The Best Americana, Country and Folk Music Publicity
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Van Plating’s song “The Way Down,” produced by Bryan Elijah Smith with string arrangements by Rachel Van Plating.
“The Way Down” is Bryan Elijah Smith on bass, drums, guitars and backing vocals; and Rachel Van Plating on vocals, violin, and viola. Turn up this sultry swagger and fall all ‘the way down’ with Van Plating. The song has quite a backstory, and the automatic appeal of an instant hypnosis dream state.
Van Plating Essential 8 Questions
– What do you love most about being on the road?
Performing is a collaborative act between audience and artist, and every night is a one-off: a never-to-be-experienced-again moment in time that will stand still in the memory of both performer and concert-goers, if it’s a really good night (or a really not-so-good night). And all those nights, the good, bad, mediocre, and somewhere in-between are distinctly themselves, unable to be replicated or repeated because you can’t turn back the clock. I LOVE connecting with people through song. There is absolutely nothing else like it. No experience compares to that feeling when you’re baring your soul in melody and the audience is leaning in. When you’re winding down on a low, soft moment and they’re hanging on the melody and then the band explodes and they (the audience) explode with you. When you’re playing by your lonesome, just yourself and a guitar or piano and you can hear someone drop their drink in the back of the room bc everyone is holding their breath, experiencing the moment with you. You’re together, intimately together in the act of performance. I miss it deeply right now. I miss the togetherness of it all.
Grace Morrison has spent most of her musical career seeking refuge from the spotlight. Whether it was singing backup for rock icons like Eddie Money and Joey Molland (of Badfinger fame), or trying to blend in with various bandmates, being the center of attention has never been comfortable for her. Fast forward to 2020, and just like for most of us, she spent a lot of time deciding what she really wanted after being told what she couldn’t do — in her case, play music for people.
With her new album, Daughter, Morrison establishes herself as a confident, refreshing voice in country-pop. The 12-song collection is certain to find favor with fans of the storytelling and delivery of Jewel and Lisa Loeb, as well as with those who enjoy singing along with Boyz II Men on their car stereo.
Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Grace Morrison ‘s song “Put the Bottle Down,” from her forthcoming album Daughter. The album was produced by Jon Evans at the Studio at Brick Hill, mastered by John Mailloux at Bongo Beach Productions with album photography by Corinna Raznikov and graphic design by Paula Mailloux.
“Put the Bottle Down” is Grace Morrison on vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, banjo, synth, and hand claps; Jon Evans on bass, guitar, background vocals, and B3; Matthias Bossi on drums, and Lloyd Maines on pedal steel, papoose, and dobro.
Dominique Pruitt’s ridden a tumultuous past few years. Now, she’s come out on the other side with an EP coming on 2 July. From losing her job, to navigating a global pandemic, and moving out of Los Angeles, it’s been one hit after another. Yet, the artist has persevered, and the end result is smoother tides and one heck of a five-song collection with Praying for Rain.
It’s a soulful vintage, spanning Americana influences the years over. Throughout, Pruitt’s voice rings clear, resonant whether she’s navigating jangly rockabilly melodies towards darker beats of country noir. Ahead of Praying for Rain’s release, Pruitt joined For Folk’s Sake in its ongoing ‘FFS 5’ series.
Three years ago, Dominique Pruitt made a cannonball splash with her Nancy Sinatra shaker “High in the Valley.” The singer-songwriter now returns with a grand gesture in the form of her teary-eyed “Even My Roses are Blue,” co-written with her father and legacy act Larry “L.A.” Brown (The Association, Smothers Brothers). “My heart’s in a million pieces,” she laments over golden horn blasts.
When you were in my life, I thought I had it all / I really had no clue, she confides, tugging the listener ever closer. Just how many tears could fall / I thought you were someone else / But in the end I found out who.
“Inspiration can strike any place. Pretty sure I saw dyed blue roses at the market and thought of the title,” Pruitt tells American Songwriter, with a laugh. “But really, when you’re breaking up, it feels like the whole world is tinged with a somber hue. I thought, ‘If your whole world is so blue with sadness and heartache, that even the roses are blue.’ This song came from an urge to write something very retro at that moment.”