Mac Powell and the Family Reunion Release New Single Before Debut Album
By: Abigail Charpentier Jul. 15, 2019
This summer, Mac Powell and the Family Reunion will release their full-length debut album Back Again on July 26th via Thirty Tigers. Led by the former lead singer of Grammy-winning, multi-platinum selling group Third Day, the new band is southern roots and American rock. It's a collection of foot-stomping, hand-clapping tunes that pay tribute to Mac's early musical inspirations from his childhood, including Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Jim Croce to name a few. Today they released their new single "Mess of Me" which Taste of Country called "a song that sounds like what might happen if the Beatles collaborated with the Allman Brothers Band."
"I wrote this song while looking back and remembering when I first fell in love with my wife, Aimee," Mac told Taste of Country. "Remembering what it feels like to want so bad to be with someone and that you would do anything in your power to make that happen. Sometimes that love can make us a little sick and crazy - keeping us up late at night and making us do things that we wouldn't normally do."
Mac and the Family Reunion released their debut single "Back Again" last month, a country rock travelogue that captures the group's dynamic live presence. Billboardcalled it "a blend of country, rock and gospel, brought to life with Powell's gritty, soulful voice." It was followed by the release of "Whoo!" featuring country music legend Craig Morgan. Parade Magazine named it "the perfect song for summer."
"Like most people, I grew up listening to my Mom and Dad's record collection," said Powell. "There was singer-songwriter stuff, some country and southern rock. I always liked artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, James Taylor, The Eagles, or even the Stones, who weren't country per se, but who sometimes leaned more towards that sound. That's what was stirring my mind and my spirit."
To that end, he formed Mac Powell and the Family Reunion after Third Day's final shows in 2018, utilizing musical "brothers" who had been recording and playing live with him in support of his other solo projects, including his 2012 self-titled debut and 2014's Southpaw. Recorded in Atlanta with producer/musical director Jason Hoard, Powell and his bandmates purposely kept a raw edge to the record. The result is a welcome looseness and down-home charm to Back Again that finds the band equally comfortable between gentle ballads and hand-clapping, toe-tapping country pop.
To further support the record, Powell and band plan on hitting the road this fall. In the meantime, catch them during select dates this summer including a special hometown release show in Marietta, GA followed by Nashville's Grand Ole Opry.
Tour Dates:
07/25 - Marietta, GA @ The Strand Theater
07/26 - Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry
08/11 - Spring Hill, TN @ Rippavilla Plantation
08/17 - Salem, OR @ Riverfront Park
08/18 - Chehalis, WA @ SW WA Regional Fair
08/22 - Meadville, PA @ Crawford County Fairgrounds
08/23 - Prestonsburg, KY @ Mountain Arts Center
09/10 - Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Valley Fair
09/21 - Paoli, PA @ AbbeyFest
09/26 - Modesto, CA @ Gallo Center for the Arts
Track List:
01) Back Again
02) Flood Waters
03) Whoo! (feat. Craig Morgan)
04) Watermelon Rind
05) Red On A Rose
06) I'm Beginning To Wonder
07) Going To California
08) I Could Get Used To This
09) Tiptoein'
10) Heaven
11) What I Came Here For
12) Mess of Me
13) Settlin' Down
14) Sittin' Here Talkin' With You
15) Mississippi
Photo credit: David Dobson
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