Every now and again, an artist that is already vital in their genre will take a complete 180º turn with their music and flex new creative muscles. That’s exactly what Ohio-based rock band Beartooth delivered with the folk and country music-inspired The Blackbird Session EP. The Blackbird Sessions EP reveals a fresh sound from the band — never seen and/or heard by fans -— featuring twangy, stripped-down and acoustic renderings of songsfrom Beartooth’s latest album Disease, out now via Red Bull Records. The Blackbird Session EP is an ambitious and artistic let turn for Beartooth, exploring lead singer Caleb Shomo’s musical roots. While not an indicator of what fans should expect on future releases, The Blackbird Sessions EP does show the depth and breadth of the band’s songwriting and mastery in instrumentation.
Presented in video format, Beartooth recorded The Blackbird Sessions EP at the famed Blackbird Studios in Nashville, TN. The Blackbird Studios is owned by John McBride, an iconic producer and engineer in country music who has worked with artists such as Garth Brooks and Martina McBride, as well as pop titans Train. The idea of metal band Beartooth regarding a stripped-down folk inspired album in Blackbird Studios was a welcomed project by John McBride, who encouraged the band to record and served as guest engineer for the EP.
“When the idea came up to do acoustic sessions, immediately my mind went to family holidays. Constantly surrounded by singing old hymns and harmonies on harmonies. The idea of taking Beartooth in a direction of my first musical moments in life felt right,” said frontman Caleb Shomo. “The songs came out better than I could have ever imagined. A massive, MASSIVE part of that was Blackbird. The love I have for that place goes beyond any studio in existence. The rooms are the best in the world, the gear is the best in the world, the consoles… etc. All of this would be enough to make it feel like home, but the icing on the cake is the people who work there. Every time I walk in, it’s nothing but good vibes and hard workers.”
He continued, “We had the honour of the studio owner and mastermind John McBride (look him up — it’s insane) requesting to engineer our session. This led to an environment that was amazing and free. No limits, no worries, just playing and singing. He handled the rest. Being able to mix tracks engineered by such a legend/tracked on his home turf was an honour.
Shomo finished, “This is 100% live. No metronome, minimal rehearsal, just a bunch of musicians who love what they do getting in a room and going for it. If you want to see and hear Beartooth stripped down to one of its rawest and most emotional forms, please enjoy.”
In one full day, Beartooth reimagined four, full-band acoustic live recordings of songs like “Disease,” “You Never Know,” “Afterall,” and “Clever.” The songs are arranged and enhanced with lap steel, violins, and female vocals.
The Blackbird Session arrives on September 13. The band partnered with Taste of Country and Loudwire to premiere “Clever.”
Listen here
THE BLACKBIRD SESSION EP TRACK LISTING:
“Disease”
“You Never Know”
“Afterall”
“Clever”
In other news, the band head out on an extensive UK and European headline tour in early 2020 with support from The Amity Affliction, but not before they hit the road this year with A Day to Remember and I Prevail on one of the most-anticipated treks of the entire fall season.
All dates, including the band’s upcoming festival appearances, are below.
BEARTOOTH ON TOUR:
FESTIVAL DATES:
11/8 — Horseheads, NY — iMatter Festival
08/9 — Concord, VA — Blue Ridge Rock Festival
27/9 — Louisville, KY — Louder Than Life
11/10 — Sacramento, CA — Aftershock Festival
12/10 — San Bernardino, CA — Self Help Festival
WITH A DAY TO REMEMBER + I PREVAIL:
28/9 — Simpsonville, SC — CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
15/10 — Boise, ID — CenturyLink Arena
16/10 — Salt Lake City, UT — USANA Amphitheatre
17/10 — Denver, CO — Fillmore Auditorium
21/10 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
22/10 — Houston, TX — NRG Arena
23/10 — Corpus Christi, TX — Concrete Street Amphitheater
25/10 — Saint Charles, MO — Family Arena
26/10 — Chicago, IL — Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC
27/10 — Minneapolis, MN — The Armory
29/10 — Fargo, ND — Scheels Arena
30/10 — Des Moines, IA — Wells Fargo Arena
31/10 — Independence, MO — Silverstein Eye Centers Arena (SECA)
02/11 — Pittsburgh, PA — Petersen Events Center
03/11 — Fairfax, VA — EagleBank Arena
05/11 — Laval, QC — Place Bell
07/11 — Reading, PA — The Santander Arena
09/11 — Glen Falls, NY — Cool Insuring Arena
10/11 — Trenton, NJ — CURE Insurance Arena
12/11 — Syracuse, NY — The Oncenter War Memorial Arena
14/11 — Fort Wayne, IN — Allen County War Memorial Expo Center
15/11 — Cleveland, OH — Wolstein Center at CSU
16/11 — Ypsilanti, MI — Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center
17/11 — Huntington, WV — Big Sandy Superstore Arena
19/11 — New York, NY — Terminal 5
21/11 — Duluth, GA — Infinite Energy Center
22/11 — Nashville, TN — Nashville Municipal Auditorium
23/11 — Fayetteville, NC— Crown Coliseum
UK/EU 2020 HEADLINE DATES
16/2 — Stuttgart, DE – LKA-Longhorn
17/2 — Vienna, AT – Arena Wien
19/2 — Solothurn, CH – Kofmehl
20/2 — Munich, DE – Tonhalle
21/2 — Oberhausen, DE – Turbinnenhallen
22/2 — Wiesbaden, DE – Schlachtof
24/2 — Bristol, UK – O2 Academy
25/2 — Glasgow, UK – SWG3
26/2 — Nottingham, UK – Rock City
28/2 — Manchester, UK – Academy
29/2 — London, UK – Roundhouse
01/3 — Antwerp, BE – Trix
03/3 — Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
04/3 — Hamburg, DE – Grosse Freiheit
05/3 — Berlin, DE – Huxleys
06/3 — Leipzig, DE – Taubchenthal