Asheville’s own southern rockers Velvet Truckstop are finally set to release their long-awaited album, Southbound and Down. It was recorded with producer Johnny Sandlin (Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic) in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Of working with Sandlin, lead vocalist/guitarist/mandolin player Jamie Dose told Xpress,, “He shaped the band’s raw material. We went through the process. Sometimes your ego’s like, ‘That’s not how we pictured things,’ but when you end up with a finished product, which is what an album is, you can see how strong of an influence he was on what we were doing, and from here on.”
To read the full interview with Velvet Truckstop from earlier this year, go here.
Photo by Frank Zipperer Photography.
The six-song record includes two Randall Bramblett tracks (“Water in the Well” and “Another Sweet Dream”), but the bulk of the songs were written by Dose and guitarist Dorsey Parker. While “Water” starts the album off right, with menacing guitars and Dose’s vocal just shy of a snarl, Velvet Truckstop’s originals hold their own. “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” recalls the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band without being a throwback or a tribute. The guitar work is crisp and plaintive, the lyrics tug at heartstrings while also exuding Americana toughness. And, proving they can rock at any speed, the unhurried waltz of “Cadillac Souls” is a dusty romance. Dose sings with whiskey-soaked conviction; the song is a sexy slow burn.
Velvet Truckstop offers its hometown crowd a first listen of SouthBound and Down as part of Highland Brewing’s Wee Bit Louder Fest. The Saturday, Nov. 3 event kicks off at 2 p.m. (doors at 1 p.m.). Live music goes to 8:30 p.m.
• David Zoll Trio, 2 p.m.
• Common Foundation, 3:15 p.m.
• stephaniesid, 4:30 p.m.
• Velvet Truckstop, 5:45 p.m.
• Artimus Pyle band, 6:15 p.m.
Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 day of show.
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