 at 3p.m. PDT / 6p.m. EDT – Porch Pride: 5th Anniversary Celebration. The headline festival returns celebrating five years of Bluegrass Pride and featuring performances by:
Saturday, June 26:
Mya Byrne
Ben Garnett
Crys Matthews
BOOJUM
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Gangstagrass

Sunday, June 27:
Willi Carlisle
Maddie Witler
Amanda Fields
Hasee Ciaccio & Friends
Stephanie Anne Johnson
Rainbow Girls

Jamestown Revival releases first track from upcoming EP

Prospector Blues is the first track from Jamestown Revival’s upcoming Fireside With Louis L’Amour EP which will be out May 28, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

In 2020, Jamestown Revival released A Field Guide To Loneliness, an intimate collection of songs that finds Clay and Chance reflecting on recent times whereby human contact was limited more than ever. A Field Guide To Loneliness follows Jamestown Revival’s 2019 critically acclaimed release, San Isabel. Recorded in a remote cabin in the majestic and calming landscape of central Colorado, the band embraced a minimalist approach in the recording of San Isabel. Finding inspiration in ‘60s and early ‘70s folk and pop, the original songs on San Isabel show reverence for early John Denver and Bob Dylan, as well as Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. (IV-PR, 2021)

The frontier stories of American novelist Louis L’Amour have been an influence on Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance of Jamestown Revival since the band’s formation. At the age of 23, both Clay and Chance read L’Amour’s memoir, “The Education Of A Wandering Man,” and since then, fans have not had to dig very deep to find their hat tips to the late great legend. On May 28, Jamestown Revival’s newest project, an EP titled Fireside With Louis L’Amour, will forever immortalize the guys’ love for L’Amour’s storytelling in a six-song roundup of tunes directly inspired by his short stories. When it was all said and done, Jamestown Revival was successful in their effort to distill a half-dozen tales from “The Collected Short Stories of Louis L’Amour, Volume 1: Frontier Stories” from 30-page adventures down to three and a half minute songs; each directly inspired by individual stories from the collection—Jamestown Revival’s tune “Bound for El Paso” comes from L’Amour’s “The Gift of Cochise,” “Fool Me Once” was inspired by “The Man from Bitter Sands,” and so on. This past Friday, the band released “Prospector’s Blues,” their thumping, resonator-driven album-closer inspired by L’Amour’s tale of cautious-turned-reckless mining in “Trap of Gold.” Fans can listen to “Prospector’s Blues” here and pre-order or pre-save Fireside With Louis L’Amour ahead of its May 28 release with this link.

“They say that L’Amour was the master of the short story and we would humbly agree. In 30 pages he manages to draw you in, make you invest in the characters, and oftentimes hit you with a twist that you truly didn’t expect,” say Clay and Chance. “The songs on Fireside With Louis L’Amour are our attempt to put a musical spin on some of Louis’ short stories found on ‘The Collected Short Stories of Louis L’Amour, Volume 1: Frontier Stories.’ To have the family of L’Amour on board was just icing on the cake for Jamestown Revival. “On top of that, it’s been an absolute honor to have the blessing of Louis’ son, Beau, and the L’Amour estate. We hope these songs inspire you to pick up ‘The Collected Short Stories of Louis L’Amour’ and read the true inspiration behind the music,” they say, before adding “We also feel it’s worthwhile to mention these songs should be best enjoyed sitting next to a fire with a nip of whiskey in the glass.”

