Andrew Leahey and the Homestead are proud to announce the upcoming release of American Static, Vol. 1, the first offering from a two-volume project spanning 18 original songs. Vol. 1 will be released via Mule Kick Records on October 22, 2021, with Vol. 2 arriving in early 2022.
Hailed by Rolling Stone for their “celebratory mix of sharp storytelling and fist-pumping rock & roll swagger,” Andrew Leahey & the Homestead are a timeless band for the modern age, rolling a decade-spanning wealth of influences — the heartland hooks of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the sweeping guitars of George Harrison, the power-pop of Cheap Trick, the piano craft of Harry Nilsson — into a contemporary sound.
It’s a sound that transcends genres and generations. A longtime staple of the Americana and rock & roll communities in Nashville, Leahey has also earned a home on pop/rock radio with singles like “Start the Dance” and “Airwaves” (both taken from his international breakthrough, 2019’s Airwaves) and regularly performs with outlaw country artist Elizabeth Cook as the songwriter’s lead guitarist.
An expansive double album released in two volumes, American Static veers between larger-than-life rock anthems, Beatles-inspired piano ballads, and 1980s-influenced pop revivalism, with production by Jon Estes (Steelism, John Paul White) and a guest appearance by Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit). Many of Vol. 1’s songs came to life during Leahey’s year-long “Live & Online” livestream residency, which found the Homestead playing 52 weekly shows throughout the Covid-19 era. Those shows became a Thursday night staple for thousands of fans, landing Leahey a spot in the Top 40 of Pollstar’s Livestream chart.
American Songwriter premiered American Static, Vol. 1’s lead single, “Good at Gone,” days before Andrew Leahey & the Homestead’s recent performance at the Americana Music Festival, likening the track to Tom Petty’s work. The remainder of American Static, Vol. 1 offers a similar mix of electric guitar, stacked harmonies, and cinematic hooks, showcasing Leahey’s talent as a vocalist, storyteller, and multi-instrumentalist.
“This project came together while we were all stuck at home,” says Leahey, who wrote all 18 tracks. “I certainly felt like a static American, shut indoors for a year. But there’s a real sense of movement to that title, too. Imagine a radio dial that’s being turned, with static occurring between stations. That static is simply the noise you have to hear before you find something better. To me, American Static represents both sides of the coin. It’s an album about immobility and transition — about the things that linger in our way, and the paths we take past them.”
