Steadfast in their craft and excellence, Old Crow Medicine Show has announced the date for its seventh studio album titled Paint This Town. Set for an April 22 release date in 2022, this record is a return to form for the Grammy-winning Americana string band.
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Old Crow Medicine Show—composed of Mike Harris, Morgan Jahnig, Jerry Pentecost, Ketch Secor, Mason Via, and Cory Younts—also released the title track off of the forthcoming record alongside the album announcement. “Paint This Town” is a carefree bluegrass anthem that sets the tone for a rapturous album.
“This song is about growing up in a small town, and having to make fun wherever you could find it,” bandleader Secor said in a press statement. “Our band has always drawn its inspiration from those elemental American places, where water towers profess town names, where the Waffle House and the gas station are the only spots to gather; this is the scenery for folk music in the 21st century. And the John Henry’s and Casey Jones of today are the youth who rise up out of these aged burgs undeterred, undefeated, and still kicking.”
“Paint This Town” and the remaining tracks on the album were produced at Old Crow’s Hartland Studio with co-producer Matt Ross-Spang (John Prine, Jason Isbell). In the studio, the band leaned into their carefree origin story of busking on the street.
“At the end of the day, we’re still just trying to stop you on the street and get you to put a dollar in the guitar case,” Jahnig said of the band’s sonic roots. “Then once we’ve got your attention, we’re gonna tell you about things like the opioid epidemic and the Confederate flag and what’s happening with the environment—but we’re gonna do it with a song and dance. We feel a great obligation to talk about the more difficult things happening out there in the world, but we also feel obligated to make sure everyone’s having a great time while we do it.”
Pre-order Paint This Town HERE and find tour dates HERE.
Listen to “Paint This Town” by Old Crow Medicine, below.
Photo by Kit Wood / Missing Piece Group
