NASHVILLE, TN (Aug. 21, 2023) – Boy Named Banjo has announced their major label debut album Dusk, due out September 29 via Mercury Records Nashville. On Dusk, the Nashville-native group explores the full emotional spectrum of the rich, eclectic sound they’ve honed over the last decade. Along with the announcement, the band also shares their wistful new single “Lonely In This Town” which arrives with a music video that finds them on a reflective late-night car ride.
PRE-ORDER DUSK | HERE
“I’ve always felt like ‘Lonely In This Town’ is best enjoyed driving with the windows down in your car,” shares banjo player Barton Davies. “The music feels uplifting and euphoric with the three-part harmonies and steady groove, but then the lyrics come in and give the complete opposite vibe. It’s almost like you’re lonely but you’re happy about it. I love that duality in the song.”
Produced by longtime collaborator Oscar Charles (Caroline Spence, Charlie Worsham), Dusk is an electrifying dose of lightning in a bottle over its nine tracks, running a gamut of late-night, fall-in-love party anthems and stripped-down meditations. Boy Named Banjo’s songwriting is as incisive as ever, artfully grappling with lust and longing, hope and heartbreak. Sonically, the band’s performances on the record are nothing short of exhilarating, blurring the lines between Music Row and Laurel Canyon with lush harmonies and bold cinematic arrangements. The end result is a masterfully crafted, larger-than-life major label debut from a group that continues to grow by leaps and bounds with every release.
Widely beloved by loyal fans nationwide for their high-octane live shows, Boy Named Banjo will kick off their coast-to-coast Dusk Til Dawn Tour next month on September 14 in Atlanta – tickets can be found here and a full list of dates can be found below. Audiences will be treated to performances from their extensive catalog and new music from Dusk, in addition to their recent uplifting anthem “What Keeps Me Going” which earned praise from CMT, Holler, Taste of Country, Whiskey Riff and more. 2023 has already shaped up to be another banner year for the band following their Grand Ole Opry debut, a momentous milestone that was documented at People.
Expertly melding an array of musical influences, the five-piece band is a fusion of contemporary country, Americana and folk-rock stacked on a foundation of bluegrass. Their self-released 2012 debut The Tanglewood Sessions helped earn the band a spot at Bonnaroo, while their 2014 follow-up, Long Story Short, led to festival slots everywhere from Hangout Fest to Dierks Bentley’s Seven Peaks. After signing with Mercury Records Nashville in 2020, the following year saw the release of their genre-defying EP Circles, which landed them a performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium alongside dates supporting the likes of Kip Moore, Hank Williams, Jr., Old Crow Medicine Show, and The Cadillac Three. In 2022, Boy Named Banjo made their CMA Fest debut playing at the Ascend Amphitheatre Nighttime Concert as well as a sold-out hometown show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl.
Formed in their teens, Boy Named Banjo includes Barton Davies (banjo), Ford Garrard (bass/standing bass), Sam McCullough (drums) Willard Logan (mandolin, acoustic/electric guitar) and William Reames (acoustic guitar/harmonica).
Watch their interview and performance at RFD Studios HERE.
