Neyla Pekarek Announces Debut Album Rattlesnake, Out January 18 On S-Curve Records

2 November, 2018Print

Neyla Pekarek Announces Debut Album ‘Rattlesnake,’ Out January 18 On S-Curve Records

Concept Album About Pioneering Western Heroine Rattlesnake Kate Is Neyla’s First Release Since Leaving The Lumineers LISTEN TO LEAD SINGLE “TRAIN” HERE: https://bit.ly/2CXyZbO

Neyla Pekarek, formerly of The Lumineers, has announced her debut album ‘Rattlesnake,’ out January 18, 2019 on S-Curve Records. A fitting subject for Neyla’s first solo release, ‘Rattlesnake’ is a concept record about one of the strongest independent women and unsung heroes of the old west, Kate Slaughterback, better known as Rattlesnake Kate. The 13 original songs on ‘Rattlesnake,’ produced by Matt Ward (M. Ward, She & Him) in Portland, OR, were written as a “Folk Opera” shining a light on some of the incredible tales from Kate’s life, including her triumph over a pack of rampaging rattlesnakes, a 40-year love letter correspondence she maintained with a man she never actually met, and more.

To accompany the announcement, Neyla has released rollicking album opener “Train,” which Billboard called, “fearless,” saying, “Pekarek channels her inner midwest badass.” “It’s about opportunities,” says Neyla of the track. “It’s also about how this record is a next step for me. Kate gave me a door to opportunity.”

Listen to “Train” here: https://bit.ly/2CXyZbO

Neyla spoke with The Washington Post’s The Lily about the album, telling them, ““It’s about looking on the optimistic side and feeling there is a new chapter for me as well.” Read their full story here: https://bit.ly/2SDt1SH

Neyla, a Denver native, first discovered Rattlesnake Kate on a visit to a local history museum in nearby Greely, CO. “It was one of the weirdest things I’d ever heard,” says Neyla of the fellow Coloradoan’s story. “She lived outside of what women were expected to be.”

Rattlesnake Kate earned her nickname on October 28th, 1925, when she single-handedly defended herself and her 3-year-old son against 140 migrating rattlesnakes. Kate killed all 140 snakes using a shotgun and - when her bullets ran out - a “No Hunting” sign, and later returned to the site of the massacre to collect their skins, which she turned into a flapper-style dress.

Neyla wrote most of ‘Rattlesnake’ while on tour with The Lumineers, and recorded during stolen moments back home. “I was basically flying off of tour directly into the studio,” she says. “Mania can be good in getting ideas out. I’m quite creative in chaos.”

Neyla is a classically trained musician who began playing cello at age nine and earned a degree in music education before joining The Lumineers in 2010. Since then she has recorded with the group on its two platinum-certified albums, performed on SNL, and toured with U2 and Tom Petty among other highlights. Earlier this year she road-tested some of the songs from ‘Rattlesnake’ on a tour supporting Andrew Bird, and she’s working on a musical version of Rattlesnake Kate’s story with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts

Neyla will tour extensively in support of ‘Rattlesnake,’ including a special show at NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on Tuesday, November 13th. Dates to be announced soon.

‘RATTLESNAKE’ TRACK LIST

1.Train

2.The Attack

3.Better Than Annie

4.Letters To The Colonel (feat. Brian Cronan)

5.Whiskers

6.Brownie: Ode To A Horse

7.The Perfect Gown

8.Arsenic

9.Hold On Tight

10.I’m A Scoundrel (feat. Brian Cronan)

11.Swearing You Off