FOR RELEASE AUGUST 10
BUFFALO, NY (July 15, 2020) – The new single from Brendan & the Strangest Ways pours another round of whiskey for the broken, bruised, but never down-and-out independent musicians living with the frustration of everyday economic obstacles. “Turn Your Luck” combines a string-plucking melody with a foot-stomping backbeat to tell the dust-tinged story of a touring musician’s lament. The single is out August 10 and is off the upcoming album Are We Sure The Dawn Is Coming? out September 4.
Shea goes into his inspiration, explaining, ”This song is my evaluation of whether or not I still believed in what I was doing after years of trying and traveling a whole lot of miles to get absolutely nowhere.” Musically, the lyrics echo this uncertainty, saying “A dozen years of overhead, not sure how wisely spent / I’m busking at the baseball game to try and cover rent”. The sentiment creates an anthem for anyone who has ever hauled equipment held together with duct tape and stained with water rings to a gig, just to find you’ve spent more money getting there than you end up taking home.
More difficulty comes in the form of a relationship ending, as the later verses depict two people unlucky in love who seem to sabotage themselves by hanging onto past failures. Shea writes “All we had to do was drop our baggage at the door / But people treated poorly gonna make more of the same”. These layers of struggle, both personal and professional, leave us to wonder whether this is really the dark before the dawn, or whether the night will just keep getting darker.
About Brendan & the Strangest Ways
Brendan Shea adopted the moniker Brendan & the Strangest Ways to create music for the restless spirit. Heartfelt reflections comprise the songs: loves and losses experienced over countless miles traveled in search of something that always felt just a little out of reach.
Early in 2019, Brendan and the Strangest Ways broke ground on the sophomore album Are We Sure The Dawn Is Coming? at County Q in Nashville. In October 2019, Brendan connected with veterans of Buffalo’s alternative country scene and former members of the band Bareback Jack: Tommy Bijak (electric guitar), Pete Wilson (drums), Paul Belardi (bass) and Kenny Blesy (steel guitar) to reform the Strangest Ways. The members backing Shea on Brendan & the Strangest Ways have done stints in Nashville recording and playing live. In their previous band, they opened for Marty Stuart and Charlie Daniels.
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Praise For Brendan & the Strangest Ways
“Top Ten Songs of the Week” – The Alternate Root
“solid country-rock song-writing” – Americana UK
“Timeless, tasteful, and infinitely inviting Brendan & the Strangest Ways self-titled debut is a true delight.” – Skope Magazine
“a powerful hook-laden country rocker” – Beehive Candy
