American Songwriter is happy to bring you this, a premiere of “Born,” from Sawyer Frederick’s fourth album, Flowers For You.
Videos by American Songwriter
Sawyer, who turned 21 yesterday on March 31, 2020, wrote the 12 songs on the new album through the last few years, covering his journey of growing up as a working musician. Played in his self-described “free range folk” vein, they merge the blues, roots rock, and jazz with real-time live instrumental arrangements throughout.
“Born” is a personal song inspired by Fredericks’ relationship with his mother. Because he entered the music industry at a young age, his mom took on the role of shielding him from much of the inherent stress, and this coming of age song is meant to reassure her that it’s okay to let him struggle, and time to let go.
“I started writing ‘Born’ during breaks in the studio,” said Sawyer, “while we were recording Hide Your Ghost. I didn’t realize until later that I was writing about my mom. We had gone through an intense three years, spending so much time together on the road, in the studio, and even at home, I was basically living with my manager. We handled it as best we could, but we were just too tangled up. It was a painful and confusing time, for both of us. My story may be unusual, but I think most parents and teens go through feelings like these at some point.”
Flowers For You is the follow-up to Fredericks declaration of independence, 2018’s Hide Your Ghost, which Chris Griffy praised in No Depression as “a bluesy folk rocker with a no-frills production that relies on Fredericks’ raw voice to carry the emotional weight,” including it in his Top 10 Americana albums of 2018. Fredericks and his band toured the US extensively behind Hide Your Ghost, with highlights including Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and official showcases in 2019 at SXSW, AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance International, and BMI’s Island Hopper Songwriter Fest.
Flowers For You was recorded fully to analog tape at Dreamland Recording Studio in Woodstock, New York with his band: Gannon Ferrell on bass guitar, Chris Thomas on drums and Jerome Goosman on guitar. Special guests Katie Larson and Sav Buist of The Accidentals contributed strings to “Lies You Tell” and “Days Go By”.
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the band’s Spring touring has been rescheduled for the Fall of 2020 with dates TBA. Check www.SawyerFredericks.com for more details.
