LOUISVILLE, Ky. (February 09, 2024) – Honky-tonk country traditionalist and Appalachian singer-songwriter Ben Fugate & The Burning Trash Band released the first single, “Dream Song #1,” today off their new eight song self-titled EP [Pre-Save/Pre-Add/Stream] from Louisville-based sonaBLAST! Records, due out on Friday, April 12.
“This album is a big departure from my garage days with just one mic,” said Fugate. “We aimed to reflect our unique sound, while drawing inspiration from country legends, and I believe we’ve captured that essence!”
Proudly hailing from Hazard, Kentucky, Fugate first began amassing a sizable following on his Tik Tok channel in 2020 by just simply singing a number of classic country and southern rock song favorites, along with a few of his originals. In 2021 Fugate released his debut EP by Sonder House, Pronounced Appa-Latch-Uh, where the title track has garnered more than 100,000 spins on Spotify, firmly solidifying a growing interest among his listeners and fans.
In 2021, Fugate was discovered by Louisville-based Entrepreneur, Community Organizer, Filmmaker and sonaBLAST! Records founder Gill Holland. Holland, who has played a role in the musical careers of other Kentucky recording artists like Jack Harlow and Ben Sollee, also saw the raw, natural talent in the Appalachian country songwriter and invited him to Louisville’s La La Land recording studio to bring his self-written song-tales to pristine audio perfection.
Record release shows planned throughout Kentucky in Louisville, Hazard & Harlan:Fugate and his band will celebrate the release of the new EP with a series of shows in Kentucky. The first will be on Thursday, April 11, 7 pm ET at The Monarch Music & Arts Community (1318 Bardstown Rd., Louisville), and then on Friday, April 12, 8 pm ET at the VFW Post #7387 (1700 N Main Street, Hazard) in his hometown of Hazard. The following week they’ll perform on April 20 at Harlan County Beer Company (120 E. Central St., Harlan). Admission is Free and open to the public for these events.
“I’m thrilled to host these release shows in my hometown, Harlan and Louisville,” Fugate said. “Both Hazard and Louisville have been pivotal in our success, so it feels only fitting to bring the celebration to where it all began for us!”
