Today the Austin-based trio Greyhounds have released their new album Cheyenne Valley Drive. Sporting ten tracks ranging from swaggering boogie to space-age soul, each song feels both timelessly lived-in and uniquely fresh. The album is currently streaming via Billboard.com who spoke with singer/guitarist Andrew Trube about their approach in the studio; "The key is just not to overthink it," says Trube. "So many people stew on it, especially now when you can go really deep on the computer and spend months and months on one song, editing and fine-tuning. But then all the little fun curve-ball things usually get taken out, and to me that's the good stuff."
Cheyenne Valley Drive has been received with acclaim by Rolling Stone Country, The Bluegrass Situation, Glide Magazine, and championed in their hometown by The Austin Chronicle and Austin Statesman who writes, "Sweet and soulful sway is the Greyhounds' bread-and-butter, but their golden touch is [keyboardist and singer Anthony] Farrell's singing... the richness of his voice permeates the grooves like 100 percent humidity, dripping with passion and personality."
Greyhounds are the Austin trio of Anthony Farrell (vocals, keyboards), Andrew Trube (vocals and guitar) and Ed Miles (drums). Many music fans remember Farrell and Trube as key members of JJ Grey's band MOFRO for many years. After parting with Grey in 2016 to focus full-time on Greyhounds, the band has only left the road to record and release two full-length records.
The seeds of Cheyenne Valley Drive were planted in 2016 when Greyhounds met acclaimed engineer and Memphis native Matt Ross-Spang. Soon afterwards, Matt moved his operation to the newly refurbished Sam Phillips Recording studio. Greyhounds had always wanted to record in the historic studio, considering it the perfect place to make the type of album they wanted: a less produced, more spontaneous style of recording, all straight to tape like many of the classic records that were made there in its heyday. And Ross-Spang was the perfect engineer, steeped in the old-school style of making records.
Drawing from 17 years of songwriting, Trube and Farrell had plenty of material to choose from. "It was a chance to look back at some of our favorite tunes that we had never recorded" says Trube. Because there were only 3 days in which to record and mix the record, Greyhounds knew they would have to be ready to perform these songs seamlessly, just like they would at a live show. "When recording to tape you have to make commitments. It is a lesson in letting go and not getting hung up on things. Its liberating."
13 songs were recorded and mixed over the course of those three days, along with guest appearances by Dante Schwebel, Will Sexton, Amy LaVere, and Art Edmaiston. "When you are going at that pace, you don't get a lot of time to second guess yourself. You learn to trust your instincts and be more present in the moment," says Farrell of the breakneck pace of recording.
Cheyenne Valley Drive is a product of a band at the height of their game, making music in a studio that has been virtually untouched by time, recording in the style of their musical heroes.
Greyhounds Tour Dates:
4/13 - Austin, TX - The Continental Club
4/19 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Tower Theater
5/10 - Saint Louis, MO - Bootleg @Atomic Cowboy
5/24 - Little Rock, AR - Whitewater Tavern
5/25 - Franklin, TN - Puckett's
5/26 - Nashville, TN - The Basement
5/29 - Richmond, VA - Capital Ale House
5/30 - Easton, MD - Stoltz Listening House
5/31 - Brooklyn, NY - The Knitting Factory
6/01 - New Haven, CT - Cafe Nine
6/02 - Cambridge, MA - Atwood's Tavern
6/03 - Northampton, MA - Parlor Room
6/05 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's
6/08 - Tulsa, OK - Mercury Lounge
6/09 - Denton, TX - Dan's Silverleaf
6/23 - Cornville, AZ - Tilted Earth Festival
6/27 - Boise, ID - Alive After Five
9/14 - Charlotte, NC - US Whitewater Center
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