Fireside With Louis L’Amour Track Listing:
1. Bound for El Paso
2. Fool Me Once
3. The Ballad of Four Prisoners
4. The Killing Type
5. Beyond the Ridge
6. Prospector’s Blues

Asleep at the Wheel kicks off 50th anniversary with new EP

The Better Times is Asleep at the Wheel’s new EP. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Founded in 1970, Asleep at the Wheel has been part of the American roots music landscape for more than 50 years. Although the band got its start on a farm in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Asleep at the Wheel became a cornerstone of the Austin, Texas, scene upon its arrival in 1973. Inspired by Western swing and honky-tonk country, the band has received 10 GRAMMY® Awards, was cited by the Country Music Association as the 1976 Touring Band of the Year, and was given the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Americana Music Association. They have released 31 albums and charted more than 20 singles on the country charts. (IV-PR, 2021)

Fifty years ago—before Americana or outlaw or cosmic country ever had a name—Ray Benson and his band Asleep at the Wheel were carrying the torch of some of America’s favorite music into the future with fiery live shows, droves of followers, and a mainstream swing sound all their own. Fast forward five decades to find Benson and crew still bearing that torch, albeit with quite a few more fans and albums under their belt. To begin the celebration of its 50th anniversary, Asleep at the Wheel is releasing new music ahead of a quick trip through Texas and Missouri this June—a preview of sorts for what is to come from their momentous anniversary year. On May 28, the band will release a three-song EP dubbed The Better Times, produced by Benson for Bismeaux Records. Benson takes the lead vocal on the title track, a hopeful original written while riding out the pandemic. Asleep at the Wheel vocalist and fiddler Katie Shore sings “All I’m Asking,” a rousing request to get back together, written by Band of Heathens’ Ed Jurdi, and Gordi Quist. Meanwhile, Benson and Shore harmonize on “Columbus Stockade Blues,” a traditional tune arranged in the spirit of Willie Nelson and Shirley Collie’s 1960s version.

Once The Better Times is out in the world, Asleep at the Wheel will be hitting the road to celebrate—not just the EP, but the fact that they are able to tour again—with a run of shows that will take them from Texas’ legendary Gruene Hall on May 29, up through Texas to Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri, and back down to College Station to end the run on June 20.

Asleep at the Wheel fans are highly encouraged to stay tuned as the band gets further along into their 50th anniversary year—2021 has more exciting announcements in store.

Catch Asleep at the Wheel On Tour:
May 29 – Gruene Hall – Gruene, Texas
June 3 – Birdsong Amphitheater – Stephenville, Texas
June 5 – Starlight Ranch Event Center – Amarillo, Texas
June 6 – Cactus Theater – Lubbock, Texas
June 10 – Rose Music Hall – Columbia, Missouri
June 11 – The Sheldon – St. Louis, Missouri
June 19 – Buck’s Backyard – Buda, Texas
June 20 – Rudder Auditorium – College Station, Texas

2021-05-28T12:29:00

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Krause’s Café & Biergarten presents The Alex Meixner Band

The Alex Meixner Band will perform on May 27, 28 and 29. Photo: Krause’s Café & Biergarten, used with permission.

Due to popular demand, Krause’s Café & Biergarten is excited to add an additional night of music by nationally acclaimed musician and polka music favorite, The Alex Meixner Band, on Saturday, May 29 (the May 27 and 28 shows are almost sold out). Doors open at 5p.m. with The Lederhosen Junkies as the opening act and Alex Meixner will take thehttp://www.krausecafe.comstage at 7p.m. Locals are encouraged to come and enjoy the squeezebox sounds of The Alex Meixner Band while enjoying classic German favorites with a New Braunfels twist, such as Krause’s Bavarian Pretzel and Texas Schnitzel. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online or through Eventbrite. (Krause’s Café & Biergarten, 2021)

Alex Meixner is a nationally acclaimed musician, performer, and a leading advocate of polka music. Alex has cross-pollinated his versatile playing styles through pop music, funk, jazz, and polka. He is an active ambassador for polka music, revitalizing interest coast to coast, resulting in sold-out shows, renewed cultural interest, and growing mainstream acceptance.

Krause’s Café & Biergarten
186 S. Castell Ave.
New Braunfels, TX 7813

Krause’s Café & Biergarten, a New Braunfels historic restaurant, opened in 1938 and honors the previous traditions of the restaurant with the addition of a ‘biergarten,’ live music, and more. The menu reflects New Braunfels’ German heritage as well as South Texas flavors. Over 70 beers are available on tap with local, regional, and international options. The restaurant also features cocktails and wines on tap. Krause’s Café is located at 186 S Castell Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130, next to the popular New Braunfels Farmers Market.

