Jeremy Squires’ new album Hymnal will be out October 14, 2022 via Blackbird Record Label. Photo: Jeremy Squires
North Carolina songwriter Jeremy Squires’ new upcoming full length album Hymnal will be out October 14 via Blackbird Record Label. The music video for the single “Into The Fog” is out now. Hymnal is an album with a tender and life-affirming quality, where Squires’ warm singing voice, shimmery guitars, sparkling ukulele voicings, and Brand’s vocal harmonies and heartfelt violin melodies stand out just as much as the poignant lyrics. Squires handled almost all the aspects of the album’s making, including the recording of his vocals and string instrument parts, production, and mixing. (Jeremy Squires, 2022)
“These songs are true stories that I wanted to tell without any clutter. I didn’t add any overdubs of instruments. I recorded my parts here at my house live and then sent the album to Autumn Rose Brand, a fantastic violinist and singer who lives here in North Carolina, who played and sang her parts and sent them back to me.” – Jeremy Squires
What sounds like a simple process, though, is anything but. The events, trials, and tribulations that led up to Hymnal center around his dissolving marriage, and the music, reflecting the subject matter, is scaled back compared to his previous full-length efforts. The Alternative shared the music video for “Into the Fog” off of Hymnal, a tenderly strummed song about, in Jeremy’s words, “realizing that you can’t save someone—no matter how hard you try—if they won’t put forth the effort to truly help themselves. It’s about delusions, dreams, and eventually, reality shining through like rays of light at the end.” Brand’s violin highlights the song’s ending refrain: “Oh, I won’t see you in the morning.”
Hymnal track list: 1. Don’t You Cry 2. Lament 3. Moon Coin 4. Hymnal 5. Juniper 6. To the Moon and Back 7. Balancing 8. Into the Fog 9. Echo Roads 10. Nightingale
Catch Jeremy Squires on tour: September 15 – Nashville, TN – ACME Feed & Seed September 16 – Nashville, TN – Brown’s Diner
Hymnal, due out October 14, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Artist, author, and musician Tod Lippy has released a new EP titled Midterms. Photo: Tod Lippy Music, used with permission.
Tod Lippy, the polymath creative force behind the award-winning arts publication Esopus, has released his latest musical project, Midterms, a six track EP this month following the recent release of the single “Bob” which features on the project. (Tod Lippy, 2022)
Midterms is the third album from Lippy following the well-received LPs Here We Are (2019) and Yearbook (2021), both produced by the legendary Kramer (Low, Galaxy 500). The message behind the rest of Midterms EP is anything but vague: “This country is grappling with a dark period of hyper-polarization, distrust in institutions, and economic instability,” Lippy says. “Midterms is my attempt to come to terms with, and maybe even try to make some sense of, this reality.” The other songs on the album deal with issues ranging from toxic television personalities and celebrity culture to armchair activism and apathy in general.
Acclaimed artist Steve Keene, perhaps best-known for his iconic album art for bands like Pavement, The Apples in Stereo, and Silver Jews, has painted a series of 7 different covers on 50 chipboard sleeves containing the forthcoming lathe-cut 10” vinyl release of Midterms. The paintings include Keene’s interpretations of the EP’s original cover in addition to 6 images corresponding to each track on the release.
Lippy has always been at the forefront of creating art that helps find meaning in life. Starting in 2003, he produced ESOPUS, the esteemed arts publication declared “a thing of lavish, eccentric beauty” by The New York Times. For his “one-man magazine,” Lippy handled all design, editing, publishing, distribution, and selection of/interaction with contributors, ranging from writers like Karl Ove Knausgaard and Francine Prose to art world superstars like Jenny Holzer, Marilyn Minter, Anish Kapoor, and Kerry James Marshall, from filmmakers such as actor Lisa Kudrow and director David Lynch to musicians and composers like Kimya Dawson, Sharon Van Etten, and Carter Burwell.
Lippy has also made a name for himself as a book designer, most recently creating the cover for Louis Menand’s critically acclaimed The Free World (FSG); artist, earning a coveted MacDowell Colony Residency in 2018 to complete a series of drawings related to his work on Esopus); curator, responsible for exhibitions at White Columns and Pioneer Works, among other venues); writer for Artforum and other publications; and filmmaker, whose 2000 short film Cookies played at 20 film festivals around the world.
