Renowned Nashville-based troubadour Rod Picott announces October UK tour dates in support of his acclaimed new album ‘Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil’.
Many of the songs on ‘Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil’ were prompted by a health scare that rattled Rod Picott through the winter of 2018/2019. It took several weeks to chase down the devil causing the heart issue during which Picott also underwent back surgery (five blood pressure checks until they gave up and said “I guess we’ll just do it anyway…”). In the end, this week’s long event of a freight train banging away in his chest informed Picott’s new album profoundly in both the writing and the recording. Alone with his modest recording gear, Picott set about making an album as honest, raw and uncontrived as his spine would allow. The new album is completely acoustic, featuring only guitar, harmonica and Picott’s weathered vocals. Already known for the intimacy and vivid narratives of his previous work, Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil opens the door wider still. Picott’s health is now in check.
The question recording artists always ask themselves is “What record do I want to make?” There are endless ways to make a great album. Robert Johnson recorded the most influential blues recordings ever made, in a hotel room in Texas. Bruce Springsteen laboured over a single song – Born To Run for nine agonizing months. But what happened to Rod Picott this past winter made something very clear this time around. He wanted to make an album that was completely stripped of anything other than the songs. He wasn’t looking for perfect takes. He was looking for the right takes. Picott was hunting magic and wanted to tell the truth of who he is as a songwriter and human being walking this rock. The album starts and ends with a few seconds of nature to let you know this album is different. Picott recorded all the tracks alone, at home, with no engineer then turned them over to Neilson Hubbard to mix. This is the most personal group of songs Rod Picott has released and in some ways it is a memoir in song. It’s also by far the most intimate recording he’s made. It’s all in the title – Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil. He did just that. The truth is in every string squeak, false start, missed chord and in the writing as well. The devil is gone…for now.
The opening song, ‘Ghost’ reveals Picott’s inner voice announcing itself with introspection, openness and poetic revelation, while ‘Mama’s Boy’ was written with Picott’s long-time co-writing partner Slaid Cleaves. The song asks questions of masculinity and self identification in a world that can be so often cruel and limited. Picott’s own working class childhood is explored nakedly.
Now in his fifties, Rod Picott has garnered a cult audience across the U.S. and Europe. He tours tirelessly and continues to garner rave reviews for both his songwriting skills and darkly humorous, compelling live show. A prolific writer, Picott has recently turned his hand to poetry (God In His Slippers, Murmuration – Mezcalita Press) short fiction (Out Past The Wires – Working Title Farm) and has a novel in the works titled A Bony Right Fist. Born in the small mill town of South Berwick, Maine and residing in Nashville, TN since 1994, Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil is the latest release from former construction worker Rod Picott.
ROD PICOTT · OCTOBER 2019 UK TOUR
Thu 3 Glasgow The Admiral, Glasgow Americana 2019
Fri 4 Montrose Montrose Folk Club, The Links Hotel
Sat 5 Bewdley, Worcestershire St Georges Hall
Sun 6 Nottingham The Running Horse
Mon 7 Davenham, nr. Northwich Davenham Players Theatre
Tue 8 Sheffield The Greystones
Thu 10 Newcastle upon Tyne The Live Theatre Studio
Fri 11 Great Easton, Leicestershire Private House Concert
Sat 12 Eccleshall, Staffordshire The Royal Oak
Sun 13 Kenley, Croydon Santini’s Restaurannt
Mon 14 Brighton The Greys
Tue 15 Bristol The Hen & Chicken
Wed 16 London What’s Cookin’ @ Leytonstone Ex-Servicemens Club
Thu 17 High Wycombe
