Nashville-based independent artist Ron Pope's new EP Worktapes is scheduled for release January 26 on his own Brooklyn Basement Records. Pope sets U.S. tour with a Midwest and West Coast run beginning February 7.
Worktapes follows Pope's seventh studio album, Work, released to critical praise in August 2017. Billboard notes, "Pope actually has more of a background as a rocker, a
Bruce Springsteen devotee who played in the band the
District before going solo in 2007...the decidedly uptempo Work is intended to send that message to the world." No Depression lauds Work, "Ron Pope's music is honest, it comes from the heart, and defies any glib categorization."
The forthcoming EP was produced by
Ron Pope and Ted Young (percussion with the Rolling Stones and Sonic Youth) and recorded at
Welcome to 1979 Studio in Nashville and Plum Creek Sound in Austin. Pope collaborated with a host of musicians on the album including Mike Riddleberger (Bleachers, The Defibrillators) on drums, Andrew Pertes (Demi Lovato, Big Data) on electric bass,
Kai Welch (Kacey Musgraves, Sarah Jarosz) on organ, piano and accordion, Alan Markley (Maggie Rogers) on piano, Alex Foote (LPX, Greg Holden) on guitar, Jeff Malinowski (Wheeler Walker Jr.,
Frances Cone) on guitar, vocals, harmonica, Amal Bouhabib (New Ponies) on vocals, Courtney Trice on vocals, Charles Ray on trumpet, Nathan McLeod on tenor and baritone saxophone, Alex Brumel (Nikki Lane) on guitar, tenor saxophone, vocals, dobro, Jay Collins (the Allman Brother, Levon Helm) on tenor saxophone, Vanessa McGowan (Brandy Clark) on upright bass, Ted Young (the Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth) on percussion and Paul Hammer (Savoir Adore) on guitar and vocals.
Pope points to his modest beginnings as the impetus for Worktapes, "It was scary at times, not knowing if you would make rent or have money for a sandwich, but we were usually happy and mostly we felt free. Sometimes I wish I could to back there; it certainly was simpler. Like the prophet Dylan said, "When you ain't got nothin' you got nothin' to lose." This whole Worktapes record is really about that space between childhood and adulthood, when you're floating in the vast nothingness trying to find something to cling to so you don't drift off into the abyss. Thank God I found people to listen to my music. It keeps me off the streets, which is good for me (and good for the streets)."
To date, he has surpassed 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, sold out shows in more than 20 countries, sold over two million digital tracks, had over 250 million streams on Spotify, 630 million plays on
Pandora and 150 million views on YouTube. Pope's music has been featured on NBC's "The Voice," CW's "Vampire Diaries," "90210," and multiple seasons of FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance," which sent two of his albums into the top 100 on iTunes simultaneously. Pope also guest starred as himself in season three of the show "Nashville." When Ron is not touring or releasing his own music, he is writing and producing for other artists signed to his Brooklyn
Basement Records label.
RON POPE LIVE
* with
The National Parks and The Heart Of
February 7 /// Saint Louis, MO /// Delmar Hall
February 8 /// Lawrence, KS /// Granada Theatre
February 9 /// Englewood, CO /// Gothic Theatre
February 10 /// Salt Lake City, UT /// The Complex
February 12 /// Missoula, MT /// Top Hat Lounge
February 14 /// Vancouver, BC /// The Rickshaw Theatre
February 15 /// Seattle, WA /// The Showbox
February 16 /// Portland, OR /// Wonder Ballroom
February 17 /// San Francisco, CA /// The Fillmore
February 18 /// Sacramento, CA /// Ace of Spades
February 22 /// Los Angeles, CA /// The Fonda
February 23 /// San Diego, CA /// House of Blues
February 24 /// Phoenix, AZ /// The Van Buren
February 25 /// Tucson, AZ /// The Rialto Theatre
February 27 /// Albuquerque, MI /// The El Ray Theater
March 1 /// Austin, TX /// The Parish
March 2 /// Houston, TX /// White Oak Music Hall
March 3 /// Dallas, TX /// The Granada Theater
March 4 /// Memphis, TN /// 1884 Lounge
Photo Credit: Nicole Mago
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