Jason Boland and the Stragglers Ready New Album “Hard Times Are Relative”
The Red Dirt man most responsible for keeping the country influence alive in the regional movement is readying the release of his latest record called Hard Times Are Relative. Jason Boland along with his long-time backing band The Stragglers will be releasing their 9th studio album overall on May 18 via Proud Souls Entertainment and Thirty Tigers.
Hard Times Are Relative was produced by David Percefull, known for working with Brandon Jenkins, Cody Canada, and for working on Jason Boland’s 2011 record, Ranch Alto. Also producing was Adam Odor, who most recently worked with Mike & The Moonpies on Steak Night at the Prairie Rose. Jason Boland and the Stragglers are also credited as producers on the new album that was recorded live to tape. “It’s an upbeat album,” says Boland. “A lot of fast songs, but it doesn’t try to be fast. It just sits in the pocket.”
Though the music is decidedly country, Jason Boland often underpins his songs with a much deeper and insightful message. That was the story with his previous album Squelch, which became the band’s best selling album to date, and the first to debut in the Top 20 on the Billboard Country Albums charts. Boland has now sold over half a million records, and branched out far beyond the Texoma reach of Red Dirt.
“We’ve always just wanted to entertain ourselves and put out music that would be a part of people’s lives, not just something passing to them,” says Boland. “We want to be something more monolithic. We’re just a social experiment at this point … We don’t want to lose the chili recipes and the Schroeder Halls because people are moving on to the faster, louder, and newer. But instead of just hemming and hawing, remembering what’s old and gone, we want to have new experiences within those frameworks—make memories of what’s left of the good stuff.”
The current lineup of the Stragglers includes Brad Rice on drums and harmonies, Grant Tracy on bass, and Nick Worley on fiddle, mandolin, and harmonies. Sunny Sweeney also stopped by to lend some harmonies on the new album, and Oklahoma music godfather Randy Crouch writes the final song on the record, “Grandfather’s Theme.”
Along with celebrating the new record, Jason Boland and the Stragglers are also celebrating 20 years on the road. “You have to be where you are,” Boland remarks about his service time. “Keep plugging away and doing the best you can at any moment. For a bunch of slackers [like us], that’s not too terribly tough … We’re fortunate that we’re not trying to fool anybody. That’s what it comes down to. We’re all loners but somehow a team. Now that I look at it all, I can see: it’s been fun.”
Hard Times Are Relative Track List:
1. “I Don’t Deserve You”
2. “Hard Times Are Relative”
3. “Right Where I Began”
4. “Searching for You”
5. “Do You Remember When”
6. “Dee Dee OD’d”
7. “Going, Going, Gone”
8. “Tattoo of a Bruise”
9. “Predestined”
10. “Grandfather’s Theme”
March 12, 2018 @ 6:24 pm
Any idea if there’s going to be any steel on the new album since Cody Angel left?
March 12, 2018 @ 6:34 pm
I knew someone was going to ask that question, and I don’t have a solid answer at this moment. The album does have steel guitar on it. Very possible Cody Angel played it. But when I saw them play about a month ago, they were a four piece.
March 13, 2018 @ 5:42 am
I know Roger Ray played with them recently at Gilley’s at Choctaw Casino in Pocola, OK.
March 12, 2018 @ 6:54 pm
Can’t wait, Rancho Alto was a great album. Boland continues to be one of the best songwriters doing it!
March 12, 2018 @ 7:35 pm
I’m assuming the album version of Hard Times Are Relative won’t be as stripped down as the version in the video, but Goddamn that’s the most heartfelt song I’ve heard this year. I can’t wait for the album.
March 12, 2018 @ 7:54 pm
Being from Texas, I get to hear Jason Boland on local radio a lot – a plug for 95.9 The Ranch in Fort Worth, and I agree that Jason is usually at the top of his game. For those who might not know – he had a very serious throat condition a few years back that threatened his singing career. Thank goodness it was corrected with surgery and now he sounds better than ever. I really look forward to his new album.
March 13, 2018 @ 8:41 am
Since moving from Fort Worth, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss 95.9 the Ranch. Truly one of the best radio stations ever.
March 12, 2018 @ 9:47 pm
I love Boland been listening since the first record and the song you featured here is indicative of more stellar song craft from Jason. We’re blessed to have the Stragglers still out on the road keeping Red DIrt Music pure!!!
March 13, 2018 @ 5:48 am
Great. Looking forward to this. They deserve to be far more popular than they are. They have been the best country band around for a decade or more.
March 13, 2018 @ 7:27 am
Always good to see new music from them!
March 13, 2018 @ 9:56 am
Love how you can tell a Jason Boland song just by the phrasing of the words. Great song.
March 13, 2018 @ 10:02 am
I LOVE JB never disappointing
March 13, 2018 @ 10:35 am
To preface with some perspective, I lived in Dallas from 2002-2006 and it was while there that I really became a committed fan of country music. Jason Boland was a key part of that. I ate up everything he did, even that weird “Nymphomaniac” bootleg of him doing tons of covers like “Dinosaur” and “Amarillo By Morngin” (I have no idea what it is called, so if anyone knows, I’d love to hear). That said, I think something has been missing since his third album. I recognize his songwriting is great, but the songs just don’t seem as fun anymore. There have been flashes of this on some of his subsequent albums (and I really did like Dark and Dirty Mile) but the fun just seems to have leaked out of the music. This seems especially to be the case with Rancho Alto and Squelch.
I recognize people change and mature and that is no doubt reflected in a songwriter’s songs. Perhaps it also has something to do with the phase of life I was in while in gradschool in Dallas that made Boland’s music so fun, or at least I associate it with that. Now, I listen to most of his new songs and just get discouraged. I did like the live cover of Tulsa Time though.
March 13, 2018 @ 10:38 am
Well, he got sober. That certainly seemed to have a big impact on his music.
March 13, 2018 @ 10:46 am
I think that is a good thing. His life and his family are definitely more important than my enjoyment of his music, though I am not sure what I am saying can simply be distilled down to “he wrote fun music because he was partying” (not that that is what you are saying).
March 13, 2018 @ 10:58 am
I understand what you are saying and I think that there is certainly more introspection in his recent albums, maybe more subdued songs, and more exploration of historical, societal, political themes, etc. I had a friend tell me the same thing. He wondered what happened to Boland’s drinking songs. When Boland was releasing more good time music, I was younger and partying more, myself. So, it sort of fit with the times, for me.
March 13, 2018 @ 1:07 pm
Oh yes.
March 13, 2018 @ 3:42 pm
I have been waiting impatiently for this!! Looking forward to hearing it, Boland never disappoints! Always enjoy seeing them live too!
March 13, 2018 @ 8:32 pm
I’ll be buying this, same as I do with all of Bolands music.
March 14, 2018 @ 10:19 am
Can’t wait for this
March 15, 2018 @ 6:45 am
Boland is arguably the best song writer I’ve personally ran across. His songs make me think and I appreciate that. Their is plenty of dumbed down music for folks to mindlessly drink to. May 18 couldn’t come any sooner. The law is love, got it.
March 15, 2018 @ 8:09 am
Yup
April 19, 2018 @ 9:02 pm
Trigger,
I noticed yesterday that Jason Boland, Cody Canada, and Mike McClure are doing a little a limited run “Yellow House Revisited” acoustic tour this summer. I was quite excited and got a ticket for the show at Dosey Doe in the Woodlands, Texas, in June. I’m not sure if it’s article-worthy or not, just thought I’d bring it to your attention….