Bluegrass Pride announces Porch Pride

The month-long queer-antine festival will run virtually throughout June. Photo: google

Bluegrass Pride, a Bay Area-based non-profit whose mission is to uplift LGBTQ+ musicians and creators in roots music, is proud to announce the second year of their immensely popular virtual festival and fundraising event, Porch Pride, which will take place all month long during June 2021. Over the course of Pride month, Porch Pride will feature performances by folks like Lavender Country, Rainbow Girls, Gangstagrass, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Jake Blount, Sunny War, and many more, plus a virtual Bluegrass Pride Brunch and open house, a beginner-friendly jam-along, and so much more. (Bluegrass Pride, 2021)

In 2020, after the pandemic forced Bluegrass Pride to cancel their in-person, Pride Parade programming, the organization made the pivot online, hosting a two day livestream festival featuring upwards of 12 hours of music that raised more than $23,000 for the LGBTQ+ and allied artists on the lineup.

This year, the Bluegrass Pride Board of Directors has expanded that two-day festival into a month-long event, kicking off on June 6th with Lavender Country Live with Bluegrass Pride hosted by critically acclaimed musician, scholar, and Bluegrass Pride board member Jake Blount. On the weekend of June 12, join BGP for their ever-popular, informal brunch gathering, open house, and information session – followed by a beginner-friendly jam-along featuring protest songs and movement music led by Nashville based queer singer-songwriter Luisa Lopez on June 13. 

The final two weekends of Porch Pride 2021 will feature two virtual festivals. On June 19, BGP will partner with Brandi Pace and Decolonizing the Music Room on Juneteenth: A Rainbow Revival, a three-hour series of performances highlighting the seminal, trailblazing contributions of Black queer folks and trans folks to the Pride movement – and to bluegrass, old-time, and roots music. Juneteenth: A Rainbow Revival is proud to be a recipient of the IBMA Foundation’s inaugural Arnold Schultz Fund grants. 

June 26 and 27 will see a return of Porch Pride proper, this time celebrating Bluegrass Pride’s fifth anniversary and once again featuring two days of live music, performances, songs, and fellowship with our members and fans, culminating in sets from Gangstagrass (June 26) and Rainbow Girls (June 27). See the full lineup below.

Porch Pride is the headline fundraising event for Bluegrass Pride, raising more than $23,000 in its first year. All the event’s virtual programs are free to view and attend – and will be available to view on our website and channels after air – but we encourage each one of our fans, followers, and listeners to donate to support the musicians on our lineups and the ongoing work of Bluegrass Pride. You can support Porch Pride here. You can become a member of Bluegrass Pride here.

Bluegrass Pride‘s mission is to recruit, encourage, and support LGBTQ+ bluegrassers of all levels, promoting their advancement and acceptance within all areas of the bluegrass music industry and musical community. We aim to uplift the genre of bluegrass to receive LGBTQ+ folks openly, and to promote allyship with all marginalized peoples within the industry and musical community. We do so by creating opportunities for community building and resources for musical skill development, such as concerts, jam sessions, showcases, festivals, parades, tutorials, recording, and more! Bluegrass Pride is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 83-3224672. All donations are deemed tax-deductible absent any limitations on deductibility applicable to a particular taxpayer.

Decolonizing the Music Room is a nonprofit organization using research, training, and discourse to help music educators develop critical practices and center BBIA (Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian) voices, knowledge, and experiences in the field of music education.

Pabst Blue Ribbon to host First Friday event at Southtown gallery

Pabst Blue Ribbon’s First Friday event will feature art, music by Steven Lee Moya, and more. Photo: Pabst Blue Ribbon, used with permission.

