August 4, 2014 Download CHARLIE MARS IS BACK WITH Follow-Up To 2012’s Acclaimed Blackberry Light Is Set For Upcoming Shows Include Residency At Saxon Pub In Austin, Which Kicks Off August 13, And November 7 Show At NYC’s Subculture
Charlie Mars is back – back with his “achingly soulful, Gram Parsons-like drawl” (UNCUT), “ridiculously thick groove” (Esquire) and the kind of “reflective, sweetly tart tunes” (American Songwriter) that captivated critics and fans alike on Blackberry Light (2012) and Like A Bird, Like A Plane (2009). Mars’ new album, The Money, is due out on October 14 on his own Rockingham Records via Thirty Tigers. Mars will be previewing songs from the new album at Blues on the Green in Austin (August 6), at his August 8 showcase at the FMQB Triple A conference in Boulder, CO and during a residency at Saxon Pub in Austin (August 13, 20 & 27, September 3). He’ll launch The Money with a pair of album release parties at Threadgill’s in Austin (October 17 & 18), then hit the road with his guitar, his songs and his stories. See below for the initial itinerary for his fall solo headline tour. “I thought when we got the money/we could buy the pain away,” sings Mars on the title track, which is the album’s first single. The song’s narrator receives a windfall and whisks his girlfriend off to the islands, but finds it isn’t so easy to ditch the pain. “The Money” goes for adds at Triple A radio on September 15. Of course, The Money really isn’t about the money. It’s about stripping the chaos down to essentials, and letting what’s left shine. “Sometimes I drive outside of Oxford, Mississippi, where I’ve lived for 15 years, just to see the stars a little better. This record is my cruise deep into the country to find the stars,” says Charlie, who is fresh off a stadium tour as opener for the Dixie Chicks. “I’m trying to see what life looks like when the illusions fall away.” Songs like the poignant “Oh Girl,” “Silver Buttons,” which celebrates the power of chasing a dream, and the road anthem “Hell Yeah” evoke a variety of moods, yet are united by their raw, heart-felt authenticity. “I want to write records that are handwritten letters, not emails. I want to be a part of people making music and connecting...not computer tricks,” explains Mars. That’s exactly the approach he took at Sonic Ranch in the desolate border town of Tornillo, TX, where he reunited with the guys from the Blackberry Light and Like A Bird, Like A Plane sessions: drummer JJ Johnson, bassist George Reiff, keyboardist John Ginty and producer/guitarist Billy Harvey. Mars has been operating outside the confines of the major label world ever since self-releasing his breakthrough album, Like a Bird, Like a Plane, in 2009. Since then, he has had two Top 30 singles at AAA radio ("Listen To The Darkside" and "How I Roll"), sold 32,000 records independently, played more than 500 dates and licensed songs to shows like “Parenthood,” “Bones,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Weeds” and “United States of Tara.” In addition to his outings with the Dixie Chicks, he has also toured with artists like Steve Earle, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Citizen Cope and his storyteller solo shows are often sell-outs. The Money will be available in digital, CD and vinyl formats. The vinyl edition will be available at www.charliemars.com and at Waterloo Records in Austin.
THE MONEY – TRACK LISTING
CHARLIE MARS – UPCOMING TOUR DATES 8/6 – Austin, TX @ Blues on the Green Additional dates to be announced. # # # For more information on CHARLIE MARS, contact: or visit: http://www.charliemars.com |
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