Ruston Kelly to Release New Project on Oct. 11

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Ruston Kelly will release his new project, Dirt Emo Vol. 1, October 11 via Rounder Records (pre-order here). The 8-track release consists of Kelly's favorite emo songs including a rendition of Dashboard Confessional's "Screaming Infidelities," featuring the band's lead singer Chris Carrabba, which is premiering today.

Of the project, Kelly shares, "I don't play country, this stuff is dirt emo. It's like crying in a barn or angsting in your room with a banjo."

In addition to "Screaming Infidelities," the project also includes Kelly's previously released versions of The Carter Family's "Weeping Willow" and Taylor Swift's "All Too Well." Originally released as an Amazon Original, Kelly's "All Too Well" received widespread critical praise as well as attention from Swift herself. Of the song, Billboard declares, "Kelly puts his own haunting spin on the track with yearning vocals, delicate percussion and soaring instrumentation," while UPROXX praises, "...his rendition is a beautiful tribute to the raw emotionality of the original. He makes the song his own with atmospheric instrumentals, replacing Swift's driving percussion with drums that sound more soft and searching."

In celebration of the release, Kelly will continue his extensive "Brightly Burst" headline tour this fall including stops at Atlanta's Terminal West, Austin's Scoot Inn, Los Angeles' Troubadour (two nights), Seattle's Tractor Tavern, New York's Bowery Ballroom, Boston's Brighton Music Hall and Washington D.C.'s U Street Music Hall among several others. See below for complete details.

The release of Dirt Emo Vol.1 adds to a landmark year for Kelly, whose full-length debut album, Dying Star, was released last fall on Rounder Records. Co-produced by Kelly and Jarrad K, Dying Star landed on several "Best of 2018" lists including Rolling Stone, Paste, UPROXX, American Songwriter and NPR Music, who praises, "Kelly digs down deep on Dying Star to fearlessly put forth a set of songs steeped in emotional twists, turns and complications...This here is powerful stuff." Additionally, album track "Mockingbird" is nominated for Song of the Year at the 2019 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards.

DIRT EMO VOL. 1 TRACK LIST

1. "Screaming Infidelities" feat. Chris Carrabba (originally by Dashboard Confessional)
2. "Teenage Dirtbag" [Live] (originally by Wheatus)
3. "At Your Funeral" (originally by Saves The Day)
4. "Dammit" (originally by Blink 182)
5. "All Too Well" (originally by Taylor Swift)
6. "Teenage Dirtbag" [Acoustic] (originally by Wheatus)
7. "Weeping Willow" (originally by The Carter Family)
8. "Helena" (originally by My Chemical Romance)

RUSTON KELLY CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

September 13-Nashville, TN-AmericanaFest @ Union Station Hotel

September 18-Chattanooga, TN-Songbirds South Stage*

September 19-Knoxville, TN-Bijou Theatre*

September 20-Atlanta, GA-Terminal West*

September 20-22-Bristol, TN-Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

September 26-Dallas, TX-Granada Theater*

September 27-Houston, TX-White Oak Music Hall*

September 28-Austin, TX-Scoot Inn*

October 1-Los Angeles, CA-Troubadour* (SOLD OUT)

October 2-Los Angeles, CA-Troubadour*

October 3-San Francisco, CA-The Independent*

October 4-Portland, OR-Wonder Ballroom*

October 5-Seattle, WA-Tractor Tavern*

October 7-Salt Lake City, UT-The State Room*

October 8-Denver, CO-The Bluebird Theater*

October 10-Des Moines, IA-Wooly's*

October 11-Minneapolis, MN-Fine Line*

October 12-Madison, WI-High Noon Saloon*

October 16-St. Louis, MO-Blueberry Hill*

October 18-Louisville, KY-Mercury Ballroom*

October 19-Columbus, OH-A&R Music Bar*

October 20-Detroit, MI-The Shelter*

October 22-Toronto, ON-Horseshoe Tavern†

October 24-New York, NY-Bowery Ballroom*

October 25-Boston, MA-Brighton Music Hall*

October 26-Washington, DC-U Street Music Hall*

October 27-Philadelphia, PA-World Café Live*

October 30-Richmond, VA-Richmond Music Hall*

October 31-Cleveland, OH-House of Blues Cleveland*

November 1-Chicago, IL-Thalia Hall*

November 11-15-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic-John Prine's "All The Best Fest"

*with Donovan Woods

†The Drew Thomson Foundation

To post a comment, you must register and login.