NEWS:

10.26.09: October News

Lazy thing that I am, I took last month off from blogging so I owe everyone two months’ worth of news.

The September Oregon road shows were a big success; played some great shows, made some new friends, and got to live 2/3s of the rock n’ roll lifestyle…if ibuprofen qualifies as a drug in that sense.

You may have noticed a dearth of shows in the calendar since then. Couple reasons for that, the most notable of which is that I’m back down in my basement working up new material to go back into the studio as soon as possible. There’s no rest for the wicked, and as these things go, I need to get busy now so I can get something out there as soon as possible next year.

I’ll try and get something lined up in the interim, but the downside to shifting focus back to writing and recording is that you can expect a little less frequent shows over the winter. The upside is that when we do get out to play, there’ll be some new surprises in the set…so when that invite goes out, don’t mess about. Come out and see us!

The great reviews for the record continue to pile up. Over the last month there’s been a surge of reviews coming out the UK. The highlight is a glowing print review in the November issue of Maverick Magazine. In addition there are online reviews on allgigs.co.uk, leicesterbangs.co.uk, and whisperinandhollerin.com.

Since the Maverick magazine review is print only, I’ve posted the full review: here

7.18.09: Radio Update
Tinderbox updated me on the radio campaign and a lot more stations are getting behind the record. It's now up to 48 states and provinces and a total of 160 stations have the record in rotation.  I've updated the station lookup below to include the new stations. Plus, I've added a link to the station's coverage map so you can see if you can pick up the signal.

You really can make a difference by asking they play the record. Follow the link to their website and put in a request!

Select State Alabama Alaska Alberta Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut DC Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maine Man Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nevada New Foundland New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma ON Ontario Oregon Pennsylvania QC South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin

6.26.09: Truth & Love Radio Rotation
With the help of the great folks at Tinderbox Music, three weeks ago we started a US and Canada-wide college and community radio promotion campaign for the record. The response has been awesome! As of this week 84 stations have put it in rotation and it's even landed on some stations weekly charts.

Select your state from the drop down below to see what stations are playing Truth & Love. Support 'em and ask them to play your favorite song.

6.16.09: Truth & Love Releases!
For those who’ve followed my preview blog over the last six weeks, I hope you enjoyed learning about the making of the record. If you haven’t been following along, you can read all the entries here.

So enough jawin’, go pick up a copy at any of the online or brick and mortar locations listed below. If you haven’t yet joined the mailing list do that here as well. I’ll be sending out regular news and schedule updates.

5.4.09: Tuesday Previews

Each Tuesday until the record releases I'll be unveiling the songs from the record and sharing some of the stories behind the songs, the recording, and the amazing personalities that contributed. Read all about it Here.

BIO:

Singer-songwriter Brian Ledford has a few things on his mind. And with the summer 2009 release of Truth & Love, the Dallas-Fort Worth native hits his storytelling stride with 10 tales of wisdom, life, and love—poignant vignettes from and of the heart.

It wasn’t always this easy. The grandson of Okie jugband players, Ledford spent his formative years in the family station wagon tuned to the classic country then broadcast by WBAP, only to hit the college scene fronting The Stilettos: one part Replacements and one part G ‘n‘ R. Subsequent recipes for musical mayhem were tried and perfected in the bars of Austin and Lubbock with guitarist Alan Durham (Alejandro Escovedo, Dumptruck). After that? A move to Seattle was clearly in order. There, ballsy alt-rock gave way to swirling Brit-pop in the bands 3storeyhead and Bookstore Robbery, which maintain followings to this day. In recent years, Ledford has simmered his sauce to its rootsy Americana essence, giving the swagger of his youth a clear view of the door if not the final boot. Ledford has tales to tell, and in Truth & Love he’s carved out just the place to tell them. It’s out of the heat but lit from within, a shady canyon of introspection and melody.

Truth & Love finds Ledford’s high tenor gliding atop deft electric-acoustic arrangements for small ensemble and supported by performances from a stellar roster of supporting musicians whose class and musicianship leave their subtle yet unmistakable mark.

“I’ve always listened to anything and everything, and of course I was steeped in the Texas music and traditions I grew up with,” says Ledford. “But I never dreamed I would make this record. Something just happened. I turned a corner and these quieter, earthier songs started seeping out. I just went with it.”

Smart songcraft and smart production are hallmarks throughout.