Pabst Blue Ribbon will host a First Friday event at its Southtown gallery in San Antonio this coming Friday, May 7 from 4p.m. to 10p.m. The free event will feature music by local DJ Steven Lee Moya, refreshments and more. DJ set by Moya will be from 7p.m. to 10p.m. Guests can hang out, enjoy the music and view art from Pabst Blue Ribbon’s annual can design competition, which highlights the work of emerging artists across America.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios
1112 S St. Mary’s St.
San Antonio, TX 78210

Since 1844, Pabst has been American-owned and operated, and is North America’s largest privately held brewing company. Pabst’s portfolio includes iconic brands with deep ties to American heritage, such as its flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon and others such as Lone Star, Rainier and Old Style. Their people and their brands are committed to embracing change and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.

Legión Alterna’s new single

The dynamic “norteño alternativo” ensemble from Chihuahua, Mexico presents their new single. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Legión Alterna, a norteño group originally from Chihuahua, México, continues their successful musical journey after their debut during the COVID pandemic. The quartet has introduced a new and singular music style, giving honor to their name – “Legión” means group and “Alterna” means alternative. Each of the group members has strong musical backgrounds, which have converted Legión Alterna into one of the most unique ensembles of today. (Vesper Public Relations, 2021)

Each member draws influences from different genres, including classic rock, funk, reggae, and progressive Regional Mexican. These diverse elements add to the group’s alternative approach to the Regional Mexican genre. Moreover, the members have also been part of other musical groups and have experience in recording studios. Legión Alterna performs a variety of styles, but unlike other artists in Regional Mexican music, they do not perform songs with lyrics that mention drug trafficking and organized crime.

Legión Alterna’s goal is to present songs with socially conscious lyrics that the public can identify with. Their upcoming single, “Te Va A Doler” (“You Will Feel Hurt”), is a ballad with pop-rock influences, and their full-length album will be launched this fall with 10 original songs bringing classic norteño and alternative rock influences together.

After observing the musical preferences of younger generations, Edwin Reyes (Bajo Quinto and Vocals), Richi Ibarvo (Accordion and Vocals), Gio Ramírez (Bass), and Martin Parra (Drums) decided to create a new norteño project featuring a diversity of other musical influences, resulting in the formation of Legión Alterna. Each member carries norteño music in their veins but also loves other genres, giving the group an alternative touch.

Their most recent single “Pasajes De La Vida” (Stages of Life), is a socially conscious corrido about a man who grew up impoverished but succeeded in life via hard work. Another one of their singles “Dos Caminos” (“Two Paths”) invites listeners to reflect upon the story of a young man and his bad decisions, which ultimately change his life. The lyrics also truly give justice to the song title, conveying how we all face the reality of having to choose between good and bad paths.

Legión Alterna is an original, alternative norteño group whose focus is to produce and perform socially relevant songs with impeccable execution.

Banjoist and songwriter Justin Hiltner releases Dolly covers

The openly gay banjo player and songwriter’s two-song single release features popular arrangements of two Dolly Parton classics. Photo: google

Justin Hiltner is a queer, disabled, IBMA Award-nominated banjo player, songwriter, and music writer most recently heard on the Peabody Award-winning podcast Dolly Parton’s America. His debut record, Watch It Burn, made with longtime co-writer Jon Weisberger, was released in 2018. Hiltner is Associate Editor for The Bluegrass Situation, where he co-founded and produces Shout & Shine, a showcase, column, and video series celebrating representation in bluegrass and beyond. He also currently serves as chair of the board for Bluegrass Pride, a non-profit with a mission of uplifting LGBTQ+ folks in roots music. Hiltner’s solo debut, 1992, will be self-released in the fall of 2021. (IV-PR, 2021)

He will release an A side/B side single on April 30, 2021, featuring two Dolly Parton covers, as heard on WNYC Studios’ Dolly Parton’s America in November of 2019. Country Queer premiered the second track on the Silver Dagger release, “Wildflowers,” which features folk, bluegrass, and children’s music legends Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer on harmony vocals. Stream “Wildflowers” on Country Queer here. Both tracks will be available to stream everywhere on Friday, April 30, 2021.