Tod Lippy may be best-known as the creator of the award-winning arts journal ESOPUS, the multidisciplinary publication that attracted readers from around the world over the course of its 25-issue run and is now in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art and the Library of Congress, among many other institutions. Every issue of ESOPUS included a CD of brand-new music Lippy commissioned from musical acts such as Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Neko Case, Cloud Nothings, and Kimya Dawson. Lippy, who studied classical guitar for over a decade, was inspired by their contributions to start making music on his own. When ESOPUS ceased publication in 2018, he started spending a significant amount of time honing his songwriting and recording skills.
The California Honeydrops let loose in the studio for new album Soft Spot, due out October 7, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
In their fourteenth year together, bay-area soul/R&B favorites The California Honeydrops hits the post-lockdown ground running. Tour dates and festivals returned, including the Honeydrops’ first headlining show at Red Rocks, and, much to the delight of the band and fans alike, the group returned to the recording studio to lay down a new full-length album. The Honeydrops are sharing the very first taste of their upcoming release Soft Spot—out October7, 2022. (The California Honeydrops, 2022)
The first single “Takin’ My Time” kicks off with a slinky groove that the Honeydrops are known for, having made a career out of their signature blend of Bay Area R&B, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second line. With tasty horn-section interjections dancing around well-timed background vocals, “Takin’ My Time” embodies exactly what guitarist, trumpeter, and lead singer Lech Wierzynkski wanted to channel with the song’s lyrical content—as he describes, “Slow down, erase your social media, smoke some weed, watch the sunset, get out of the rat race.”
The Honeydrops have come a long way since Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Beaullieu started busking in an Oakland subway station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals.
Soft Spot track list: Honey and Butter Gonna Be Alright Nothing at All I Miss You Baby, Pt. 1 Tumblin’ Takin’ My Time The Unicorn Soft Spot In Your Arms Lil Bit of Love Sneakin’ into Heaven I Miss You Baby, Pt. 2
Catch The California Honeydrops On Tour: September 9 – St. Helena, CA – Charles Krug Winery September 10 – San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Gathering September 11 – Perris, CA – Same Same But Different Festival 2022 September 19 – Buena Vista, CO – Ivy Ballroom at Surf Hotel September 20 – Crested Butte, CO – Center for the Arts September 22 – Telluride, CO – Sheridan Opera House September 24 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up October 14 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre October 16 – Flagstaff, AZ – Yucca North October 18 – Durango, CO – Animas City Theatre October 19 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf October 21 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom October 22 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads October 23 – St. Louis, MO – The Big Top October 25 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club October 26 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club October 27 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall October 29 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Annex October 30 – Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag October 31 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Brewery November 2 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground November 3 – Portland, ME – Aura November 5 – New York, NY – Sony Hall November 6 – Boston, MA – Royale Boston November 8 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live November 9 – Washington, DC – Lincoln Theatre November 11 – Charlottesville, VA – The Jefferson Theater November 12 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel November 13 – Highlands, NC – Highlands Food and Wine Festival 2022 January 15-22, 2023 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Sandy Beaches Cruise 2023
Jonathan Terrell welcomes you to his home state on new single ‘Texas’ from his new EP A Couple, 2,3. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
“To be from Texas means to be a good neighbor and to be a good friend to that neighbor,” says Austin-based recording artist Jonathan Terrell. His new single “Texas,” out now on Range Music, reads like a postcard and acts as an open invitation to anybody wanting to visit the great state of country music, barbeque and Willie Nelson. Written by Terrell and Jess Carson of Midland, “Texas” is a ‘come as you are’ anthem for all walks of life. (Jonathan Terrell, 2022)
Terrell recently released the music video for “Texas,” in partnership with Desert Door Texas Sotol’s Unreleased music series, which supports local Texas artists. Raised Rowdy premiered the single as well, calling it, “velvet-warm with a healthy dose of soul.” Produced by Beau Bedford at Dallas’s beloved Modern Electric Studios, like the rest of A Couple, 2, 3, “Texas” is available to stream or purchase. Fans can also pre-save or pre-orderA Couple, 2, 3 ahead of its September 9 release via Range Music.
Terrell will be supporting wildly popular country trio Midland on a string of U.S. dates starting where he will also be performing as part of their touring band.
