Australian native, now Nashville-based indie-pop artist Josh Rennie-Hynes’ latest single “Morning Stars” continues his progression into a more electronic sound (listen below), but he’s premiering his acoustic version right here on Nashville.com. (listen above) It’s the second single to be released from his forthcoming LP Light/Shade and it just dropped today. (Jan. 19)
Today is the perfect day to share the latest single and music video from Whitney Walker called “Heather From Here.” In this great sounding track from the singer-songwriter, Walker channels the best part of rustic rock into a heartfelt message of hope. If you’re enjoying the sound Whitney Walker went for here, you can check out his full-length record, A Dog Staring Into a Mirror on the Floor, on March 30th.
Karen Jonas weaves an irresistible rhythm on her new song, “Rock the Boat.” It’s a gothic swirl of liberation and possible menace, an inexorable pull of tides as the narrator urges us to swim against them. The track is just the first taste of her sixth album, The Restless, out on March 3.
Read More: Karen Jonas Breaks Free on Gothic ‘Rock the Boat’ [PREMIERE] | https://theboot.com/karen-jonas-rock-the-boat/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
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JAX HOLLOW – ONLY THE WILD ONES (*OUT MAY 5*)
Nashville Americana singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist Jax Hollow manages to refine the heavier, rock ‘n’ roll machismo of previous work with producer Michael Wagener (Metallica, Mötley Crü), distilling a more distinctive sound that yields progressive Southern rock and country twang, as well as expert songwriting on her sophomore album Only the Wild Ones (out May 5). Hollow has been featured on Lightning 100’s “Artist of the Week” and opened for Peter Karp (Mick Taylor, Sue Foley) and Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy) on her 2022 European tour.
Recorded at The Sound Emporium and Music Row’s Sienna Studios with some of Nashville’s finest musicians, Only The Wild Ones’ lineup consists of drummer Matt King (Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne), bassist Lex Price (k.d. lang, Miranda Lambert) and Tim Galloway (Joshua Hedley, Cody Johnson) on rhythm guitar and banjo. “What an incredible experience, in one of the best studios in the world. Juanita Copeland pulled me aside, telling me stories of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ session in there, and then next thing I know she’s introducing me to Jason Isbell in the break room. I was over the moon.”
Still high on all the excitement and positive output from the sessions, Hollow took the next logical step: “I headed to the Smoky Mountains to camp out for a little while, and that’s where I landed on Only the Wild Ones,” says Hollow. “I wasn’t planning on naming the record after my song, but the title just clicked. There’s radical freedom when you’re trying to make it as an independent artist. It’s a bit feral. Sleeping under the stars, hopping from town to town… there were so many highs and lows to dive into artistically.”
Hollow’s sense of adventure and exponential growth as a songwriter show up in spades on Only the Wild Ones, spanning from rollicking country and scorching guitar solos (i.e. “Ethereal Emerald” & “Renegade Season”) to shimmering folk pop balladry in “Stepping Stone” and “Wallflower Girl In Bloom.” Though there’s a warmth to the album, with Hollow’s crisp guitar tones, bright and crackling, there are undertones of darker notes, where the artist dives into life on the road. “Everyone’s experienced seismic life changes since 2020,” says Hollow.
“Wolf in Sheepskin” is a fine example, with an undercurrent of something more sinister to this sentiment brewing in the chorus: “Sunrise, waking up with my .45,” sings Hollow. “There’s a beautiful numbness in the midst of chaos,” she adds. “Like the scenes in movies where everyone is frantically running around, while the camera zooms in on the main character, ears ringing and silent, lost in thought.” The grim reality of the lonely existence that comes with perpetual touring is not lost on Hollow – who performs on commercial cruise ships without a permanent residence. The artist makes light of personal affronts (“I’m too feral for your heart / It’s just a waste of time”) and then leans into a more cathartic proclamation, belting, “I’m better sleeping alone!”
Hollow’s tenacity and unrelenting journey as a songwriter continues on “Wallflower Girl in Bloom.” The percussive energy of Hollow’s acoustic guitar work and Galloway’s tuneful banjo underscore the beauty of witnessing a loved one’s transformation. “The essence of that song is being so excited about seeing somebody come into who they’re meant to be. Witness, watch, and you just wanna bask in that glow,” says Hollow.
Jax Hollow proves she’s not just a shredder, but a damn strong songwriter, too. An artist who truly takes life as it comes, Hollow is a conscious rambler on Only the Wild Ones, in an ongoing quest for authenticity and true-to-form artistry. Look no further for evidence than the accompanying visuals for “Wolf in Sheepskin” – where Hollow can be found donning a wolf hat and happily shedding all her soul-baring truths – and “Wallflower Girl in Bloom,” shot in Arizona beneath the fresh blue sky, and grounded by cacti and mountains, as Hollow stomps with snakeskin boots and undeniable expressiveness. One thing that will always be at the forefront for Jax Hollow is the undeniable power of a song.
“Glide is premiering the versatile “Bolo Tie” off the album that stirs with a vulnerable country blues ethos mixed atop a sheen of pop experimental flourishes. Under the Rug reminds listeners of My Morning Jacket at their most intimate where songs of contemplation can suddenly evolve into a thrilling arena rocker.”
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JOSH RENNIE-HYNES – “MORNING STARS”
Australian-born, now Nashville-based indie-pop artist Josh Rennie-Hynes’ latest single “Morning Stars” continues his progression into a more electronic sound, while sticking true to his emotive songwriter roots. It’s the second single to be released from his forthcoming LP Light/Shade (out early 2023), and continues his knack of writing songs that linger long after the first listen.
“It’s a song that’s saying ‘I love you and I want to wake up next to you every day, let’s try to slow down a bit.’ I’m saying this to myself more than anyone as I often get lost in thought and tend to internalize things,” says Rennie-Hynes.
“Morning Stars” nods to some of the memorable pop artists of the 90’s like Dido or David Gray. Dreamy, punctuated synths open the song before strings airily waft into the verse set over a smooth electronic beat that pulses throughout. All this with a chorus that you can’t help but connect to and sing along with, “I only want to wake up / Wherever you are / I only want to wake up / Together with the Morning Stars.”
The music video for “Morning Stars” takes you on a whimsical journey opening with Rennie-Hynes on a cliff edge at sunrise at one of his favorite places outside of Nashville, Narrows of the Harpeth. Rennie-Hynes came up with the concept and put it to his friend and collaborator, Hanna Hall, a talented Nashville based director and creative who’s seen her career explode in the last few years. This is the fourth video the pair have worked on together.
“When I wrote the song with Kyle Henderson (Producer/co-writer),” says Rennie-Hynes, “I had the image of an astronaut in my head. I was trying to imagine how it would feel to leave the Earth after saying goodbye to your loved ones. When the concept came to me I immediately ordered the suit and helmet. Then I spent a few days making the dioramas. I wanted the whole video to feel like an astronaut sort of wandering through the land, trying his hardest to figure out how he can get back up there to the stars.”
Rennie-Hynes has always let his ever-changing creative desires lead the way, from his live-to-tape, chimey-guitar, rock ‘n’ roll LP Patterns (2019), to his synth-layered indie pop/rock album Day Rage (2022). Now, Light/Shade sees him once again following his instincts into an entirely new realm, starting with its first dark & sexy electro-pop single “When We Touch,” and now with “Morning Stars.”
“Morning Stars” shows Rennie-Hynes doing what he does best, creating songs that capture your imagination and show a true depth to his writing and artistic inclinations. Unhurried and in the pocket, “Morning Stars” is the song you didn’t know you needed as you stare into the winter night sky and move into the new year.