On September 15, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, “The First Couple of Americana” (Mojo), will release their new album ‘Contraband Love’ on Red House Records. Produced by Campbell and comprised mostly of new and original songs he wrote, the 11-track album is the follow up to their critically lauded 2015 debut which The New Yorker called “fervent, insistent” and the Wall Street Journal hailed as “a powerhouse [of] country, blues, gospel and honky tonk.”
To accompany the announcement, the duo has released the lead single from ‘Contraband Love,’ the original Campbell-penned track “Hit And Run Driver,” which Guitar Player praised for Campbell's "evocative and vibey guitar playing." Listen to it here: http://bit.ly/2szI5pt
Campbell and Williams have embarked on their own recording and touring journey after decades of marriage and seven years working closely with Levon Helm – Campbell as bandleader and producer (for which he won three Grammys), and Williams as singer – and ‘Contraband Love’ features Helm playing drums on the Carl Perkins classic “Turn Around,” in what would be one of his last recording sessions. Other special guests on the album include Little Feat’s Bill Payne, plus another veteran of Levon Helm’s band (and current member of The Lumineers) Byron Isaacs.
On ‘Contraband Love’, Campbell’s songwriting takes a darker turn, with three of the eight new tunes exploring themes surrounding addiction. The track “Three Days in A Row” soundtracks the critical seventy-two hour period directly following an addict going cold turkey. “I was thinking about the things I’ve quit in my life,” Campbell recalls. “The last time was cigarettes. I remembered the dreams I had in withdrawal.” Title track “Contraband Love,” a waltzing vocal showcase for Teresa, takes on the other side of the story, when a loved one realizes their only recourse for dealing with an addict is to stand “with arms wide open.”
Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams have long provided musical firepower for fellow artists including Helm, Bob Dylan, Mavis Staples, Little Feat, Phil Lesh and Friends, and Rosanne Cash. Their 2015 album 'Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams' earned widespread praise from Rolling Stone and NPR, to the New Yorker and Wall Street Journal.
Larry and Teresa will preview songs from ‘Contraband Love’ this summer with a handful or shows including two nights at Joe’s Pub in NYC, July 12 and 13. They embark on a lengthy nationwide tour with Shawn Colvin on September 30.
PRE-ORDER ‘CONTRABAND LOVE’
iTunes – http://bit.ly/LTCLiTunes
Amazon – http://bit.ly/LTCLamazon
TRACK LIST
TOUR DATES
6/24 – Amagansett, LI @ Stephen Talkhouse
7/12 – New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub
7/13 – New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub
7/14 – Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
7/15 – Greenfield, MA @ Green River Festival
7/18 – Toronto, CA @ Horseshoe Tavern
7/19 – Rochester, NY @ Penthouse At 1 East
7/20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
9/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ Northrup Auditorium
9/30 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre*
10/01 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall*
10/03 – Bend, OR @ Tower Theater*
10/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall*
10/06 – Saratoga, CA @ Montalvo Center*
10/07 – Napa, CA @ Uptown Theater*
10/08 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre*
10/10 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up*
10/12 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour*
10/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ MIM Music Theater*
10/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ MIM Music Theater*
10/16 – Tucson, AZ @ Fox Tucson*
10/17 – Albuquerque, NM @ KiMo Theatre*
10/18 – Palmer Lake, CO @ Tri-Lakes Center*
10/20 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater*
10/22 – Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre*
10/24 – Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theatre*
10/25 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom*
10/26 – St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater*
10/28 – Chicago, IL @ Park West*
10/30 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere*
10/31 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere*
11/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live*
11/03 – Boston, MA @ City Winery*
11/04 – Boston, MA @ City Winery*
11/05 – New York, NY @ City Winery*
11/06 – New York, NY @ City Winery*
11/08 – Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center*
11/10 – Albany, NY @ Hart Theatre The Egg*
11/11 – Lebanon, NH @ Opera House*
11/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Fletcher Opera*
11/14 – Asheville, NC @ Diana Wortham Theatre*
11/15 – Atlanta, GA @ City Winery*
11/16 – Atlanta, GA @ City Winery*
11/18 – Birmingham, AL @ Lyric Theatre*
11/19 – Nashville, TN @ City Winery*
*w/ Shawn Colvin
MORE INFO ON LARRY CAMPBELL & TERESA WILLIAMS
For more information please contact Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Ally Norton (anorton@shorefire.com) or Spencer Foster (sfoster@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media, (718) 522-7171, or Angie Carlson (publicity@redhouserecords.com) at Red House Records, (651) 644-4161.