Colorado-based bluegrass group, Turkeyfoot, premiered the title track for their debut album, “Promise of Tomorrow,” today on American Songwriter. Self-described as a band’s band, Jordan Brandenburg (Mandolin), Michael Rudolph (Bass), Bridger Dunnagan (Fiddle), Dave Pailet (Guitar/Dobro), and Alex Koukov (Banjo) each provide unique contributions to original material and style.
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The quintet got their start sharing a condenser mic at a weekly bluegrass jam in Denver. They attribute their undeniable sonic chemistry to dear friendships. The respect for each other’s talent resonates throughout dynamic arrangements of archaic folk instrumentation. With the help of friends and fans via Kickstarter, Turkeyfoot recorded The Promise of Tomorrow recorded over four days at Vermillion Studios with engineer Eric Wiggs. They incentivized donations with what the five could provide, offering dinner cooked by banjo player, Koukov, or a fly fishing trip with Brandenburg and Dunnagan. “We got a ton of support from this community,” shared Bradenburg. “For me, it’s been cool to see that your friends are excited about the things that you’re doing.”
“Promise of Tomorrow” is an ode to audaciousness. After losing his grandfather at a young age, Bradenburg painted a picture of this man through stories his grandmother told after moving in with them. Struck by their bravery, Turkeyfoot’s Mandolinist often pondered what his young grandparents, poor newlywed high school graduates, felt when they first saw the Pacific Ocean after a long journey from their dustbowl home. Drawing inspiration from that imagined moment, the title track came to him like a vision.
“They never lost hope even in the hardest of times,” Bradenburg shared the pair. “I’ve always taken comfort in the way my grandparents overcame so many hardships in their lives. Their grit has served me well when times have gotten tough. The only thing that we all really have is each other. and that’s a theme both in this song and one that repeats in the album.”
Purveyors of an age-old tradition, Turkeyfoot, cannot be mistaken for anything but a bluegrass band. The twelve-track collection embodies fortitude, sharing stories with a lens of wisdom gained only through disappointment. Songs like “Snaggletooth Stomp” reveal revered talent. Yet, each track tells a tale of the road that brought the five men together around the mic. The album’s title track nods to country-western roots, while the searing pedal steel on “Another Painful Lesson Learned” adopts an old-Nashville Americana sound. Topics covered range from folklore to heartbreak and wandering until you make it back home. Lyrical wisdom emphasizes the importance of place throughout.
The current trials facing our world adds an additional layer of relevance to Turkeyfoot’s debut album. “Promise of Tomorrow” delivers a timely uplifting message that sympathizes with existential doubt but reassures us that the sun will rise in the morning.
“While we didn’t know our whole country would fall on such tough times when we put this project together, we hope that our music allows people to look towards a brighter day, to the Promise of Tomorrow.”
Listen to Turkeyfoot’s “Promise of Tomorrow” below. Look out for their debut album this summer.
