Talk to me, gang. How’s your summer?
I know. It kind of stinks. But I hope you’re making the best of it and finding joy in new things.
Me, I’ve been listening to a ton of new music. So I decided to sneak in a 2020 Summer Mix II. Because why not, right?
No fancy blog post. Just some new tunes to brighten your ears.
In April, I went to see Jamestown Revival here in Charlotte. I’ve been a fan for a few years and had already seen them once in Greensboro earlier this year. I wasn’t expecting that I’d leave that night anything less that googly-eyed over their set.
Then the opener happened. I pretty much forgot about Jamestown Revival.
That opener was Ghost of Paul Revere, and these Mainers completely stole the show. Hilarious banter. Energetic performance despite a somewhat empty-ish “before the headliner” room. Fantastic harmonies. And these songs, you guys.
You know how every once in awhile you hear a song for the first time and it just instantly grabs you by your ears? Well, that’s what happened when I heard them play “Wild Child” that night. I was enthralled.
So imagine my disappointment when I found out it was new and it wasn’t to be had ANYWHERE.
Well, finally, six months after that show, the song has been soft released – Spotify stream only for right now, but the new record is only 10 days away. You guys MUST hear this song. I swear I’ve already played it like 100 times.
You can blame me for the earworm later.
Check the band out on tour now and see this song, plus this bad ass cover of “Baba O’ Riley.”
MORE GHOST OF PAUL REVERE: Pre-Order Monarch on iTunes | Buy music on Amazon | Watch the AudioTree Session | Listen on Spotify
“I can still hear your voice echo beneath the Alabama night, like a firecracker whistle on the Fourth of July / You said, ‘Don’t fear the distance dear, don’t fear the dark, you don’t need to set the world on fire, you just need to catch a spark.'”
– David McMillin, “Looking for the Light”
A new Daytrotter session from the musician who loves the craft of songwriting more than any artist I know, David McMillin. Artwork by Johnnie Cluney, copyright Daytrotter
A long time ago, I went to see a show of a local musician I tried to support. It was at The Evening Muse, my absolute favorite place to see music in Charlotte, a tiny, intimate venue that might hold 125 people when it’s busting at the seams. The opener clambered onto the stage, a kid of maybe 21 or 22 that might have weighed 100 pounds soaking wet. He had just an acoustic guitar and he looked so small, even on the miniscule Muse stage. Then he opened his mouth and started singing. Huge voice came out of that little body. He was probably about a song in when I turned to look at Annie and we both had the same expression on our face… WOW. And that is how my friendship with David McMillin began.
If I could say one thing about David, just one, it would be that among the musicians I know, he is the one who loves songwriting the most. I mean he absolutely LOVES it. And he excels at it. He’s prolific, but I’ve never heard him put out a mediocre song. He and his band, Fort Frances, make amazing music together, and in the down times in between, when his band mates are tending to their personal lives, David writes more and pursues his solo work. It’s pretty inspiring to watch as a fan.
In the eight or nine years since that first show at The Muse, I’ve gotten to know David well…and he remains the only rock star ever to hail me a cab. I’ve watched him grow tremendously as a songwriter (and grow a tremendous beard) and been heartened by the fact that no matter what successes come his way, he remains humble and genuine. And so today, when Daytrotter released a solo David McMillin session, my heart skipped a beat. Even better? NEW SONGS. Gorgeous, lovely new songs like “Looking for the Light.”
I’d recommend going to take a listen (if you are a Daytrotter member, you can download it…and if you aren’t a Daytrotter member, you should be). Let yourself be won over. Because if you love music, you can’t help but appreciate an artist who loves it even more than you do.
LISTEN TO THE DAVID MCMILLIN DAYTROTTER SESSION
More David McMillin: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Buy Heartsteady on iTunes
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