A Couple, 2, 3 track list: Samantha I Know Paint By Lightning Texas Place Out Back Better For You
With his new EP, A Couple 2, 3, the singer-songwriter now signed to Range Music has translated his philosophy into a staggeringly coherent, funny, heartbreaking, and gorgeous project. Highlighted by brilliant singles like “Better For You,” which comes alongside a self-directed video with frequent collaborator Shakey Graves onboard as a producer, it is clear that two decades into this game, Terrell is firmly in his prime. There is a bravery in Terrell’s storytelling on this new project that only comes from repetition and honing the craft. The way he owns these songs—honors the stories he tells with joy and bravado—comes from his tenacious work ethic; all those days on the road, engaging in musical conversations with his fans to figure out what works best.
Catch Jonathan Terrell on tour: September 8 – Cheyenne, WY – Outlaw Saloon w/ William Clark Green September 10 – Billings, MT – Pub Station w/ William Clark Green September 11 – Great Falls, MT – The Newberry w/ William Clark Green September 15 – Spokane, WA – Lucky You Lounge w/ William Clark Green September 16 – Portland, OR – Ponderosa Lounge w/ William Clark Green September 17 – Medford, OR – The Rocky Tonk Saloon w/ William Clark Green September 20 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern w/ William Clark Green September 21 – Boise, ID – The Olympic w/ William Clark Green October 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union w/ Midland October 22 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks w/ Midland November 12 – Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center w/ Midland November 16 – Bellingham, WA – Mount Baker Theatre w/ Midland December 7 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head On Stage w/ William Clark Green December 8 – Richmond, V – The Broadberry w/ William Clark Green December 9 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater w/ William Clark Green December 10 – Worchester, MA – Off The Rails w/ William Clark Green
The Liar will be out September 30 via Blue Dirt Records and Thirty Tigers. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Since his critically acclaimed album Songs, the public at large has not heard much from John Fullbright. Eight years seems unthinkable for someone with so much hype—including a GRAMMY nod, an Americana Music Association Emerging Artist nomination and awards from ASCAP and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame—surrounding his early career. On September 30, Fullbright is set to end the dry spell with the release of his new LP, The Liar, opening up his newfound trust in musical collaboration for the world to hear. (John Fullbright, 2022)
Fullbright released the first taste of The Liar with the album’s ever-developing second track. “Paranoid Heart” starts out as a plaintive little folk song and explodes into a memorable, Petty-esque rocker bolstered by drummer Paddy Ryan and Jesse Aycock’s just-unhinged-enough slide guitar solo. “Paranoid Heart” is an indicator of what is to come from Fullbright’s newly minted, community-driven output. Fans can hear “Paranoid Heart” now and pre-order or pre-saveThe Liar ahead of its September 30 release via Blue Dirt Records and Thirty Tigers.
The Liar was recorded at Steve and Charlene Ripley’s farm-to-studio compound in northeastern Oklahoma. After Steve’s passing, Charlene flirted with the idea of selling the studio property, so Fullbright quickly mobilized to make sure he was able to record there before it changed hands. He threw together a band made up of, as Fullbright calls them, “the usual suspects.” Anyone vaguely familiar with Oklahoma music will recognize the roster, which includes Jesse Aycock, Aaron Boehler, Paul Wilkes, Stephen Lee, and Paddy Ryan, all of whom are in more bands than seems possible. Along with a few more friends stopping in to lay down takes, they finished the songs and tracked the album with engineer Jason Weinheimer in a whirlwind four days.
The grab-and-go momentum landed Fullbright in the studio with some old songs (“Unlocked Doors” also appeared in 2009’s Live at the Blue Door), some new, and some unfinished, making his newfound trust in musical collaboration essential to the arrangements and reflected fully on the final album. The Liar, as a result, utilizes emotional and instrumental dynamics in ways Fullbright has not allowed himself to fully explore before. There is a noticeable slack here, an indulgent instrumental break there, and the general feeling that the tight-lipped John Fullbright who agonized over the writing process and then hesitated to talk about the meanings behind his songs in the past has eased up.
