Priding himself on his cross between undulating, indie rock-driven guitars and the straight-ahead roots of Americana, Australian singer-songwriter Josh Rennie-Hynes traveled to Nashville to record his new album, Patterns, after receiving a prestigious grant from the Australian Council for the Arts.
Turning Old Testament tales into contemporary parables is no easy feat, and the duo Joanie & Matt — releasing its sophomore album, Sterling, on July 19 — take the concept in a particularly provocative direction with the title track, whose video premieres exclusively below.
“Sterling” was inspired by the story of Tamar, who was raped by her half-brother Amnon in 2 Samuel. Joanie & Matt’s song, sung from Tamar’s viewpoint rather than the Bible’s third-person, is #MeToo timely, sung from the perspective of both a woman and a victim — a voice that’s not at all found in the Bible and other ancient religious texts.
The music world needs lifers like Kevin Kinney. As both a solo artist and the longtime frontman for Drivin’ N Cryin’, the 58-year-old singer/songwriter has been grinding out tunes and putting miles on his body and soul for the better part of four decades, with all the accompanying highs and lows that come with that toil.
Kevn Kinney, the singer/creative force behind Drivin N Cryin, has been going at it since the 1980s and, as he approaches 60, he’s a different person than he was when Drivin N Cryin’s debut came out in 1986. And it’s literally a different band, with only bassist Tim Nielsen left of the original lineup. Live the Love Beautiful sounds like Drivin N Cryin.
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Joanie & Matt’s “Sisters” from their forthcoming album Sterling, due to be released on July 19. Sterling was mixed by Jesse Lauter (Tedeschi Trucks Band), and blends feminist and LGBTQ sentiments with traditional Jewish underpinnings. “Sisters” is Matthew Check and Joanie Leeds on vocals; Justin Camerer on electric guitar, Matthew Check on acoustic guitar, Shy Kedmi on piano; and Brendan O’Grady on bass with Brian Geltner on drums.
“Why are they alternative and I’m Southern rock”?
Kevn Kinney, singer/guitarist for Drivin N Cryin, is trying to wrap his head around how a certain digital outlet classifies his music.
“We just did a little tour with the Gin Blossoms and Collective Soul,” Kinney continues. He’s referring to two ’90s groups, each with some enduring but not exactly “Heart-Shaped Box”-edgy hits. “And they’re both listed (on that aforementioned digital outlet) as alternative. I don’t know. I think we’ve made a lot more alternative records than Southern rock records.”