Video Premiere: Willie Sugarcapps, "Oh Colorado"

Videos by American Songwriter

Before they formed the Americana supergroup Willie Sugarcapps, musicians Will Kimbrough, Grayson Capps, Sugarcane Jane and Corky Hughes would cross paths every weekend or so at the Frog Pond, an outdoor venue in Silverhill, Alabama. Those weekend shows were modeled after Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles, with touring bands and local pickers sharing the same stage in a relaxed, rustic setting. Eventually, what began as a weekly jam session started growing into something bigger, and Willie Sugarcapps — a twangy, rootsy, harmony-fueled band, with a lineup of harmony singers and multi-instrumentalists — was born.

Today, the band’s self-titled debut hits shelves. Produced by Trina Shoemaker, it’s a collection of songs that split the difference between folk, Bayou blues, bluegrass and old-school country. On “Colorado,” the group keeps things simple, letting the song’s melody speak for itself.

“The song has that ‘Emmylou’ quality to it,” says Savana Lee, one of Sugarcane Jane’s members. “It takes me back to a time when music was simple, yet real. I am a believer in not over thinking anything. Sometimes a simple melody is as good as homemade peach cobbler — case in point.”

“I wrote this with Sara Jean Kelley one winter day,” Kimbrough adds. “We were thinking about longing. We started talking about Colorado, and places like Telluride, Lizard Head, Durango, the Weminuche wilderness… high, high places up above 10,000 feet, where your breath is literally taken away. In about an hour, we were singing “Oh Colorado.” I sent it to Savana Lee, and she reacted immediately. It moved her, too. She and Anthony learned the song. Savana’s voice on the song… talk about longing. I have to avoid the track while driving; I get a little teary-eyed every time I hear her sing it. The sentiment is universal, though. Not limited to longing for the Rockies: “I have lost my way but I will come back to you one day.” It’s a universal, ancient longing in the song.”

Watch the video for “Oh Colorado” below.