The Liar track list: 1. Bearden, 1645 2. Paranoid Heart 3. Stars 4. The Liar 5. Unlocked Doors 6. Where We Belong 7. Social Skills 8. Lucky 9. Blameless 10. Poster Child 11. Safe To Say 12. Gasoline
Catch John Fullbright on tour: August 26 – Muskogee, OK – Hatbox Field August 27 – Enid, OK – Park Street Palooza September 3 – Martinsville, OH – Nowhere Else Festival September 8 – Tahlequah, OK – Diamond Head Resort September 25 – Glen Ellen, CA – Jack London State Park September 30 – Oklahoma City, OK – Blue Door October 1 – Oklahoma City, OK – Blue Door October 2 – Tulsa, OK – Fassler Hall October 8 – Austin, TX – C-Boys Heart & Soul October 9 – The Woodlands, TX – Dosey Doe October 13 – Kansas, OK – Bushyhead Farm Fall Festival October 23 – Pittsburgh, KS – Mountain Stage
David Beck’s new album Bloom & Fade will be out September 30, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
When it came time to take his new collection of songs into the studio, noted bassist, songwriter, producer, and recording artist David Beck started the process with a simple, albeit off-the-wall, question that led the entire project into a new, adventurous atmosphere. “I’d discovered this idea with my buddy Ryan Quiet when I was producing his single,” says Beck. “We talked about these hypothetical situations—what if Dwight Yoakam did a record that was produced by The War On Drugs? What if Robert Earl Keen-like stories were seen through a Coldplay soundscape lens?” Having an affinity for both Texas storytellers like Keen, Guy Clark, and Rodney Crowell and the modern indie rock of Coldplay, The War on Drugs, and Big Thief, Beck’s upcoming album Bloom & Fade creates a cinematic world built around endearing storytelling and a soft, airy sonic palette. While Keen and Coldplay may seem like polar opposites of the musical spectrum, finding the connective tissue between those two worlds gave Beck additional perspective for Bloom & Fade’s pensive, visceral reflective nature. (David Beck, 2022)
BrooklynVegan premiered the first single off of Bloom & Fade, “Miner’s Song” hailing the first single stating “ it embraces country tradition but fits in with modern indie rock too.” “This song is about acquiring burdens and living through them, the pushing on from hard times to good. It took on an old west vibe, which happens when you get two boys from Texas in the same room,” Beck says of the song which was written with Conner Arthur of The Droptines. While the lyrics do occasionally mention ponies, the sonic characteristics of the song are more akin to the melodic indie rock of yesteryear; pumping bass and drums under a soaring instrumental hook.
Bloom & Fade plays out like a patchwork quilt where each scrap of fabric is another story inspired by cherished love tales, heart-worn narratives, familiar helping hands, and words of wisdom passed down from one generation to the next. Nestled within, Beck melds contemplative, self-discovery, and the occasional Hill Country haiku for splendid moments that stimulate and reassure.
Throughout his illustrious career, artist David Beck has been a daydreamer. Reared in the Texas Hill Country, Beck was raised by a musical family who continuously encouraged and reassured his fearless pursuit of creativity as a songwriter, noted bass player, and emerging producer. From his days as co-front man of the dynamic and electrifying alt-country outfit Sons of Fathers to his Tex-Mex border-blending Tejano crew David Beck’s Tejano Weekend, Beck’s diverse range and imaginative style have been prevailing characteristics. A gifted storyteller, Beck’s introspective lyrics and infectious melodies feel right at home on a burgeoning San Antonio boardwalk as they do a crowded honky tonk night, or riveting summer festival stage.
Over the past decade, the multifaceted Beck has repeatedly delivered albums that have been praised by critics and a devout fanbase. Armed with a bold, organic, and rootsy brand of Americana music, Sons of Fathers saw Beck and company play at renowned establishments such as The Grand Ole Opry, Gruene Hall, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits. David Beck’s Tejano Weekend has garnered approval from acclaimed legends such as David Lee Garza for their authenticity and sincerity. As a budding producer and engineer, the Tall Texan has worked with the likes of Eric Burton of Black Pumas, The Droptines, and Pake Rossi. His latest solo efforts, the cosmic storyteller Bloom & Fade, mirrors his artistic mantra and spirit and honors the familial past with Texas singer-songwriter precision and a robust sonic palette that shimmers and radiates.
