Church becomes "Chief" of new CD
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 – With a slew of hit singles under his belt from his first two releases, Eric Church's third studio album, "Chief" will hit stores July 27 on EMI.
Church took a month off and went to a secluded cabin in North Carolina to reflect and write the entire album, which he later recorded in Nashville with producer, Jay Joyce (Patty Griffin, Cage the Elephant), who also produced his previous two releases. Church helped write 10 of the 11 songs.
The music inspired Church to name the album after a nickname given to his grandfather and one he has consequently adopted over the years out on the road. "When it's show time, I put on the sunglasses and the hat, and that's how people know it's game time. This album was made from a live place; we recorded it with the live show in mind, so it just seemed right to make that the title," he said.
"I have a theory that all of us [artists] only get a small window of time to make records when people will really listen and care," said Church. "It's up to us to move the needle. People like Waylon and Cash or Garth and Strait -- they all took the format and said, 'We're going over here,' and they each changed the direction of the music a little bit - helping to make it what it is today."
"More than anyone else, we have built are career on the backs of the fans," he said. "We have not had a lot of TV exposure or number one songs, but we have had music that stirs passion, we put on shows that stoke the flames of that passion, and our fans have carried the torch. Our music belongs to them."
Songs on the CD are:
1. Creepin' (Eric Church / Marv Green)
2. Drink In My Hand (Eric Church, Michael P. Heeney, Luke Laird)
3. Keep On (Eric Church / Ryan Tyndell)
4. Like Jesus Does (Casey Beathard / Monty Criswell)
5. Hungover & Hard Up (Eric Church / Luke Laird)
6. Homeboy (Eric Church / Casey Beathard)
7. Country Music Jesus (Eric Church / Jeremy Spillman)
8. Jack Daniels (Eric Church / Jeff Hyde / Lynn Hutton)
9. Springsteen (Eric Church / Jeff Hyde / Ryan Tyndell)
10. I'm Gettin' Stoned (Eric Church / Jeff Hyde / Casey Beathard / Jeremy Cradey)
11. Over When It's Over (Eric Church / Luke Laird)
Church's new music video for Homeboy, which was filmed at Nashville's Tennessee State Prison, will be featured on CMT as their "Hot Shot Debut" and premiere on GAC beginning Monday, May 9.
Church has enjoyed 6 Top 20 singles - How 'Bout You, Two Pink Lines and Guys Like Me from his 2006 "Sinners Like Me" and Love Your Love The Most, Hell On The Heart and Smoke A Little Smoke from his sophomore release "Carolina." He also received an ACM Award for New Solo Vocalist of the Year.
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CD reviews for Eric Church
Caught in the Act: Live
"God send a country music Jesus to save us all," sings Eric Church on this new collection of live recordings, but he's not talking about himself. Church may be a country music hit maker but he's not exactly traditional-sounding; there are times here where the band is rocking hard enough that it's closer to AC/DC than anything remotely 'country.'
Church's big hit Springsteen is here, of course, closing the album and including a cleverly placed snippet of an »»» |
Chief
Eric Church is a mainstream country artist being marketed as a modern outlaw. His music does owe more to Southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynrd than pop, but it is still radio friendly country music.
However, this shouldn't be held against him. His first two albums had a number of great songs, and "Chief" builds on that success, while adding a heavy dose of experimentation. At times, he stretches his trademark sound by bringing in obvious outside influences. »»» |
Carolina
After stepping on to the scene nearly three years ago with hits like How Bout You, and Guys Like Me, , Eric Church returns with a sophomore album that tries hard to mine the same sounds. He combines that rough around the edges, good ol' boy attitude on some songs with a more sensitive, straight-forward approach on others. And the good thing is that he's equally impressive with both on most of the 12 songs.
Church starts with a couple of outlaw-esque rockers, the rollicking Ain't »»» |
Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: Size doesn't matter to Winslow-King –
Luke Winslow-King may have a fine new CD out ("The Coming Tide") on a long respected indie country/roots label (Bloodshot), but that didn't mean the throngs were going to fill the club. In fact, in a second night of shows in the Boston area, Winslow-King drew a handful of people. Well, make that literally two handfuls of people.
As in 10 people.... »»»
Concert Review: McGraw has plenty of fight left –
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