For Immediate Release<\/b><\/p>\n
September 9, 2020
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Roger Street Friedman announces two new singles: \u201cPoison in the Cut\u201d (out September 25th) and \u201cCarry Me (acoustic) feat. Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams and Lucy Kaplansky\u201d (out October 9th)<\/p>\n
Upcoming livestreams scheduled on September 18th, September 24th, and October 9th<\/b><\/p>\n
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Sea Cliff, NY-based Americana singer-songwriter Roger Street Friedman is set to release a new stand-alone single, \u201cPoison in the Cut,\u201d on September 25, 2020, via Nashville-based label Rock Ridge Music. Produced by Friedman himself and recorded in June at his studio, The Playroom, the song was written in response to the murder of George Floyd. \u201cI think that left most of the country feeling disgusted and like we\u2019d had enough,\u201d says Friedman.<\/p>\n
He continues: \u201cThe song is about the wound of racism that has never healed, even though the narrative we learned in school, in the movies, and on TV was that everything was \u2018fixed\u2019 with the end of slavery. You know, Lincoln freed the slaves, and all was well.\u00a0 That\u2019s the original lie. The song is about how racism has been inculcated into every segment of our society. Even after slavery ended, all the way through reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement, and after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there have been implicit and explicit biases that have held the African American community down. Ongoing discrimination in education, housing, healthcare, banking, and criminal justice has impeded the ability of entire generations to achieve the dream of true equality. The song, written from the perspective of a white man who is standing with the African American community in this movement, envisions a reckoning with our actual history, not the mythology we were taught, by shining a bright light on this structural racism as a way to finally, at long last, heal the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joining Friedman on the track is the rhythm section of his band (Jim Toscano on drums and Matt Schneider on bass), who recorded their parts in their own studios. Jeff Kazee (of the Asbury Jukes), who played piano on the track, also supplied his portion from afar.\u00a0 The contributions weave together seamlessly, as though the musicians had been side-by-side in the studio. Friedman is currently working on a video to accompany the song.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoison in the Cut\u201d is the follow-up to Friedman\u2019s critically lauded April 2020 album,\u00a0Rise<\/em>, which was produced by Grammy-winning producer Larry Campbell (a longtime collaborator of Levon Helm).\u00a0American Songwriter<\/em>\u00a0praised the \u201cpoise of the arrangements and perfected production,\u201d while\u00a0Goldmine Magazine<\/em>\u00a0called it \u201csumptuous\u2026 [with] affecting musical vignettes\u2026 Inspiring and infectious\u2026 striking and seductive\u2026 It\u2019s the culmination of a career that\u2019s seen his reputation elevated to upper strata of today\u2019s most consistent Americana artists.\u201d\u00a0American Blues Scene<\/em>\u00a0was fond of the \u201chonest, vulnerable songwriting that has won Friedman praise everywhere,\u201d and\u00a0Americana-UK<\/em>\u00a0espoused the \u201cexcellent songcraft,\u201d dubbing it \u201cdelicate and beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n On the heels of \u201cPoison in the Cut,\u201d Friedman also plans to release \u201cCarry Me (acoustic) feat. Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams and Lucy Kaplansky\u201d on October 9, 2020. An album track from the aforementioned\u00a0Rise<\/em>, \u201cCarry Me\u201d in this acoustic version as a stand-alone single casts a new light upon the song, mixing some of the original parts with some new elements overdubbed, lending a more organic vibe. The album version\u2019s original acoustic guitar part (played by Friedman), upright bass (Matt Schneider), mandolin and pedal steel (Larry Campbell), and background vocals (Teresa Williams and Lucy Kaplansky) are woven with new lead vocals by Friedman, as well as a new, lead acoustic guitar part artfully played by Friedman and showcasing an aspect of his skillful guitar work not present on his past releases. The resulting track is a more gentle, soothing version of an album favorite, of both the fans and Friedman himself. \u201cThis song was written when I was down in Nashville,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI was alone one night in the little bungalow I\u2019d rented after a writing session and was really missing my wife and kids. It\u2019s about the dichotomy of wanting to be with them but knowing that my career means I have to be on the road a lot of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, being on the road is not possible at the moment; fans eager to see Friedman live can do so via a series of livestreams from his studio in the coming weeks; each performance is scheduled at 7 p.m. eastern time. Friedman will kick things off on his\u00a0Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0on September 18th; he will play a special show sponsored by Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC on the\u00a0Mountain Spirit Coffee House Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0on September 24th, which will celebrate the release of \u201cPoison in the Cut\u201d; and he will round out the trio of livestreams back on his own\u00a0Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0on October 9th to mark the release of \u201cCarry Me (acoustic)\u201d the same day.<\/p>\n The award-winning singer-songwriter has consistently released honest, vulnerable songs that have won Friedman praise everywhere from\u00a0USA Today<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0No Depression<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 reflective vignettes recalling the singer-songwriter tradition of Marc Cohn and Robbie Robertson, set to a blend of folk-rock, progressive Americana, and soulful R&B. Friedman was bitten by the music bug early, learning to write songs and even developing his studio engineering skills. It was an avocation, however, until a combination of events \u2013 the deaths of his father and mother, marriage, and, later, the births of his two children \u2013 steered Friedman back to music, leading to the acclaimed 2014 debut,\u00a0The Waiting Sky<\/em>, and 2017\u2019s\u00a0Shoot The Moon<\/em>, which reached #2 on the\u00a0Roots Music Report<\/em>\u00a0Americana Country Album Chart and spent 25 weeks in the top 20.<\/p>\n Roger Street Friedman Online<\/strong> For Immediate Release September 9, 2020 Roger Street Friedman announces two new singles: \u201cPoison in the Cut\u201d (out September 25th) and \u201cCarry Me (acoustic) feat. Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams and Lucy Kaplansky\u201d (out October 9th) Upcoming livestreams scheduled on September 18th, September 24th, and October 9th Sea Cliff, NY-based Americana singer-songwriter Roger Street … <\/p>\n
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