Turnpike Troubadours Side Project RC & the Ambers Ready Album
If you’re looking for somewhere to turn to fill your Turnpike Troubadours fix amid the Red Dirt band’s continued indefinite hiatus, a new option is getting ready to present itself. Long-time Turnpike side project RC and the Ambers—primarily comprised of Turnpike bassist, songwriter, and beating heart RC Edwards, and long-time Turnpike friend Amber Watson—has just finished up a proper studio album. And similar to the badass debut album from Turnpike fiddler Kyle Nix released in 2020 called Lightning on the Mountain, many Turnpike members appear on the tracks.
Turnpike’s steel guitar and accordion player “Hammerin'” Hank Early reached out to Saving Country Music earlier this week with a heads up that a new album is on the way. Called Big Country, Hank produced the album and plays many of the instruments. Kyle Nix appears on the album as well, as does Turnpike drummer Gabriel Pearson, along with of course RC Edwards, Amber Watson, and Justin Kay.
The album is said to be mostly unreleased RC Edwards originals, with one cover song, and a one song written by Hank Early. It was recorded in Turnpike’s hometown of Tahlequah, Oklahoma in a home studio over the last six months. “I can promise you, it sounds nothing like a Turnpike record,” Hank Early tells SCM. “We are both extremely proud of it and can’t wait for you to hear it.”
Hank Early also posted about the album on Reddit this week, adding about the album, “It sounds like a space cowboy warlock line dance party. I think you’ll like it. Tell your friends.”
Then when asked if he had any news on the Turnpike Troubadours proper to share, Hank Early responded, “Wish I could give you some good news, but I’ve been told not to share any details about all the good news I’d love to share.” So stay tuned on that. Last weekend Turnpike front man Evan Felker showed up in Texas playing many Turnpike songs at a benefit with The Teague Brothers backing him up.
Though RC and the Ambers have been around for years as a side project, the band has taken on new emphasis for RC Edwards and Amber Watson since the Turnpike Troubadours hiatus. Heretofore they’ve primarily played local gigs in Oklahoma, and festivals like Medicine Stone and Mile 0 Fest in Key West. According to folks who’ve seen them play recently, it’s gone from simply a loose and fun free form stage party with interchangeable members to something folks are seeking out. It will certainly be interesting to hear what they have in store.
Amber Watson has been a close friend of the Turnpike Troubadours since the very beginnings of the band. At one point Evan Felker was sleeping on her couch in Tahlequah as the band was just getting started. There is no release date or further information on Big Country by RC and the Ambers, but the band is booked to play Mile 0 Fest at the end of April, and may showcase some of what they have in store then. Stay tuned.
March 6, 2021 @ 12:07 pm
Looking forward to hearing this record. Did you just break some Turnpike news with this story?
March 6, 2021 @ 12:18 pm
Pretty sure something is a’brewing. Little breadcrumbs here and there.
Probably won’t even know it until some surprise reveal at a festival, though.
All that aside, I’m looking forward to checking this album out. Sounds like a great time!
March 6, 2021 @ 1:39 pm
Seems to me he didn’t break any definitely non-news that he’d love to but can’t share.
No disrespect to this new album, but that was the best part of the story IMO.
March 6, 2021 @ 10:19 pm
“Wish I could give you some good news, but I’ve been told not to share any details about all the good news I’d love to share.”
Rock hard over this good news
March 7, 2021 @ 11:23 am
Um, thanks for the visual.
March 8, 2021 @ 8:52 am
I am over Evan and his carousel of personal drama “what-if’s”. The off-shoot projects of TT members are my interest now.
March 8, 2021 @ 9:23 am
Amen.
Time for him to grow up/& put up/or shut up.
Did he attend the Carrie Underwood school of drama, or what? …..
Good Luck to all the TT members side projects/break out projects. Go get it guys!
March 8, 2021 @ 12:14 pm
No doubt Evan Felker has stirred some drama in his day. But I’m not sure it’s Evan Felker’s call at this point if the Turnpike Troubadours ever get back together. Maybe it is, I don’t know. But my sense isn’t that he’s playing footsie with the band, but if the band can get over the years of drama he’s created for them to give it another go. Maybe they can and will now that he’s sober. But it’s Evan Felker who is looking for understanding and forgiveness, even if he might be the most important piece to making Turnpike work again.
March 8, 2021 @ 1:07 pm
“But my sense isn’t that he’s playing footsie with the band, but if the band can get over the years of drama he’s created for them to give it another go.”
– Wouldn’t that be awesome?!
“But it’s Evan Felker who is looking for understanding and forgiveness, even if he might be the most important piece to making Turnpike work again.”
– Certainly hope he knows that he has tons of understanding and forgiveness out here, & people wishing everyone concerned in this saga, the very best outcome.
As you know, my comment was to place a stick of dynamite under his behind. Get moving, one way or the other.
: D
March 8, 2021 @ 3:05 pm
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, TT is too big a moneymaker. Even if the band members all hated one another, the money’s too good to refuse to play together, but I highly doubt that’s the case. Besides, this is from their statement back in 2019: “Turnpike Troubadours will go on an indefinite hiatus until a time we feel that everyone is of strong mind, body and spirit and can deliver what our fans deserve.”
Aside from vague statements that something is brewing quoted in this article and rumors on social media about the band getting back together, the only official word from any band member regarding that state of things is that they are “between records,” according to Kyle Nix.
Whenever they do hit the stage again, they’ll either be better than they were before (at their peak, mind you, not with Felker too fucked-up-to-stand up) or not be the same band. Either way, I’m looking forward to it.
March 8, 2021 @ 4:43 pm
Oh yeah …
You would not BELIEVE the lineup of bands in 2019 in Madison, Indiana. Brews and whatever on the Ohio River.
Had just moved back from the OK/TX Panhandles, in ’17, didn’t hit Trigger’s site until sometime in ’19.
For sure would have been there if knew what was going to miss!
Too hot end of April for Mile 0 fest, if it goes.
If am going to be that hot in the Keys, going to be diving & shooting fish
March 8, 2021 @ 10:18 am
This is great news all around for Turnpike fans. I really don’t understand why people take the Evan Felker situation so personally. Everyone has demons that they have to deal with; we should try and give people a little grace and just hope things work out for them. A lot of the musical artists that built country music have lived turbulent lives. Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings were no angels.
March 8, 2021 @ 11:21 am
Mike,
Agreed. But Evan is no Waylon Jennings. Few others are as well. Matter of fact, Evan is a blip on Waylon’s universe. As a side-note, Waylon is one of the most transformational artists in the history of country music. Too many examples to list here.
March 8, 2021 @ 2:02 pm
I fully understand that Waylon is a more influential figure but that’s not really relevant to the point that there is a long history of prominent figures in country music living turbulent lives but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying whatever music they produce. There just seems to be a trend among fans to take the failings of musicians personally and as a result disregard their works. I just don’t think that is a productive way to think. Very few artists if any will ever rise to become the next Waylon if we disregard them due to personal failings.
March 8, 2021 @ 2:09 pm
Because people like me wasted a lot of money in travel and lodging to see TT to either see a terrible show or have it canceled last minute. I’ve seen other artists fucked up on stage and everyone had a great time. When Evan was messed up, he sucked the life out of a room. I just recently started listening to TT again after a terrible show in 2017. For the longest time, I couldn’t listen to to a TT song without seeing Evan’s emotionless face staring at a ceiling mumbling his way through a song.
March 9, 2021 @ 7:55 am
Evan just had a baby!
March 11, 2021 @ 9:51 am
And didn’t name her Lorrie. Haha