‘All Back’ is Ali McGuirk’s prayer for hope and resilience from upcoming album Til It’s Gone due out September 16 via Signature Sounds. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
While soulful songsmith Ali McGuirk loves to dip into a multitude of genres and sub-genres, her upcoming album Til It’s Gone never gets too far away from from its rhythm and blues essence; a well that many artists have drawn from over the years, but few deliver with such a spellbinding conviction as McGuirk. Acting as co-producer along with celebrated folk-blues songwriter Jonah Tolchin, McGuirk let the songs of Til It’s Gone wander from shadowy emotional spaces to big, bad guitar workouts to delicate little confessions. But her bold and buttery voice carries each song to the next until the album’s end. The easy-grooving “All Back” is the first single from Til It’s Gone—out September 16 via Signature Sounds. (Ali McGuirk, 2022)
Fans can watch the music video for “All Back” now and pre-order or pre-saveTil It’s Gone ahead of its September release. On the recommendation of producer Jonah Tolchin, McGuirk traveled from her adopted home of Burlington, Vermont, to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake to track much of Til It’s Gone. A sublime set of songs that pairs McGuirk’s trademark soul sound with rootsy turns and raw rock ‘n’ roll detours, the album began to bloom at the L.A. sessions. McGuirk remembers describing to Tolchin the vibe she envisioned for the record. She mentioned something about it being akin to the cool fusion of styles that Little Feat achieved in the ’70s—that funky, twangy, jazzy and thoroughly-authentic feel. Tolchin suggested they just call up legendary Little Feat guitarist/mandolinist Fred Tackett and get him to lay down a few parts. The nine tracks—songs that run from intimate introspection to wider meditations on oppression and justice—succeed because McGuirk has composed dynamic, hypnotic frames for her vocals. Til It’s Gone also features key contributions from McGuirk’s Boston bandmates such as guitar ace Jeffrey Lockhart.
Catch Ali McGuirk on tour: September16 – Nashville, TN – Five Spot (AMERICANAFEST) September17 – Easthampton, MA – Arcadia Music Festival October1 – Albany, NY – The Linda October2 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room October5 – Lancaster, PA – Tellus360 October6 – Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House October7 – Somerville, MA – The Crystal Ballroom at the Somerville October8 – New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine October14 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Lounge October19 – Syracuse, NY – 443 Listening Room October22 – Rochester, NY – The Abilene October23 – Buffalo, NY – Sportsmen’s Tavern October29 – Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square
Growing up just outside Boston, Ali McGuirk does not remember a time when she did not want to be a singer. In her teenage years, she found inspiration from vocalists like Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin, eventually gravitating towards powerhouses like Sarah Vaughan and Abbey Lincoln in college. After a couple decades of absorbing ’90s r&b,’70s singer-songwriters, and classic soul and jazz of every era, McGuirk found her own aesthetic: earthy, pure, propelled by a voice capable of whispering dark truths or belting out big hooks on her originals. Boston responded with a wave of love. The Boston Globe named her an “artist to hear.” She racked up nominations and wins at both the Boston Music Awards and New England Music Awards. Her standing-room-only residency at Somerville’s Bull McCabe’s Pub delivered electric performances.
Lilly Winwood’s new album Talking Walls will be out August 25, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Leading up to the writing of her new album, Talking Walls, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lilly Winwood had all but resigned herself from continuing her music career. Burned out after her last album cycle and in the midst of a pandemic, Winwood took a job to pay the bills—but she could not stop writing. She knew she was on the cusp of something important. When Winwood decided to get sober, the floodgates opened. Talking Walls captures that tumultuous period, with Winwood literally “talking to the walls” as she looked inward with new purpose. Penned over long sleepless nights, with clear eyes and a willingness to ask tough questions, each song takes a different tack into the introspective wind, backed by a minimalist-roots sound. The now East Nashville-based artist (and daughter of Grammy-winning British rocker Steve Winwood) simply wrote her story and brought it to her band at Nashville’s Trace Horse studio—no producer needed. (Lilly Winwood, 2022)
The Boot premiered “Brighter Days,” a swaggering, pedal-steel laden track showcasing Lilly’s soulful voice and the simple, organic feel that the band landed on in the studio. Praising the first single, The Boot said, “Americana standout Lilly Winwood is ready to soak up the moment.” Fans can listen to “Brighter Days,” check out the official video for Winwood’s previously released single, “Sleep Issues,” and pre-order or pre-saveTalking Walls ahead of its August 25 release. Winwood will be joining singer/songwriter Jackie Greene for a selection of late summer dates and will also be joining singer/songwriter Todd Snider for a selection of early fall dates.
