The floodgates have officially opened over here at Gary Hayes Country, and I have been insanely busy, keeping up with all of these bands and artists. Keep scrolling and far a look at the articles I have for over 275 festivals going on in 2021. I’m having to Pace myself here, in order to get everyone and everything up on an even schedule, and i realize that I am sometimes on an ecletic structure about getting albums out on a timely basis.
This brings me to talk about my buddy Mr. John R. Miller, whom has a new album coming out this summer under the Rounder Records label called “Depreciated”. This album boasts 11 songs on it, and currently there are three singles released.
The first single is called “Lookin’ Over My Shoulder”, which opens with a solid funky bass line and includes some fine slide guitar work and nice effects. “Lookin’ over my shoulder, making sure she ain’t around”.
This song is about a man returning to his old small home town after being gone for some time. It is admittedly his own fault the relationship went to shambles, and it deals with the fact that time and life makes us return to scenarios like this.
This West Virginia native whom is also a founding member of the Prison Book Club, plays a hefty amount of your dates each year. He stays very active all around my area all year long, and he also plays bass for Mr. Pat Reddy And The Longtime Goners. I get the priveledge to see him on the many festival lineups I cover.
The song “Faustina” is a heartfelt ode to the road life that many of these musicians live. Through the many years of me doing this, and following these people all over the United States I have one deduction….its NOT an easy life. And this IS A JOB.
In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Faustina’ a few years ago as a salve when I needed one; one part road-ode, one part a nod to long hours spent in search of mystics and saints while navigating cycles of addiction. I love John Clay and Jonathan Beam’s comfortable groove here on drums and bass respectively, Adam Meisterhans’ backdrop of electric guitar flourishes, and Russ Pahl’s effortless-sounding pedal steel ebbing throughout the song.” — John R. Miller
This album hits the market on July 11th, and it was produced by Mr. Justin Francis, whom produced Miss Margo Price and Miss Kasey Musgraves as well. Also, this album was recorded in studio A of the historic sound emporium here in Nashville.
This last single called “Shenandoah Shakedown” is a difficult song to dissect. It spoke to me on many levels, one being stuck in a relationship out of comfort instead of love. Kind of like an old shoe, you don’t NEED IT anymore….but it’s comfortable.
TRACK LIST:
1 Lookin’ Over My Shoulder
2 Borrowed Time
3 Faustina
4 Shenandoah Shakedown
5 Coming Down
6 Old Dance Floor
7 Motor’s Fried
8 Back and Forth
9 What’s Left of the Valley
10 Half Ton Van
11 Fire Dancer
