Burning someone at the stake is no longer a literal act of punishment. In modern times, it is a metaphor of harsh, perhaps cruel, online harassment. Americana powerhouse Sarah Peacock assembles her song “Burn the Witch,” paired with a crackling, soul-burning new video, premiering today on American Songwriter, through a historical context and a remarkable lineup of musicians. READ MORE…
If you’re wondering what to look forward to hearing in country and Americana music in early 2020, let this be your guide. Here’s all the information Saving Country Music has been able to compile on the most anticipated upcoming releases, along with a more extensive catalog of releases to have on your radar, and the always juicy “rumor mill” where uncorroborated information on new releases dwells. READ MORE…
Singer-songwriter Jeff Crosby is premiering his new song “Laramie” exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play below to listen to the song, which Crosby calls “almost too personal.”
Like all great Americana songs, “Laramie” finds its origins in a relationship gone bad. As its title might indicate, it takes both sonic and lyrical inspiration from the sparse vibes of Wyoming’s capital city. READ MORE…
Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner is a lot of things. For starters, it’s Dallas songwriter John Pedigo’s latest project. Secondly, it’s a lush, rhythmic Americana movement that’s all about having hope and keeping your chin up in the face of adversity. Thirdly, it’s a personal affair for Pedigo, given that in its own way, the project was made to honor his father.
Pedigo lost his dad to terminal cancer in May of last year. When he was diagnosed in 2016, his son set forth to write and record a collection of tunes that would honor him. Pedigo does so with keeping optimism alive even in the face of loss and mourning, with bombastic horns, drums, and guitars driving his rich, exuberant world of roots performances under the “Magic Pilsner” moniker forward. Even the name of the project, speaking of it, was named after an unbearable brew that John Pedigo’s father had created once upon a time.
“Garage Sale” is the good old Magic Pilsner’s latest release, and it carries much of the idea of making the best of a sad situation as one might expect from reading the above. But, instead of this writer lingering on analyzing the tune by his lonesome, John Pedigo himself took part in a Q&A; that should shine a light on things.
What is “Garage Sale” about / inspired by?
I think when people break up and chunk the other person’s things out on the lawn, it’s not only lazy, but a missed opportunity. Not to mention, it makes all your neighbors embarrassed for you, which makes borrowing milk just plain awkward. A better idea is to take all those things you’d be tossing out the window in a blind rage, and calmly selling them in a garage sale. It’s a no-brainer. You make some cash off the ex’s possessions, then go buy you and your friends some margaritas. Who wins? You do. All the way to the bank.
Any fun stories about writing or recording this particular track?
Besides the raison d’être and the motivation for actually making this record, I was extremely fortunate to have incredible players to work with. This song in particular took its unequivocal shape when Danny Balis was tracking. His walking bass line led to Chad Stockslager’s haunting piano part which led to Chris Holt’s doubled slide guitar. I added the Pixies-esque guitar part in the chorus to add some pep to it, but really it was those guys that made song special. Getting to hang with them and let them have at it was the fun I got to have with it.
How’s 2018 treating you so far? What are you looking forward to this year?
I know I’m not alone when I say that 2017 wasn’t the …
Wait, full disclosure, I wanted to say ‘bees knees’ just then. Which is ridiculous. However, I just Googled “Other ways to say Bees Knees.” Yes, even more ridiculous. But even more ridiculous still were these gems that came up in the search: “elephant’s adenoids, cat’s meow, ant’s pants, tiger’s spots, bullfrog’s beard, elephant’s instep, caterpillar’s kimono, turtle’s neck, duck’s quack, duck’s nuts, monkey’s eyebrows, gnat’s elbows, oyster’s earrings, snake’s hips, kipper’s knickers, elephant’s manicure, clam’s garter, eel’s ankle.” No joke!
Anyway, last year wasn’t the “kipper’s knickers” so to speak. I’m really looking forward to getting this record out and hitting the road with the Pils and making things happen. I owe it to my Dad. I’m also looking forward to working on my bowling game. It’s been slipping since, like, forever.
Baby Robot Media is a music publicity and media service agency with employees in Los Angeles, Memphis, Atlanta & New York and represent musicians from all over the world. We specialize in promotional ( PR ) campaigns for albums, singles and videos, tour press, radio, music video production, music marketing, social media campaigns, Spotify campaigns and creating promotional content. Our mission is to help great unknown bands reach a wider audience and to help already successful artists manage their brand identity and continue to thrive. Our music publicists have over 50 years of combined experience in the music industry. We are known as one of the best in the business.
LACON — As a precocious young boy growing up in Marshall County, Craig Gerdes could close his eyes and picture the scene set by Kris Kristofferson’s country classic, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.” It resembled much of the life he observed around him.