The two songs not only hearken back to the extremely popular sixth episode of Dolly Parton’s America, “The Only One for Me, Jolene,” which highlighted the queer narratives and homoerotic themes present in Parton’s body of work, they also preview Hiltner’s upcoming debut solo album, 1992, which was tracked during the same recording sessions at Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer’s mountaintop studio in Western North Carolina. 

As he pointed out on Dolly Parton’s America, Hiltner sees “Wildflowers” as oozing with queerness, a story about migration and relocation, living one’s truth, and trying to find a sense of belonging – all themes so easily related to queerness. “Silver Dagger,” the first and titular track of the single release, is less directly connected to Hiltner’s experiences as an openly queer person in the more traditional spaces of American roots music, and speaks more to his own coming out journey and the barriers he and his family experienced during that journey.

Hiltner signals that these songs are merely the beginning, his first forays as a true solo artist – and his first ever recordings backed by solo banjo, alone – with more singles and his debut full-length solo LP due in the Fall 2021. “Dolly Parton’s America was such a wonderful introduction to the world, in a way,” Hiltner continues. “I’m so excited to reconnect with fans of the podcast and with new fans, listeners, and queer family members, too, as we all go on this new journey together – the journey of Justin the solo artist!” 

“Working with Cathy & Marcy was a dream on so many levels. But getting to add their harmonies to this queer reimagining of ‘Wildflowers’ was especially poignant to me, as we strive for a more equitable present and future in bluegrass, country, and roots music, we have to be looking to the folks who went before us and blazed the trail!” – Justin Hiltner

Upcoming new album release: Room to Dream by Ryan Kinder

Two new singles from the album, ‘Hell Is’ and “Blame’ are available now. Room to Dream will be out July 30, 2021. Photo: google

Ryan Kinder launched his performing career as a teenager in the clubs around his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. His music has since carried him to Nashville and a tour with two of his musical heroes. Kinder uses his tour dates to bolster his charitable organization, Kinder’s Kids, that provides toys to children in the aftermath of national disasters. In his tour riders, Kinder asks each venue to supply a toy for the foundation. About his debut album, “It’s a riff-roaring rock with a sweet side of Southern soul” – that is how country music’s newest renaissance man Ryan Kinder describes the sound of Room To Dream. Two new singles ‘Hell Is’ and ‘Blame’ are available now. The album will be out Friday, July 30, 2021. (IV-PR, 2021)

Last week, Sounds Like Nashville premiered ‘Hell Is,’ a radio-ready heartbreaker inspired by an argument overheard in a YMCA locker room. “‘Hell Is’ brings to life the raw, agonizing emotions that follow a heartbreak,” the Sounds Like Nashville article reads. “With its genre-blurring arrangement, Kinder’s soul-crying delivery is augmented as he recounts his insufferable emotional state.” On the other hand—and further illustrating the ground Kinder covers on Room To Dream — Raised Rowdy shared a video for ‘Blame,’ a huge-sounding, guitar-laden rocker driven along with stomps, claps, and thick background vocals. Raised Rowdy praised the track, stating, “It’s loud, hits hard, and gets your attention from the start,” before claiming, “the track highlights just how powerful his vocals truly are while giving listeners a taste for his range at the same time.” Fans can hear both of these singles now at this link.

Today, Kinder is a proudly independent artist and he is ready to share Room To Dream. “I had a lot of time to figure out what I wanted to do after a certain time in my life, and all these songs came together with different aspects of who I was when I wrote them,” he concludes. “It was a beautiful realization that some of the bad things and not-so-fun situations led to the opportunity for me to have the room to dream, and to really be myself.”

Room To Dream Track list:
Something
Hell Is
Room To Dream
Tangled Up
Blame
Southbound
Want
Friends
Jane
Nothing But Time

‘Blame’ – one of the new singles from the new album