Tom Russell will release a brand-new studio album, “Folk Hotel” (Proper Records) on September 8th. The physical version showcases 13 new Russell originals plus, as one of two bonus tracks, Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” a duet with Joe Ely, featuring Joel Guzman on Tex-Mex accordion. Augie Meyers and Eliza Gilkyson also make guest appearances on the album, which was recorded at Congress House studio in Austin, Texas.
A signature Tom Russell collection, the wide-ranging subject matter on “Folk Hotel” includes songs and stories about New York’s Chelsea Hotel, a journey up the road from El Paso to Santa Fe, a cowboy song about Ian Tyson refusing to “leave his old horses”, a song for Dylan Thomas – melting into a James Joycean landscape about day in the life of Belfast, a song about Tom meeting J.F.K., another song using only 16th century slang and more…
Described as “the renaissance man of Americana: novelist, criminologist, artist, and singer-songwriter ” by The Guardian, Tom Russell’s long and influential career has many highlights, including Mojo Magazine’s Folk Album of the Year 2015, ‘The Rose of Roscrae’, his third in a series of acclaimed folk operas, following The Man From God Knows Where (1999) and Hotwalker (2005), live album Aztec Jazz (2013), recorded in Norway with world-renowned 32 piece Norwegian Wind Ensemble, Mesabi (2011) and Blood and Candle Smoke (2009). In the 1990s, Russell and Dave Alvin were hailed as the architects of what came to be known as “Americana” music after their Merle Haggard tribute, Tulare Dust, initiated the Americana charts in the U.S. and remained number one for a year.
Russell’s songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nanci Griffith, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, and many others. Alongside his 35 acclaimed albums, Russell has also composed movie scores, including songs for the Monte Hellman movie The Road To Nowhere and published five books, most recently 120 Songs of Tom Russell and a new book of essays “Ceremonies of the Horsemen”. An accomplished fine artist, Russell’s paintings are featured in: Blue Horse/Red Desert: The Art of Tom Russell.
Tracklisting for “Folk Hotel”:
1. Up In The Old Hotel
2. Leaving El Paso
3. I’ll Never Leave These Old Horses
4. The Sparrow of Swansea (For Dylan Thomas)
5. All On A Belfast Morning
6. Rise Again, Handsome Johnny
7. Harlan Clancy
8. The Last Time I Saw Hank
9. The Light Beyond The Coyote Fence
10. The Dram House Down In Gutter Lane
11. The Day They Dredged The Liffey – The Banks Of Montauk – The Road To Santa Fe-O
12. The Rooftops Of Copenhagen
Bonus Tracks – physical version only:
13. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
14. Scars On His Ankles
Tom will tour the UK and Ireland in November and December with dates as follows:
Fri 17th Nov: BELFAST – The Clayton Hotel
Sat 18th Nov: PORTSTEWART – The Flowerfield Arts Centre
Sun 19th Nov: KILKENNY – The Set Theatre
Mon 20th Nov: DUBLIN – Whelan’s
Wed 22nd Nov: CARDIFF – St David’s Hall
Thurs 23rd Nov: BRISTOL – Thekla
Fri 24th Nov: LOWDHAM – Village Hall
Sat 25th Nov: BURY – The Met
Sun 26th Nov: LEEDS – Brudenell Social Club
Tues 28th Nov: POCKLINGTON – Arts Centre
Wed 29th Nov: OXFORD – The Bullingdon
Thurs 30th Nov: BASINGSTOKE – The Forge @ The Anvil
Fri 1st Dec: LONDON – The 100 Club
Sat 2nd Dec: FARNCOMBE St. John’s Church
