Lindi Ortega’s New Album “Liberty” and Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Volunteer” Just Announced
Tis’ the season to officially announce your 2018 record apparently, as Wednesday (1-17) saw the unveiling of two marquee projects of note in the country and roots world.
To observe their 20th year of helping to keep the spirit of the street corner string band alive, Old Crow Medicine Show will release their latest record Volunteer via Columbia Records Nashville on April 20th. Produced by Dave Cobb and recorded at Nashville’s Historic Studio A, Volunteer is said to include highlights like “Look Away” which was inspired by The Rolling Stones and is member Ketch Secor’s homage to his love for the history of the South, and “A World Away,” which is an upbeat nod to refugees, and “Dixie Avenue,” which pays tribute to the Virginia location where Secor and bandmate Critter Fuqua fell in love with music.
It is the band’s first proper studio release since 2014’s Remedy. Since then, the troupe has become official members of the Grand Ole Opry, and released a live Bob Dylan tribute called 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde in 2017.
Volunteer is said to have more electric guitar than your common Old Crow record. The last time Telecaster was featured in one of the band’s songs, it was producer and mentor David Rawlings playing on the song “Wagon Wheel.” You could say that worked out for them pretty well.
“It was one of the coolest, maybe the coolest, experiences I’ve ever had in the studio,” Critter Fuqua says about working with Dave Cobb. “We did 30-some new songs, pitched everything to him and he said, ‘Don’t rehearse. Don’t play anything. Just come in.’ We were not used to that, but we went in and had an album in two weeks. It was pretty amazing.”
No track list is available just yet, but a single from the record called “Flicker & Shine” is set to be released on January 19th.
The ravenesque Canadian country maven Lindi Ortega has just announced the release of her three-part concept record called Liberty on March 30th. Drawing upon her own Mexican heritage, and the inspiration of the soundscapes created by Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone and Quentin Tarantino, the album follows a complete story line through songs written mostly by Ortega herself, with some assistance here and there by Aaron Raitiere, Bruce Wallace and John Paul White of The Civil Wars.
Recorded at Battle Tapes studio in East Nashville and produced by Skylar Wilson, Liberty also includes instrumental participation from Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy, Steelism, and others.
“Even though I always tried to have a silver lining, whether it’s by making my songs tongue-in-cheek, or writing some dark lyrics to happy music, there’s always been an element of balancing light and dark on my previous albums,” Ortega says. “But this is a full story, and I want everybody to be able to take something away from it at the end of the day.”
I. Through The Dust Part I
- 1. Afraid of the Dark
- 2. You Ain’t Foolin’ Me
- 3. Til My Dyin Day
- 4. Nothings Impossible
II. Though The Dust Part II
- 5. The Comeback Kid
- 6. Darkness Be Gone
- 7. Forever Blue
- 8. In The Clear
- 9. Pablo
- 10. Lovers In Love
III. Through The Dust Part III
- 11. Liberty
- 12. Gracias a la Vida
– – – – – – –
And if you’ve made it this far and want a little bit of an unannounced tidbit, Ashley McBryde’s debut major label debut Girl Goin’ Nowhere will be released March 30th.
January 17, 2018 @ 8:26 pm
Glad to hear Lindi Ortega is releasing a new record. Looking forward to that one. Then there’s FAK coming this Friday, and Cody Jinks sometime soon. Should be a good year for music.
January 17, 2018 @ 8:26 pm
I can not wait until the release of Volunteer! I feel in love with OCMS in 04 – I saw them play in a bowling alley. Then fell out of love during the reshuffling of band members after Tennessee Pusher. The fell back in love with them hard after the release of Remedy.
January 17, 2018 @ 8:27 pm
Definitely can’t wait for the new Lindi Ortega record….she always puts out a solid album, and the idea that its a concept album is even more intriguing.
January 18, 2018 @ 5:41 am
Can’t wait for OCMS album should be one of the highlights of the year.Caught the on their last two trips to Scotland and they are one of the best live performers I’ve ever seen.
January 18, 2018 @ 8:01 am
I am looking forward to Lindi’s new record, in which she seems to be channeling something of a Southwestern look and feel, especially given her Mexican heritage (a heritage, by the way, that she shares with one of her heroes Linda Ronstadt). Her 2015 album FADED GLORYVILLE is one of the great albums of this decade, in my humble opinion.
January 18, 2018 @ 9:23 am
Been a fan from the start and seen her a couple of times. That she has counted Townes as an influence, and felt kicked around and disillusioned with Nashville enough to leave and go home to Canada makes me admire her even more. Hopefully she continues to make her music on her terms.
January 18, 2018 @ 9:07 am
Good, new music on the way? Count me in!
January 18, 2018 @ 9:38 am
Lindiii!
Getting back up on the bull that bucked her.
Love it.
And coming back with a concept record no less!?
Inspired.
January 18, 2018 @ 9:41 am
Truckstops & Cigarettes is, in my opinion, one of the greatest country concept albums of all time. It is a difficult standard for her to top. Incidentally, I came across that album on Amazon right after it came out and it was in searching for information on who Lindi Ortega was that led me to SCM.
January 19, 2018 @ 6:59 am
Ortega is a really fine writer with a great and immediately identifiable voice. Best at down-tempo, imo. I’d like to hear her rock out more. Maybe “Liberty” will be the record for that, and I sure hope it’s decked out with mucho south of the border vibe.
January 19, 2018 @ 9:59 am
Since we’re at it i just read tha Blackberry Smoke will have a new album out for the 6th of april!!!!
January 19, 2018 @ 5:32 pm
Really happy Lindi Ortega is releasing a new album. I have been hooked on her music since hearing “Til the Going Gets Gone”.
January 23, 2018 @ 9:45 am
i can’t wait for lindi ortega’s new album, she is amazing and i’m loving the concept of liberty.
January 23, 2018 @ 3:24 pm
Love Linda. She is such amazing artist. She has such sweet pretty voice. Excited for new cd.