Iconic Americana artist TIM EASTON radiates hope on new single ‘Sliver of Light’, out now via Black Mesa Records
“Consistently delivering quality Americana over his thirty-plus-year professional career, which started before the term was even acknowledged… a veteran performer whose best days may still lie ahead” ~ American Songwriter
“Illuminating lyricism” ~ Folk Alley
“Since debuting in the late ’90s as part of the burgeoning alt-country movement, American singer/songwriter Tim Easton has established himself as first-rate storyteller, recording a series of warmly crafted albums in the 2000s for New West Records that combined engaging and thoughtful lyricism with rugged folk, rock, and roots music traditions” ~ AllMusic
‘Every track is a distinct story beautifully told” ~ Americana UK
“A gritty yet reassuring voice and clever, laconic and poetic lyrics” ~ The Spill Magazine
Nashville-based songwriter Tim Easton presents an illuminating story of hope on his latest single ‘Sliver of Light’. This new single was inspired by a personal tragedy, the loss of numerous friends, and the thin line that exists between life and death,
Released via Oklahoma-based Black Mesa Records, the accompanying baseball-themed video was directed by Jamey Wood and filmed in Pegram, Tennessee.
A mainstay of American roots music for more than 20 years and with a rich history that includes some years with The Haynes Boys and a stint as Beck’s busking partner while touring Europe, Tim Easton creates songs for the Great American Songbook.
Penned with hope, ‘Sliver of Light’ finds him focusing on the present in the realization of how quickly and abruptly things can end. An organic offering, this song showcases his abilities as a songwriter and performer, and the breadth of his inspiration.
“I wrote the lyrics on a Dutch train during a European tour. I had just heard tough news from home. A friend who had fallen down was suddenly on life support. The words poured out fast and, when I arrived at my hotel, I immediately set the lyrics to music. Once back home in Nashville, the recording session was equally charged and completed in a few hours,” says Tim Easton.
“Take one was the keeper track with me singing and playing guitar along with the band while a friend filmed us recording. Overdubs were added with some percussion, Wurlitzer keyboard and harmony vocals to complete a song that is two-thirds observation and experience and one-third baseball prayers.”
Years before Americana music was recognized at the Grammy Awards with its own category, Tim Easton helped pioneer the genre’s mix of classic inspiration and contemporary interpretation, writing songs shaped by forebearers such as Doc Watson, Bob Dylan, John Prine and John Hiatt, while moving forward with the modern world.
Born near the Niagara River and raised in upstate New York, Tim Easton spent his formative years in Tokyo, Japan and Akron, Ohio. Traveling early and often, he learned the ways of the road and rails, spending seven years as a modern-day troubadour, making his way around Europe, playing the streets and clubs, living in Paris, London, Madrid, Prague, Dublin and wherever he laid his hat. Here, he developed his songwriting style – folk-based storytelling and personal traveling tales, often peppered with bold confessions or “tell it as it is” reality. Rolling Stone Magazine praised him as “having a novelist’s sense of humanity.”
“There is a certain helplessness that is involved with the friends and family of people who are in active addiction that is never easy to understand. I have been in this frustrating place before, and all I have is songwriting to help me deal with it. Sometimes we are simply unable to help people get well. May this song bring comfort to those who are right on the edge, barely hanging on. You are not alone,” says Easton.
With 10 critically acclaimed solo albums to date, Tim Easton has had a burgeoning career that has seen him tour the world, perform with music legends, such as Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson, and recording with many equally talented musicians (his 2001 album ‘The Truth About Us’ featured three-fourths of Wilco).
His tenth album ‘You Don’t Really Know Me’ (2020) was released by Black Mesa Records and will be followed in 2023 by several vinyl re-presses – ‘Not Cool’ and Easton’s solo debut ‘Special 20’. This builds on a steady wave of great music from Easton, including North American Songwriter Volume 1 & 2, a 20-song project entailing the start of a series featuring acoustic recordings of favorite songs from Easton’s vast catalog of original material.
‘Sliver of Light’ is out now, available across fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. More info about tour dates can be found at www.timeaston.com
CREDITS
Written by Tim Easton
Recorded at Cartoon Moon Studios in Nashville, TN
Produced by T. Easton & Gabe Masterson
Engineered, mixed by G. Masterson
Mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering
Tim Easton – acoustic guitar, vocals
Kevin Nolan – electric guitar, wurlitzer, organ
Matt Nolan – drums & percussion
Tommy Scifres – bass
Coralee – harmony vocals
Video filmed and directed by Jamey Wood
Released on Black Mesa Records
FOR FANS OF:
Bob Dylan, John Prine, Doc Watson, John Hiatt, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Petty
Keep up with Tim Easton
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify
Keep up with Black Mesa Records
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud
