Tommy Stinson’s long-gestating project Cowboys in the Campfire — a duo forged from a long-time friend Chip Roberts — will release its debut album WRONGER this June. The 10-song album is set to be released June 2 by Cobraside Records — preorder the digital edition. Fans can check out the first single off the record, “Dream,” below.
WRONGER’s 10 tracks ride a giddy trail of twang and grit, melody and (mostly lyrical) mayhem. The very first song, “Here We Go Again,” sets the tone; Stinson on ukulele, singing about the ardors of creativity, while horns swell and there’s not a hint of percussion other than the perceptible tapping of feet by the musicians in the room. It’s stark and immediate, like sitting right in the middle of the maelstrom. From there we encounter a broad and passionate range of feels, from the rough ‘n’ tumble rockabilly of “That’s It” to “We Ain’t,” a shuffle straight out of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. Stinson and Roberts take us from Nashville to Bakersfield on songs such as “Mr. Wrong” and “Fall Apart Together,” while “Schemes,” “Souls” and “Dream” are showcases of an ace pop songwriter.
“I’m not one to be pigeonholed — but I’m not putting a lot of thought into it that I DON’T want to be pigeonholed,” Stinson, who now resides in the out-of-the-way environs of Hudson, N.Y., says with a laugh. “For me it’s always been that the songs pretty much tell you what they’re going to do. I can sit there and work a song into the ground, forcing my will on it, or you can listen to the song and go, ‘What does this want?’ and do that. I’ve always done it that way. Ultimately it’s more about, ‘Let’s try and get the best 10 and take what we’ve got and make them the best they can be.’” — Tommy Stinson
‘Wronger’ Tracklisting:
1. Here We Go Again
2. That’s It
3. Mr. Wrong
4. Schemes
5. Fall Apart Together
6. Hey Man
7. We Ain’t
8. Karma’s Bitch
9. Souls
10. Dream
Tommy Stinson Solo Tour Dates:
4/7 – St Paul, MN – Turf Club
4/8 – Cedar Falls, IA – Private House Performance
4/9 – Madison, WI – Kiki’s House of Righteous Music
4/11 – Lafayette, IN – People’s Brewing Co
4/12 – St Louis, MO – The Old No. 7 Firehouse
4/13 – Chicago, IL – Liar’s Club
4/14 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Pizza Works
4/15 – Johnston, IA – Doc’s Lounge
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