While all the rocks have been turned hundreds of times and the melodies have become inverted to a fray, music still creates the freedom, expression and escape that makes our world continue to search for innovation. From a man who originally came to town to play jazz guitar, Scott Low quit it all for the song.
Write A New Song, the newest album from Efren is equal parts rock, americana, folk, country, and psychedelic. After producing three previous independent bedroom records (Thunder and Moan, Always Been a Bleeder, and Rise on Up and Melt) a new electric sound has come. The band went into the classic southern studio of Full Moon Studios in Watkinsville, GA. Following a sudden marital split and with a dozen songs written to release the energy of the present and past, Efren created a whiskey drenched, bar floor stomping record.
With a gruff voice and thick guitars, the band has pulled from local heroes the Drive-by Truckers, Drivin’ and Cryin’, Dead Confederate, and Futurebirds, along with the southern chorus’ of Lucero and Lambchop. The title track ‘Write a New Song’ brings a thick chorus sung with the help of Athens darling Betsy Franck and Jonathan Brill. “Who you find in your oceans may never be what you expect, Mama said I’m attracted to the hard times.”
“Been living like I’m in a country song, lost and lonely way too far gone.” A year beyond a sudden divorce Scott Low donned a big red electric guitar and wrote to the angst and hurt, then decided to turn it up and feel the music physically, even harder. “If my heart don’t fail me then this whiskey probably will….” indulges in the southern rock “jam” again joined by Betsy Franck and a thick organ provided by Scotty Nicholson (Soul Miner’s Daughter, Barefoot Hookers, Dangfly). “Live for the lovers in all these towns…” Townes van Zandt, Willie, Johnny, and Dylan echo in and out of the verses, tied with grunge and indie strings.
You can see Scott Low perform in Jacksonville:
June 2 at Jack Rabbit’s w/American Aquarium
June 4 at the Omni Hotel Artwalk 6-8pm
June 6 at Burro Bar w/Sons of Hippies
Jacksonville Songwriter Residency 