Jamestown Revival have made the quietest record of their career with Young Man, yet it may resonate the most. Recorded in their home state of Texas, it is their first project without electric guitars, with the emphasis instead on skillful songwriting, flawless harmony, and intricate fingerpicking. In addition, it’s the first time that bandmates Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance have created an album with a producer—in this case, Robert Ellis, a fellow Texan and a recording artist in his own right. Showcasing most of the genres that collectively make up “Americana” music—folk, jazz, bluegrass, roots rock—sometimes all in one song, their upcoming LP Young Man represents a distilled and pure Jamestown Revival at their finest.
Today, the band is happy to share “Young Man,” the album’s namesake and first single, with fans. “How far removed from our younger selves have we become? Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that we were full of piss and vinegar and blissful ignorance,” say Clay and Chance. “We hadn’t yet felt the burdens and responsibilities of growing up. ‘Young Man’ is about trying to identify with our younger selves, someone we know from old photographs and memories that start to feel a little more distant with each passing year and asking ourselves, ‘Is that part of me still there? Do I still have the same fire that I once knew?’” Fans can listen to “Young Man” now and pre-order or pre-save the album ahead of its January 14th release date right here. Additionally, the first leg of Jamestown Revival’s 2022 Young Man Tour is now on sale. Featuring record-producer Robert Ellis as opening act and band member as well as a number of dates with Mipso supporting, the entire list of tour dates can be found below. Tickets can be purchased at https://jamestownrevival.com/#tour-dates.
A sense of spaciousness came naturally in past projects like 2014’s Utah, recorded in the Wasatch Mountains, and 2019’s San Isabel, recorded in a Colorado cabin. This time, the band opted for a studio for the first time, choosing Niles City Sound in Fort Worth, Texas. Studio founder Josh Block (Leon Bridges, CAAMP) engineered Young Man to evoke the experience of musicians huddled together, singing and playing without headphones or click tracks. Chance and Clay are joined on the session by their longtime rhythm section of bassist Nick Bearden and drummer Ed Benrock, along with Ross Holmes (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) on fiddle, Will Vanhorn on pedal steel, and the aforementioned Ellis on guitars, all of whom will join Jamestown Revival on the road in January.
Collectively, the Young Man crew was born from the robust musical community in Texas, not unlike the legendary musical partnerships of decades past when everybody played on each other’s records, late-night songs were written and passed around to be fine-tuned, and the sum was always much greater than its parts. Sonically, Young Man draws on inspirations such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Doobie Brothers (particularly “Black Water”), yet there’s also a dusty Western feel to Young Man, similar to a Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt album where the detailed backdrop and acoustic arrangements convey the story as eloquently as the lyrics do.
Chance and Clay envision Young Man as a collection of songs that should be played all the way through, like reading a book. “We had the most amazing time recording this album. We laughed nonstop,” Clay says. “When I listen to this album top to bottom, I’m really proud of what we did. I hope that this album transports people because it’s like a time capsule. It takes us right back to that studio and to that couple of weeks. It felt like we were doing what we were meant to do.”
For more information, head over to jamestownrevival.com.
Catch Jamestown Revival in 2022:
Jan. 14 – New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall^
Jan. 16 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre*
Jan. 17 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up*
Jan. 18 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up*
Jan. 19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst*
Jan. 20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore*
Jan. 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theatre*
Jan. 22 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades*
Jan. 23 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre*
Jan. 25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth*
Jan. 26 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Pavilion**
Jan. 27 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre*
Jan. 28 – Telluride, CO – Club Red*
Jan. 29 – Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre**
Jan. 30 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up^
With Special Guests:
** Mipso
^ Robert Ellis
* Mipso & Robert Ellis
Midwest + East Coast dates to be announced soon.
Young Man Tracklist:
1. Coyote
2. Young Man
3. Moving Man
4. Northbound
5. These Days
6. One Step Forward
7. Slow It Down
8. Way It Was
9. Old Man Looking Back
10. Working On Love
