Rayland Baxter Unveils "79 Shiny Revolvers" From 'Wide Awake' (July 13/ATO)

Less than two weeks before the release of his album ‘Wide Awake’ (July 13/ATO), Rayland Baxter has offered a new song from the Butch Walker-produced project. “79 Shiny Revolvers” was the first song Rayland wrote during his three-month long isolation quest at Franklin, Kentucky’s secluded Thunder Sound Studios. He composed fifty songs there, ten of which eventually became ‘Wide Awake.’

“79 Shiny Revolvers” is, in Rayland’s own estimation, one of the most important songs he’s ever written. Its lyrics burst with irony and cutting humor to interrogate our nation’s fixation on guns: “You really wanna save the world, man / well, I wanna save it too / we can blow em away / the American way.”

Says Rayland, “’79 shiny revoLvers’ is a satiricaL and sensitive song about the shortcomings of our human race. i watch and i write, not onLy as an onLooker but as a participant. as the worLd continues to swing around the sun, i cannot heLp but notice that we are good peopLe. however, our shortcomings have been highLighted by a Long Line of imperfect decisions. Leonard cohen died the day i wrote this song.”

Listen to it here. 

The previous two songs from ‘Wide Awake’ have been earning praise, with the Nashville Scene raving, “if you don’t know Baxter, you’re in for a treat.” “Casanova” was named one of GQ’s Songs of the Summer 2018 and #1 most added at Triple A and Americana. “Strange American Dream” was heralded by NPR Music/World Café as “a piano driven ear worm of a song that sounds like a distant cousin to The Beatles’ ‘Lady Madonna.’"

Listen to “Casanova”.

And “Strange American Dream”. 

‘Wide Awake’ was produced by Butch Walker (Weezer, Pink, Pete Yorn) and features Walker himself on bass, Cage the Elephant’s Nick Bockrath on guitar, Dr. Dog’s Erick Slick on drums, and piano wizard Aaron Embry (Elliott Smith, Brian Eno) on keys. Rayland’s father Bucky Baxter contributes pedal steel, as does original Nashville Cat Lloyd Green.

On July 12, Rayland heads out on a major 3-month national headlining tour including an album release show on July 13 at Bowery Ballroom in New York City and a hometown show July 18 at Nashville’s Basement East. He is also opening shows on Shakey Graves’ tour this summer as well as performing with him at Red Rocks in August (Rayland also co-wrote and recorded on Shakey’s new record). Full dates below.

Pre-order ‘Wide Awake’ on all platforms.

TOUR DATES:

WIDE AWAKE TOUR – LEG 1

12-Jul- Washington, DC - Union Stage

13-Jul- New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

14-Jul- Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live

15-Jul- Richmond, VA - Broadberry      

18-Jul- Nashville, TN - Basement East

20-Jul- Birmingham, AL - Saturn

21-Jul- Atlanta, GA - Terminal West

24-Jul- Toronto, ON - Adelaide Hall

25-Jul- Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern

26-Jul- Detroit, MI - Otus Supply

27-Jul- Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache

28-Jul- Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall

29-Jul- Chicago, IL – Taste of Lincoln Avenue

1-Aug- Indianapolis, IN - Hifi

2-Aug- Davenport, IA - Triple Crown Whiskey Bar

3-Aug- St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall

4-Aug- Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck

5-Aug- Omaha, NE – Slowdown

8-Aug- Boulder, CO – Outdoor Hill Stage

9-Aug- Denver, CO – Bluebird

12-Aug- Ft. Collins, CO – Bohemiam Nights at New West Fest

SHAKEY GRAVES DATES

24-Aug- Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden w/ Shakey Graves

25-Aug- Missoula, MT - Big Sky Amphitheatre w/ Shakey Graves

26-Aug- Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves

27-Aug- Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves

28-Aug- Boise, ID - Knitting Factory w/ Shakey Graves

30-Aug- Morrison, CO - Red Rocks w/ Shakey Graves

WIDE AWAKE TOUR – LEG 2

1-Sep- Nashville, TN – Live on The Green

5-Sep- Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret

6-Sep- Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo

7-Sep- Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern

8-Sep- Eugene, OR – Hifi Music Hall

9-Sep- Portland, OR - Doug Fir

14-Sep- San Diego, CA - Belly Up

15-Sep- Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge

16-Sep- Templeton, CA - Whale Rock Festival

19-Sep- Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s Night Club

20-Sep- Crystal Bay, NV - Red Room at Crystal Bay

21-Sep- Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst

22-Sep- San Francisco, CA – August Hall

23-Sep- Sonoma, CA - Harvest Music Festival  

28-Sep- Roseland, VA - Devil's Backbone Hoopla

30-Sep- Asbury Park, NJ - Sea Hear Now Festival