(THE AMERICAN WILDERNESS ODYSSEY PART 3)
Out of the Darkness track listing: > On A Bridge Across The River > If There's A God Out Here > Waiting On A Storm > Do You? Out Of The Darkness is the third EP of the American Wilderness project from Steve Bonham and The Long Road. Thee first was American Wilderness and the second was titled Moonshine Elegy
The first two EPs have been very successful, with 100,000 plus listens on Spotify and thousands of views on YouTube. Tracks such as Wrapped Up In You, Moonshine Running and The Ballad of Duane and Billy Marie were hits on various charts globally, and Wrapped Up In You was a song of the year on National Indie Radio. The final EP in this project - Looking for Gold will be released in the New Year. 
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Steve Bonham and The Long Road take a trip to the dark side with their continuing exploration of the madness, myth and moonshine of the Southern USA.
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After the hugely successful first two EPs in this series: American Wilderness and Moonshine Elegy, the band have rleeased the third 'Out of the Darkness.' This is americana, roots, folk music but not as we have ever heard it before. The band have deepened and darkened their sound and whilst sticking to their focus on acoustic instruments predominating, some of these tracks are well, damned heavy The first single A Bridge Across The River is a perfect example. Opening with a simple guitar riff, almost immediately the bass, drums and Hammond organ enter accompanying a wonderful strange vocal from Kev Moore which echoes in from the wilderness. Ostensibly the song is about a preacher calling out to crowds of football supporters crossing the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge for a game between the Nashville Titans and the Kansas city Chiefs but as the narrative unfurls the riverboats, slaves, the whores and gamblers rise up from the Cumberland River and lost times to join the crowd. The song was written by Steve Bonham on the day after his solo Nashville debut as he walked though the early morning sunshine down Broadway and along to the bridge.
The second release, If There's A God Out Here, is a brooding, almost cinematic depiction of a part of America (Appalachia) forgotten and abandoned despite its heartbreaking beauty. Based on Steve's trek on foot through the region it focuses on a world where no longer is it moonshine whiskey that is distilled in the backwoods but 'Hillbilly Heroin' also known as crack cocaine. A place where a corporate greed had created a painkiller dependency that effects more or less every family. Steve and Kev share the vocals in a haunting and moving song.
In addition to the two above Waiting on A Storm is a shuffling groove of a piece about illicit love and hound dogs on a man's trail. It features some wonderful rootsy piano from Chris 'the Bishop' Lydon. The final track Do You is a co-write between Steve and Chris and is a 'secular prayer' wishing someone an authentic and spiritual life despite all the madness that precedes
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Do you hold to the truth like a flame in your heart?
When the whole earth falls silent, do you know where to start? Like a hurricane of hope, do you let each day in? Do you keep on singing, though you know you can’t win? -- Do You? |
There’s men with guns and dogs,
Looking out for me Slow and kinda of wary Behind the cottonwood tree I can see in the dark Like papa racoon And I’m the midnight creeper Like a shadow across the moon --Waiting on a Storm |
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Available for download for DJs and journalists, or for personal use. All rights reserved.
If you do download, would be great if you can drop us a line! info@artisan-creative.com
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Huge thanks to Gerald Figal for permission to use his photograph for the single release artwork for On A Bridge Across The River.
Find out more about Gerald Figal here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/1728033@N00/ |
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