Once he began to write his own country songs, starting at the age of 10 or 11 and continuing on to the present day, he kept the imagery of that song in mind — observed, recognizable moments that were unafraid to recognize the struggles of life.
“That’s what makes country music to me,” Gerdes said. “It’s just about real life. It’s not necessarily happy or joyful times. There can be a lot of hard times.
“Not tailgates and bonfires and stuff like that. The struggle is what makes it country.”
Gerdes has called Pattonsburg home for most of his life, an unincorporated and distinctly rural portion of Marshall County a handful of miles east of Washburn. After spending a couple of years in Nashville sleeping on floors and shopping songs that he wrote, Gerdes returned to Pattonsburg a little disaffected but still inspired. The result is a new album out in February, titled “Smokin’ Drinkin’ & Gamblin’,” and a concert at Whiskerz Pub in Lacon on Dec. 23 alongside fellow outlaw country musician Dallas Moore.
The album’s stark title doesn’t explain exactly what Gerdes had in mind while writing it. Instead of evoking the hard-living man at the poker table, it’s actually about the music business from his point of view — the smoke and mirrors of the industry, the alcohol accompanying every function and his idea that there’s no bigger gamble than a music career.
The songs on “Smokin’ Drinkin’ & Gamblin’” often express a road-weariness about “ramblin’ life away” in Gerdes’ honky-tonk fashion. The details are almost surely derived from his time trekking to Nashville and then back to his wife and kids in Pattonsburg from 2011 to 2015. The seven-hour commute afforded Gerdes plenty of time to gin up characters and details for his songs, but it ultimately wore him down. By 2015, he had given up any pretense of a country career and settled back home permanently.
“I felt like I needed to go,” Gerdes said. “I needed to get out of there.”
But it wasn’t long until music drew him back in as he realized that the world was a lot bigger than just Nashville and that he should take his music to the people.
“I needed to take my music all over the country,” Gerdes said.
That’s been Gerdes’ itinerary ever since, hitting barrooms, small clubs and any other venue that will take him. He’ll drive himself to a place like Omaha on a Friday afternoon to play a few gigs that weekend, whether it’s for a hundred people or just three or four. What matters to Gerdes anymore isn’t the amount of people during the show but the ones that approach him afterward, who feel as if one of his songs perfectly described their life. Many have responded in a digital format to his song “That Little Girl,” about his daughter, which has almost 200,000 views on Facebook.
“It makes me feel like I’m making people’s lives better, if it’s just for four minutes,” Gerdes said. “To me, that is successful.”
A return to Nashville for his album release party on Feb. 14 is in the works, but Gerdes is more focused on the upcoming show Saturday in Lacon. He digs the Whiskerz venue and is excited to have his friend and collaborator Moore around his neck of the woods. He’ll show him around some places, including where much of his songwriting has taken place in his life.
“A lot of the songs that I wrote over a period of time was on that front porch in good ol’ Marshall County,” Gerdes said.
Baby Robot Media is a music publicity and media service agency with employees in Los Angeles, Memphis, Atlanta & New York and represent musicians from all over the world. We specialize in promotional ( PR ) campaigns for albums, singles and videos, tour press, radio, music video production, music marketing, social media campaigns, Spotify campaigns and creating promotional content. Our mission is to help great unknown bands reach a wider audience and to help already successful artists manage their brand identity and continue to thrive. Our music publicists have over 50 years of combined experience in the music industry. We are known as one of the best in the business.
Americana project Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner (helmed by John Pedigo of The O’s) ushers in the holiday with the Christmas single, “Counting Back Down.” A dreamy, retro-flavored ballad, “Counting Back Down” centers around the joy the holiday instills in our hearts.Where, through the magic of the season, even those relationships that are strained or those that foster negativity, unite and look ahead with optimism, offering welcome sentiments that encourage one to perhaps, consider carrying all year through. Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner—named for a nearly-undrinkable batch of beer once brewed by Pedigo’s father—seamlessly blends touches of honky-tonk piano, the sizzle of a gospel organ, a few festive brassy blasts of dixieland horns, driving drums, & acoustic and electric guitars to create an expansive and unique collection of alt-country/Americana that tackles mourning with an optimism rarely found in the genre. Look for the debut album in 2018.
Baby Robot Media is a music publicity and media service agency with employees in Los Angeles, Memphis, Atlanta & New York and represent musicians from all over the world. We specialize in promotional ( PR ) campaigns for albums, singles and videos, tour press, radio, music video production, music marketing, social media campaigns, Spotify campaigns and creating promotional content. Our mission is to help great unknown bands reach a wider audience and to help already successful artists manage their brand identity and continue to thrive. Our music publicists have over 50 years of combined experience in the music industry. We are known as one of the best in the business.