Bonnie Bishop’s New Album ‘Ain’t Who I Was’ - “Soulful…full of wrenching renewal” (NYT) - Out Toda

27 May, 2016Print

Bonnie Bishop's New Album 'Ain't Who I Was' - "Soulful...full of wrenching renewal" (NYT) - Out Today

Hailed as "Brilliant" by Nashville Scene and Album of the Year by No Depression

Bonnie Bishop's latest album 'Ain't Who I Was' is out today, May 27, on Thirty Tigers / RED, and critics are praising Ms. Bishop's "unselfconscious ease," deeming it "full of wrenching renewal" (New York Times). Produced by Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson), this "brilliant" (Nashville Scene) record is the reinvention of the Grammy-winning songwriter's sound that Texas Monthly has deemed "a dazzling album of country-soul songs" and No Depression has called the best album of the year.

After leaving the music industry following years of bar gigs and crappy pay -- though not without highlights, like her co-write on Bonnie Raitt's Grammy-winning "Not Cause I Wanted To" -- the Houston-native is back with a new attitude channeling a new sound: soul music. 'Ain't Who I Was' is 10 tracks of tender yet resilient soul that PopMatters says "reminds one of Dusty Springfield at her best."

The cause of this reinvention came from Cobb, who after receiving demos from David Macias at Thirty Tigers wanted to work with Bishop on a new record. With guidance from Cobb, Bishop was able to overcome the anxieties that led to her exit from the industry to create this striking soundtrack to tales of heartbreak, resilience and reinvention.

"You can hear Bonnie's soul and heart in every note she sings," says Cobb. "That's what attracted me to Bonnie; the honesty and humility in her songwriting."

Bonnie Bishop is currently on tour, dates below.

Praise for Bonnie Bishop and 'Ain't Who I Was':

"Full of wrenching renewal...The band sounds lean and sure behind her, and she matches the vibe." -- The New York Times

"Singing over B3 organ, strings and electric guitar, with Cobb focusing the spotlight on her sultry swoon of a voice...Bishop is ready to re-embrace both the glamour and grind of being a full-time musician." -- Rolling Stone Country

"A dazzling album of country-soul songs." -- Texas Monthly

"A gifted songwriter and a powerhouse singer, her voice booms with the force of a Texas straight-line squall...brilliant." -- Nashville Scene

"Cobb captures all the passion, vulnerability and sheer soul Bishop conveys in ten moving, emotionally driven tracks...her finest, most cohesive and moving set." -- American Songwriter

"If we can go ahead and choose the best album of the year, it's clearly Bonnie Bishop's 'Ain't Who I Was'...you can feel the music coming right at you, grabbing your soul and not letting go." -- No Depression

"The gentle grooves of Bonnie Bishop's music and her gorgeous vocals remind one of Dusty Springfield at her best." -- PopMatters

Tour Dates:

Sun., May 29 / 3rd & Lindsley / Nashville, TN

Fri., June 17 / Goshen Brewing Company / Goshen, IN

Sun., June 19 / Club Cafe / Pittsburgh, PA

Mon., June 20 / World Cafe Live Philadelphia / Philadelphia, PA

Tues., June 21 / Rockwood Music Hall II / New York, NY

Wed., June 22 / Jammin Java / Vienna, VA

Fri., June 24 / The Evening Muse / Charlotte, NC

Sat., June 25 / Eddie Attic / Decatur, GA

Tues., June 28 / Top Hat Lounge / Missoula, MT

Wed., June 29 / Live From The Divide / Bozeman, MT