Emily Scott Robinson's 'Cheap Seats' Debuts Today
“Cheap Seats” is the second song unveiled from Robinson’s anticipated new album, American Siren, which will be released October 29 via Oh Boy Records.
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Aug. 12, 2021
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Emily Scott Robinson's new song, "Cheap Seats," is debuting today. Listen/share below.
Of the song, Robinson shares, "This song is for anyone who feels stuck waiting tables and working hard for their dream, wondering if it will ever come true, if anyone will ever see them, or if they'll ever catch their break. I wrote this after buying a cheap seat (one of the obstructed view tickets) to see John Prine and Bonnie Raitt sing at the 2019 Americana Awards. It meant so much to me. I was glad to be sitting alone because I cried when I saw them on that stage."
"Cheap Seats" is the second song unveiled from Robinson's anticipated new album, American Siren, which will be released October 29 via Oh Boy Records-her first release in partnership with the label (pre-order here). Produced byJason Richmond (The Avett Brothers, The Steep Canyon Rangers), American Siren showcases Robinson's powerful storytelling abilities as she gracefully blends imagined characters with meaningful stories and people she's encountered on her journey thus far. With these ten new songs, all of which she wrote on her own, Robinson beckons to those who are lost, lonely and struggling, hoping to help listeners find their place and feel less alone.
Ahead of the release, Robinson recently released album track, "Old Gods," to critical acclaim. Of the song, Rolling Stonepraises, "Robinson has turned heads for her intimate and empathetic songwriting...with some intricate acoustic guitar picking and lovely backing harmonies, it's a beautiful folk tune for anyone who's ever felt the pain of separation."
Reflecting on the record, Robinson shares, "I think that the thread running through the album is those things that call to us, and how we can't resist that call. It's about the siren songs that come up through our lives. It is bigger and riskier and more expansive than my last collection. It feels like I wrote some songs that I'm going to grow into as I continue to perform them. They're excavating some deeper stuff than I've touched on before, I think they will have a healing quality for people who listen."
In celebration of the new music, Robinson will embark on an extensive headline tour this fall including newly confirmed stops at New York's City Vineyard, Atlanta's Eddie's Attic, Nashville's High Watt, Greensboro's Crown at Carolina Theatre, Asheville's Grey Eagle, Denver's Soiled Dove and Cambridge's Club Passim among several others. Robinson will also join Dar Williams for a series of shows in December. See below for complete itinerary, full details can be found at www.emilyscottrobinson.com/tour.
American Siren follows Robinson's acclaimed, self-released album, Traveling Mercies, which was named one of the Best Country Albums of 2019 by Stereogum and Rolling Stone, who proclaimed, "a vibrant, mostly acoustic batch of songs from a writer who could evoke the empathy of Patty Griffin ('Ghosts in Every Town'), the narrative concision of Richard Thompson ('Overalls'), and the sly wit of Brandy Clark ('Pie Song') with her keen observations." Moreover, Stereogum praised, "It's a universal truth...that's what Robinson continually captures perfectly," and No Depression declared, "honest, humble folk music, honoring the purity that makes the genre so distinct...Robinson proves herself to be a graceful, yet convincing storyteller." Traveling Mercies also features Robinson's breakthrough track, "Better With Time," which has garnered over 6 million streams on Spotify to date.
Raised in Greensboro and now based in Telluride, Robinson found her way to music at age 13, when she was first exposed to the work of Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens and Dar Williams at summer camp. She went on to teach herself to play guitar and write songs, leading her to win the Telluride Troubadour Competition in 2019 and to be named a finalist at Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Competition in 2016. In the years since, Robinson has continued to tour extensively across the country, booking her own performances and garnering a supportive grassroots fanbase.
AMERICAN SIREN TRACKLIST
1. Old Gods
2. Things You Learn The Hard Way
3. If Trouble Comes A Lookin'
4. Let 'Em Burn
5. Cheap Seats
6. Hometown Hero
7. Lost Woman's Prayer
8. Every Day In Faith
9. Lightning In A Bottle
10. Old North State
EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
August 20-Grand Haven, MI-Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium
September 3-Mountain Village, CO-Music on the Green
September 23-25-Nashville, TN-AmericanaFest
October 1-3-Sisters, OR-Sisters Folk Fest
October 30-New York, NY-City Vineyard
November 4-Atlanta, GA-Eddie's Attic
November 5-Bluffton, SC-Roasting Room
November 6-Sparta, NC-Muddy Creek Music Hall
November 12-Nashville, TN-High Watt
November 13-Greensboro, NC-Crown at Carolina Theatre (early show + late show)
November 14-Asheville, NC-Grey Eagle
November 17-Denver, CO-Soiled Dove (early show + late show)
November 20-Telluride, CO-Sheridan Opera House
November 30-Woodbury, CT-The Woodbury Brewing Company
December 1-Cambridge, MA-Club Passim
December 4-Annapolis, MD-Ram's Head*
December 5-Washington, DC-Birchmere*
December 7-Richmond, VA-Tin Pan*
December 8-Charlottesville, VA-The Southern*
December 10-Pittsburgh, PA-Club Café*
December 11-Newark, NJ-Thirty One West*
December 12-Ann Arbor, MI-The Ark*
December 13-Spring Lake, MI-Seven Steps Up*
*with Dar Williams
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