Talking Walls track list: Sleep Issues Good Old Days Keep it Spinning Long Haul Airplane A Paper Trail of Broken Hearts Brighter Days Idastoned Laundry Day
Catch Lilly Winwood on tour: September7 – Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center* September9 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Hall Norfolk* September10 – Fall River, MA – Narrows Center for the Arts* September11 – Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall Hartford* September13 – Albany, NY – The Egg – Swyer Theatre* September15 – Fairfield, CT – StageOne* September16 – Natick, MA – Center for Arts In Natick* September17 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre* September18 – Wilmington, DE – The Queen* October 13 – Sarasota, FL – Big Top Brewing Company October 14 – Bradenton, FL – Big Top Brewing Company October 20 – Rochester, NY – Abilene Bar & Lounge October 21 – New York, NY – The Bitter End * = opening for Todd Snider
The daughter of Grammy winning British rocker Steve Winwood, Lilly grew up splitting time between the U.K. and Nashville’s neon-lit streets. Back then music was ever present, she says, and whether performing with her older brother, writing teenaged odes to young love or just soaking in her father’s work, it gave Winwood a unique creative perspective – one that felt more in line with Nashville than London. Moving to Music City for good at 18, Winwood soon gravitated to the alternative-minded enclave of East Nashville, and after forming creative partnerships with locals like Boo Ray and Don Gallardo, released her Silver Stage EP in 2017. Time Well Spent followed in 2021, backed by East Nashville household names Alex Munoz and Allen Thompson, earning accolades from tastemakers like Rolling Stone Country as she solidified a go-your-own-way sense of earthy pop.
3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 featuring Andrew Combs, Dylan LeBlanc, Caitlin Rose, and more is available now digitally. It is the first of a two part EP series from 3Sirens Music Group; 6-song compilation of artist-chosen cover songs. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The team behind East Nashville-based independent label and recording studio 3Sirens strives to adhere to a simple mission statement: build community and celebrate great artists all while having a little fun. Revolving around 3Sirens’ physical space/incognito recording studio/creative salon, the record label began as an outlet for the prolific output that artists dream up within its walls.
“Building a 1960s style Laurel Canyon music community or a 1920s Parisian artistic movement, a la Gertrude Stein, has always been the dream of 3Sirens. A nostalgic fantasy perhaps but a good pursuit nonetheless,” say 3Sirens founders and head-dreamers, The Grahams. The beginnings of their efforts will be reaped in the form of 3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1, a six-song digital mixtape of sorts all in the name of making music and having a good time doing so. Featuring artists like Andrew Combs, Dylan LeBlanc, and Caitlin Rose covering some of their favorite off-the-beaten-path songs from the 80s and 90s, With Love: Part 1 was recorded live with little to no overdubs. Stream and/or save3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 now.
The EP’s first single was Andrew Combs’ cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry,” of which Glide Magazine wrote that he “does a fine job of channeling Thom Yorke while letting his own gorgeously vulnerable vocals shine.” The EP’s second single was The Grahams’ cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” Alyssa Graham shares of the recording, “I always always wanted to cover that song. It spoke to me in a way that allowed me to wander through the magical world the band set up.” Hear their version here.
The Grahams also sat down with the Bluegrass Situation to share their intention and inspiration for 3Sirens studio where this project was recorded. Read the full interview here and watch a studio tour of the space here.
Want more of what 3Sirens is cooking up? Americana and alt-country music fans should keep eyes peeled for the upcoming full length from East Nashville hero Derek Hoke, the first official 3Sirens Music Group Artist.
3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 track list: “Big Love” by Fleetwood Mac, performed by Dylan LeBlanc “One Way Or Another” by Blondie, performed by Caitlin Rose “High and Dry” by Radiohead, performed by Andrew Combs “Somebody to Shove” by Soul Asylum, performed by Kevin Kinney “Something So Strong” by Crowded House, performed by Derek Hoke “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, performed by The Grahams
3Sirens is a gathering spot for creatives and dreamers, a social salon. A studio built with the premise that to be creative one must exist in a creative space. Of course the state of the art gear and the thoughtfully curated collection of vintage and specialty instruments abound but it goes beyond the material into something less tangible. That such a space was dreamt up by lifelong lovers and dreamers, The Grahams, who themselves longed for a space to gather, to create art and play music, to collaborate, to stretch out and explore the “impossible,” and to let the intangible and unexplainable just happen. 3Sirens is a living, breathing space in East Nashville, Tennessee made better and more storied by each artist who creates within its walls. Welcome.
