Read Southall can sure turn a phrase. “This record is the gasoline for the love machine,” he says of his band’s new album, the exhilarating and self-titled Southall. The proud Oklahoma workingman isn’t exaggerating. The record sparks and burns with 11 crank-it-up songs that expertly combine country, rock & roll, and the dust and grit of the band’s native Red Dirt scene.
But there are also glimpses of hard rock and metal, along with easygoing back-porch vibes, the result of a drastic change in the way the group formerly known as the Read Southall Band now makes music: Every member of Southall brings lyrics, melodies, and even full songs to the table. “It’s the colors of different people with different influences making music,” Southall says. “I’ve always been confident in the talents and abilities of the guys onstage with me, and I want our fans to see and hear that too. That’s why we changed our name to Southall.”
Produced by Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak) and recorded at Leon Russell’s iconic Church Studio in Tulsa, Southall manifests the true band album that singer Read Southall first envisioned when he released his debut, Six String Sorrow, in 2015. That was a mostly acoustic record, but Southall, the band’s fourth album, roars with raw and loud collaborative power. Reid Barber, the group’s resident metalhead, hammers his drums. Bassist Jeremee Knipp provides a brooding low end. Keys player Braxton Curliss adds both tasteful accents and off-the- rails barroom piano. And guitarists John Tyler Perry and Ryan Wellman wring wild sounds from their instruments. All of it is tied together by Southall’s scrappy, yearning voice.
First single “Scared Money” is a slice of Rolling Stones country-rock straight off of Sticky Fingers. Opening with a stabbing guitar lick and written by Barber, it’s an acknowledgment of hard work and a dogged determination to pay the bills. “That was inspired by my father, who always told me it’s not about figuring out what you want to do, it’s about figuring out what you don’t want to do,” Barber says. “It was written as a country song, but when we got in the studio it turned into more of a Stonesy jam.”
Bio Goodbye June:
Fusing hard rock licks with deep South blues and gospel swing, the three cousins are fueled by their desire to craft timeless, catchy and anthemic rock songs. The band formed after the death of Tyler’s brother in June (hence the band name), vowing to honor his memory with their soulful and life-affirming sound. Since the release of their major label debut ‘Magic Valley’, the boys have earned the endorsement of Rolling Stone, contributed “Liberty Mother” to a high-profile Budweiser TV campaign as well as a WWE theme song, packed shows across the United States and Europe with Greta Van Fleet and ZZ Top, and racked up 110 million+ Spotify streams in the process. After notching placements on ESPN, NFL, NHL, Need for Speed, and Madden (EA), the band landed a #1 placement on the UK Rock Chart with their 2022 studio release ‘See Where The Night Goes.’ Now, the band is forging ahead with their 2024 follow-up album ‘Deep in the Trouble.’
Gates open at 6pm. Support Artist takes the stage at 7:30pm. Tickets will be available at the gate the day of show for $5 more than online tickets(+tax and service fee) pending the show is not sold out. No outside food and drinks are permitted. All ticket purchases are final. Refunds and exchanges are not available.
