Known for their dynamic and innovative sound, Asheville, North Carolina band Town Mountain returns with, “You Can’t Win Em All”, premiering exclusively at Wide Open Country today. Written by vocalist and mandolin player Phil Barker, the single is a swaying lament on love lost and introspective reflection on past decisions. “I envisioned this tune as a last-song-on-the-jukebox kind of vibe…when everything is winding down and you’re left with the quiet of the evening to think back on the way life and love has gone,” Barker explains, “Not just with regret, but also with acceptance on how some things work out for the best in the long run.” Produced by Grammy award-winner Joel Savoy, the song’s heartfelt vocals are paired with banjo, steel guitar, and stirring fiddle, making for the band’s most country song to date. “You Can’t Win Em All” is available everywhere this Friday; fans can pre-save the single on Spotify here.
Recorded almost a year ago after the band made their acclaimed Red Rocks debut, “You Can’t Win Em All” was finished in self-isolation with the help of some co-collaborators. “We tracked the beginnings of the song on a day off of tour last fall, and had been wondering how to further develop it,” Barker says, “So with everybody musically quarantined for the moment, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to do some remote collaboration to fully realize the vision of the tune.”
The band enlisted the help of longtime friend Joel Savoy, a Grammy award-winning producer and engineer, as well as a ten time Grammy nominee. Barker explains, “We met Joel years ago at a festival in Canada and became good buddies with him, and big admirers of his brand of cajun and country music. From recordings we’ve heard that he’s played on and produced, we knew he would be the perfect person to give the song the fuller sound we wanted and we knew that the crew of musicians he works with down around Lafayette, Louisiana are all top notch players. Seems like everyone down there plays so soulfully and is all about the classic tones. We’re thrilled with what they added to the tune.”
All things Town Mountain can be found at https://www.townmountain.net.
