Husband and wife duo Ida Mae (Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean), have released their debut record Chasing Lights. Produced by Ethan Johns and released via Thirty Tigers, Chasing Lights has earned significant acclaim from publications includingRolling Stone Country who dubbed Ida Mae one of "10 New Country and Americana Artists You Need to Know", and Billboard who calls the record "...the culmination of Turpin and Jeans' journey from the alt-rock band Kill It Kid into the country blues of Robert Johnson, Son House, Charley Patton, and others, a musical path that's proven fruitful in a very short time." NPR's "All Songs Considered" also featured the new record, noting that "...there's a fiery element to what they do."
Ida Mae recently completed a U.S. tour supporting Greta Van Fleet, and also toured this spring with Blackberry Smoke. Their tour with GVF culminated with them and Ida Mae sharing the stage for a soaring rendition of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released", which can be seen HERE. They'll be performing at Bonnaroo on June 14th. Additional touring highlights have included support slots with The Marcus King Band, The Lone Bellow, Nick Mulvey, Nikki Lane, and Will Varley. See additional performance dates below.
Ida Mae recorded Chasing Lights with acclaimed producer and friend Ethan Johns(Ray Lamontagne / Kings Of Leon / Laura Marling). Johns, who also plays drums on the album, pushed the band to record straight to tape with little rehearsal, encouraging them to rely on their instincts in order to capture the songs in the most raw and real manner possible. "Ethan records live and very quickly," explains Turpin. "He loves the naïve discovery of early takes. He loves the mistakes and the pure unthinking nature of those performances. It could be terrifying at times, but we always trusted his judgment."
"Reaching" was recently spotlighted in NPR's Heavy Rotation feature, calling Chasing Lights "harmonic and hypnotic." Rolling Stone Country also featured their single "If You Don't Love Me" as one of the "10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now", writing that "Ida Mae excel at hushed intimacy on this fragile ballad...it's proof that the best harmonies often come from artists with a shared history." They've also recently played a live session for Paste, and were featured in The Boot.
6/14/19 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
8/15/19 - Upper Salford, PA - Philadelphia Folk Festival
9/05/19 - Las Vegas, NV - Big Blues Bender
9/06/19 - Las Vegas, NV - Big Blues Bender
9/12/19 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
9/13/19 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
9/14/19 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
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