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Crossover Touring September Update |
Hello everyone,
It was a heck of a lot of fun catching up with folks at Americanafest this past week — and great to see Alex Hargreaves get the recognition he deserves for his work on the fiddle. What a player! But we're really glad we're not in charge of handing out awards for Instrumentalist of the Year, because if this past week showed us anything it's that there sure are a lot of amazing instrumentalists out there nowadays.
If only we had the exact recipe, the alchemy that takes top-line musicianship, songwriting, vocal prowess, and stage presence and makes an artist an undeniable sensation that fills arenas and not just one of the countless talented bands playing tiny stages around the world. Are they just one great marketing campaign away? A viral TikTok video? A mention on some famous person's podcast?
Of course, we know there isn't just "one quick trick." All of us have heard one musician or another tell a story of how their "overnight success" was actually the result of 20 years of grinding. And all of us have probably seen a big internet sensation struggle to fill a local club. There's no substitution for hard work, in our opinion, but it sure does feel, sometimes, like an artist has a little piece of magic in their pockets.
Seen anyone like that recently who might need a hand booking gigs? Drop us a line.
See you out there on the road,
CT |
• This month, we are happy to announce the addition of the Womack Sisters to the Crossover Touring roster, alongside the release of their brand-new single on Daptone Records, “I Just Don’t Want You (To Say Goodbye)”. BG, Zeimani, and Kucha Womack are the next generation of soul royalty, renowned for their blend of R&B, soul, and gospel influences, drawn from their rich family legacy. As granddaughters of the legendary Sam Cooke, daughters of renowned soul and R&B artists Womack & Womack, and nieces of Bobby Womack, they carry on the Womack family’s musical traditions, infusing their work with the passion that has defined the family’s impact on music for generations. The Womack Sisters are creating music true to its core, and we are happy to be a part of it as they look to get out on the road in 2026.
• Also joining the roster this month is Amelia Day, who is front and center amongst the fresh new faces of the folk-pop movement, combining heartfelt and confessional lyrics alongside bouncy and undeniable melodies. Growing up in Seattle, she is a child of the "Singles" generation, soaked in the city's musical history and writing and recording in her bedroom when only her stuffed animals were listening. Now fresh out of college, she's already fostered a deep and personal connection with fans (while getting them bouncing on the balls of their feet) and has a slew of EPs and singles under her belt, including a number of tracks that have already shot past a million spins (make sure to catch "Skippin' Down the Sidewalk," current TikTok sensation). Catch her at Steinyfest next month, or all fall supporting Madilyn Mei.
• It's here! After a string of tantalizing singles this summer, Eric D. Johnson is back with a full-length album that's something of a departure for him, eschewing his normal full-bodied production for a stripped-down affair that largely features just Johnson and an acoustic guitar, or a reverbed piano. Nearly 25 years after his debut "Echolocation," "Baby Man" is a classic mid-career reset, full of deeply personal tracks that explore everything from young love to the loss of beloveds. Rolling Stone says it celebrates "the simple beauty of folk." It's the perfect way to kick off a solo tour that takes him from northern California to Cambridge, Massachusetts, this October. Oh, and don't miss Johnson's duet with Susannah Hoffs for a new take on the classic Boudleaux Bryant tune (first popularized by the Everly Brothers) "Love Hurts."
• While not surprising, since it's hard to miss his sold-out shows and Grammy wins, it's been nice to see mainstream media catching up with Billy, spreading the word of his music and who he is as a person. Last week, though, NPR's "Fresh Air" released one of the deeper and more personal interviews you're likely to hear with him, where interviewer Sam Briger really digs in with him about where he's come from and where he's going, from his anxiety about his guitar playing to the loss of his mother to addiction. It is a 39-minute must-listen. Part of Billy's genius, too, is how he attracts amazing musicians to his side — last week fiddler Alex Hargreaves was awarded Instrumentalist of the Year at the Americana Music Foundation's annual awards show! Oh, and Billy announced Winter Tour today, too.
• While we wait to hear whether East Nash Grass will take home Entertainer of the Year honors at the IBMA awards later this week, let's make sure to take time to listen to their new album, "All God's Children," which came out on August 22 and puts on display all the talent and artistry that got them that nomination in the first place. "Followin' You," fronted by fiddler Maddie Denton, is the internet's favorite single, but don't sleep on "Hill Country Highway," with James Kee out front, as it's got all the hallmarks of a bluegrass classic. Billboard had a great interview with the band to celebrate the album release. Oh, and if you're at the awards, this week, you won't be able to miss them, as they play the first song after Steve Martin gets done yukkin' it up in the intro. If you're not at the awards show, maybe listen to mandolinist Harry Clark yukkin' it up on the Mandolins and Beer podcast.
• As Elephant Revival preps for this weekend's Smalltown for the Cause, held in Salida, Colorado, people are getting a backstage look at their appearance at another Colorado festival: Telluride. For this month's "Colorado Soundstage," PBS fans get an hour-long examination of how the band prepared for their 2024 performance, along with extensive footage from the show and exquisite sound. It's a great capture of the band's ethereal, contemplative approach, genuinely unlike anyone else that sometimes gets lumped in with "bluegrass." They've got one more festival in 2025 — Moab Folk — as they carefully select where to be in 2026.
• When Cochemea talks about "imagining worlds of possibility and futures of liberation — across time — through collective dreaming," you might wonder how that plays out in the music. But a single listen to Cochemea's newest single, "Otros Mundos," should give you some idea. This is music you feel in your bones, that travels through the earth, that taps into something central to the human experience. He releases the full-length "Vol. III: Ancestros Futuros" on September 26, with a release show at National Sawdust in Brooklyn on October 11. But these Cochemea shows are so much more than concerts, with integrated videos that turn things into damn near a religious experience.
• The LaMP legend continues to grow, as word spreads about the hottest instrumental organ trio going right now (this Jam & Toast interview with drummer Russ Lawton is well done). Last month, Relix released a limited-run double-LP of the band's April 4-5 two-night run at Garcia's new room in Chicago, which captured some top-drawer improvisation and energy. We'd tell you to go grab it, but, well, it's already sold out. But no worries, this is the sort of band that will produce plenty of live recordings. They've got a southeast run here in September, then head to the West Coast for the first time in October, and have just announced a three-night northeast swing in December. If you want to get some dates for 2026, now's the time.
• Hopefully, by now you've had a chance to check out "So Long to the Darkside," Paul's first new full-length in more than six years. But have you discovered "The Light Side Sessions"? Featuring six all-acoustic takes on the songs that populated "Darkside," these are fresh and bright, and they feature the talents of folks like East Nash Grass' Maddie Denton on fiddle and Forrest O'Connor on mandolin (he's Mark's kid, FYI). Clearly, he's got plenty of material and arrangements to work with as he launches a West Coast run on September 25 and then works the South through November.
• No, Murder by Death don't have any more avails. But as they finish up their farewell run of largely sold-out shows across the country (the last show will be November 15, at Old Forester's, in Louisville, Kentucky), it sure has been nice to see them getting their due. If you'd like to read a great recap of how the band came to be and what they accomplished, this long-form piece in Westword will scratch that itch. Biggest music-related Kickstarter of all time? Not bad. |
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