listen hear! spotlights a song we like and think you will too.
Louisville newgrass-fusion jam band Hot Brown Smackdown have been staying busy lately! They have been making the rounds at music festivals, continuing to add to their sizeable fan base. They’ve also been finding time to write new music for their soon to be finished new album. They just shared their amazing new tune, “Empire,”recorded at Louisville's Deadbird studio with engineer Tom Curtis. It’s the first music release from the group since violinist Ellie Ruth Miller joined the band. Her presence and influence can be heard and felt throughout the song, taking their sound to an exciting new level.
Speaking about the new track, the band told us: “Empire started as an idea our guitarist Anthony Le brought to a writing session about a year and a half ago. At first it was just the melody and harmony, but we knew there was something mesmerizing about the idea and we wanted to keep developing it.”
“The melody cycles in 7/8, and without rhythmic accompaniment at first so it's a bit spacy and hypnotic. It's fun to watch folks get lost in it, then suddenly get this look of "A-ha!" when the groove starts and they've got some rhythmic context.”
The current band lineup is: Patrick Schroering: Mandolin/Vocals, John Blum: Banjo/Dobro/Vocals, Justin Cecil: Bass, Arthur Geissler: Drums/Lead Vocals, Anthony Le: Guitar, and latest addition to the band, Ellie Ruth Miller: Violin/Vocals.
We’re excited that Hot Brown Smackdown will join us for our WFPK Waterfront Wednesday season finale on September 28. Yonder Mountain String Band and Houseplant are also on the bill.
Additional Hot Brown dates include: The Moonshiner's Ball 10/8, Grateville Dead Music Festival 10/15, and The Hot Brown Showdown 10/23.
Check out for our listen hear! Song of the Day:
Catch the listen hear! Song of the Day each weekday morning at 11:10.