Fiona Apple Joins Watkins Family Hour On “(Remember Me) I’m The One Who Loves You” From Upcoming Album Vol. II due out August 19, 2022. Vol. II features guests Jackson Browne, Lucius, Madison Cunningham, and many more. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Watkins Family Hour is a collaborative musical project founded by musicians and siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins and traditionally held at the beloved Los Angeles club Largo. Since the first Watkins Family Hour show in 2002, the duo has released three studio albums, debuting with their self-titled album in 2015, following with Brother Sister in 2020, and, most recently, releasing Vol. II in August 2022. Sean and Sara recorded Vol. II at Los Angeles’ East West Studios in early 2022 alongside a stacked roster of longtime and new Family Hour collaborators, including Fiona Apple, Jackson Browne, Madison Cunningham, Lucius, Jon Brion, and more. As with their debut, the band will tour in support of Vol. II, bringing the Watkins Family Hour experiences to stages far and wide. Vol. II will be released August 19, 2022. (Watkins Family Hour, 2022)
The group shared “(Remember Me) I’m the One Who Loves You” from Vol. II; a track that features former Family Hour touring band member, longtime fixture at Largo, and wholly singular artist in her own right, Fiona Apple. Watkins Family Hour’s “(Remember Me)” kicks off with long-time Heartbreaker Benmont Tench’s honky-tonk piano and ends with Greg Leisz’s slinky pedal steel; the two enveloping a smile-inducing performance crowned by Sara, Sean, and Fiona’s three-part blend in the song’s iconic choruses. “I first heard this Stuart Hamblen song while going down an Ernest Tubb rabbit hole,” remembers Sara. “It’s hard for us to resist a country shuffle with attitude like this one. It’s our favorite kind of thing to sing with Fiona Apple.”
Vol. II follows Watkins Family Hour’s sophomore album Brother Sister, which they released as the COVID-19 pandemic began taking hold of the globe and, in turn, shut down the live music industry. That record was, serendipitously, a quieter affair, showcasing the musical interplay between Sara and Sean that keeps the Family Hour heart beating. In many ways, it is also a successor to Watkins Family Hour, the self-titled 2015 album that introduced the band to a broader audience and sent them, along with some of their closest collaborators, out on the road to tour.
As both Sean and Sara continue to work on their own solo music, as well as with their other bands like Nickel Creek and I’m With Her, Watkins Family Hour remains an invaluable resource and respite for them both, offering a familiar but ever-evolving space to test new ideas, meet new collaborators and, most importantly, have a good time doing what they love.
“It’s been really exciting to be part of this thing that is happening and growing and enables us to dig deep into this musical community,” Sean says. “The consistency has been invaluable to both of us, as musicians.” Sara adds, “But also, in life, the Family Hour has been and continues to be a huge part of making us feel anchored in the crazy city of Los Angeles.”
Vol. II track list: The Way I Feel Inside (Ft. Lucius) Hypnotized Pitseleh (Feat. Madison Cunningham) Thanks a Lot (Ft. Jon Brion) The Late Show (Ft. Jackson Browne) Tennessee Waltz (Ft. Benmont Tench) She Left Me Standing on the Mountain (Ft. Willie Watson) We Were Meant to Be Together On the Outside (Ft. Gaby Moreno) (Remember Me) I’m the One Who Loves You (Ft. Fiona Apple) Grief and Praise (Ft. Madison Cunningham)
Catch Watkins Family Hour on tour: August 13 – Lexington, VA – Lime Kiln Theater August 14 – York, PA – Susquehanna Folk Festival September 16 – Cincinnati, OH – Longworth-Anderson Series at Memorial Hall September 17 – Nashville, TN – Americana Fest September 18 – Indianapolis, IN – The Toby Theatre September 20 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark September 21 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage September 22 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Clyde Theatre September 23 – Bay Harbor, MI – Great Lakes Center for the Arts September 24 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music September 25 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music November 13 – Beaverton, OR – The Reser
SA Examiner 