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Nashville's Tom Galloway Releases Debut Solo Album August 17, 2018 12:59
Nashville singer/songwriter Tom Galloway has been a staple in the southeastern music scene over the past decade. While many know Galloway as the frontman of rock bands Mama's Love and Maradeen, his latest work portrays a fresh yet diverse look into the artist's catalog. Cross Currents represents Galloway's first full-length solo release, featuring previously released tracks such as "Old Black Dog," "Our Due Time," and "Red Whiskey & Wine." Combining the sounds of americana, alt-country, and southern rock, Cross Currents provides a tasteful blend of nostalgic, conspicuous tracks that make for an excellent listen from start to finish. Find out for yourself and stream the album in full below.
Born in Georgia, raised in Texas, and currently a songwriter in Nashville, Galloway combines roots of folk, bluegrass, classic country and rock, to form a unique blend of expression and storytelling. Developing his craft for years, strong hooks and captivating lyrics have been the mission. Galloway has been the frontman and principal songwriter for the rock bands Mama's Love and Maradeen, touring extensively across the country.
We recently had a chance to catch up with Galloway, who provided some extensive background info on the new release and latest step in his already decorated career:
"I wrote most of these songs at our family cabin up in North Georgia between my move from Athens to Nashville. It's hard not to be affected by the feel of the Appalachian country writing up there alone. It's definitely my favorite place to write. The sound of the nearby river was always running low in the background and that was the initial inspiration for the album title. I was also reflecting on the current that was pulling me to Nashville during that transitional time.
The album also has aspects of loss and redemption and the cross relationship between dark and light. "Poorhouse of Sin," probably the darkest tune, is followed by "Lean Into the Light" which is probably the most positive song, yet they're both beautiful to me in different ways. The crossing of genres too became interesting as the album progressed because I set out to make a singer/songwriter Americana album, but there are a lot of different sounds going on with some interesting sections and driving rhythms.
It's hard for me to define the genre, but we really tried to give the album its own sonic atmosphere. There are sections that are thick with layers but also exposed sections, and I guess it's all based on serving and building each song. The songs are diverse, but I do think we were able to maintain a cohesive characteristic to the album, which is good.
One of my favorite parts of the record is the very last minute, because every band member and guest musician trade licks over a climactic swing as the record fades out.We thought a lot about the track order as well because we wanted a lot of the songs to kind of flow into each other, for the whole album to hold up together as one piece...so I'm serious when I say you need to spark up that doobie, put on some headphones, and let it roll from start to finish."
Stream Tom Galloway's Cross Currents in its entirety here:
Maradeen Announces 2017 Winter/Spring Tour Dates January 18, 2017 13:50
Nashville-based rock quintet Maradeen has announced its initial tour dates for 2017, which will see the band across the Southeast and up the East Coast. The tour kicks off with a hometown show at The Basement in Nashville (TN) on January 27th, followed by a stop at Atlanta's Aisle 5 the following night (1/28). Additional stops on this tour include Bowling Green (KY), Birmingham (AL), Chattanooga (TN), Asheville (NC), Raleigh (NC), Charlotte (NC), Harrisonburg (VA), Blacksburg (VA), Richmond (VA), Washington D.C., Bridgeport (CT), New York (NY), and New Hope (PA). The band will perform alongside Travers Brothership in Nashville, Atlanta, and Asheville, as well as The Southern Belles in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Richmond. See below for the complete list of tour dates, and don't miss out on your chance to catch one of our favorite up-and-coming bands in 2017!
Maradeen is an American rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by guitarist, Whit Murray, in the summer of 2014 with keyboardist, Kaitlyn Connor, and bassist, Sterling Miller, the band formed their initial roots as a high energy rock n roll quartet. With classical and jazz improvisation backgrounds they forged and evolved a unique and well-versed sound. In 2015, Tom Galloway moved to Nashville for songwriting and began collaborations with Murray. The band entered the analog studio "Welcome to 1979" in the spring of 2015 and recorded their first full-length LP entitled, "Mirage". The album features the initial hard-hitting rockers from the band's formative stage while revealing the new songwriting dynamic between Murray and Galloway.
Although the band was new to the scene at this time, the origins of Maradeen run deep. Murray played lead guitar for Galloway's band, Mama's Love, between the years of 2009-12. During this time they toured nationwide, developed a devoted fanbase, and recorded with renowned producers Tom Tapley and John Keane. Galloway continued fronting Mama's Love while Murray extended his education at The Berklee College of Music.
Mama's Love had shared the stage with the progressive rock band, Afro, several times in the past which featured Connor on keys. Connor met Miller through the MTSU music program where Miller majored in audio engineering and played with bands Harrison Anvil and The Bourbon Barrel Band. A long line of history, coincidence, and mutual passion brought together the group, and they continue to make strides as they climb the mountain of music.
Watch Maradeen perform "Deal With The Devil" while opening for Moon Taxi at the Georgia Theatre (08.24.16) here:
The Road To CukoRakko: The Reunion of Mama's Love September 15, 2016 12:25
Thomas: The band formed back in 2007 in Athens, Ga. Most of us were in school there at the time. I had been playing with William Boyd (keyboards) since high school, as well as Patrick Atwater, the original bassist. So, there was already some chemistry going. Boyd looped in his cousin Ben Torbert who became the original drummer. Then we hooked up with Taylor Knox, the original guitarist, who had played with some of us in another project called The Shady Boys. We went through a few names while playing together and eventually became Mama's Love. Pretty soon after, we recorded our first studio album Willow Street Sessions, and we played around Athens and the southeast from 2007-2009 with that initial lineup.
Knox left the band towards the end of '09 to pursue another career so we were searching for a new guitarist. We had played with Whit's band, Perfect Colour, out of Raleigh, and he was friends with Knox and all of us. I think Whit was in a position to make moves to Athens, and he was interested in making it work. So, he came on board in 2009. We also changed things up with Bo Nicholson as our new bassist around that time of transition. Patrick went on to study Jazz bass in Colorado. Soon after, we went to Southern Tracks Studio in Atlanta and recorded the self-titled EP with Tom Tapley. We toured in support of that for a while, and eventually followed that up with a full length LP with John Keane in 2011 called, The Great Divide.
We toured around the southeast pretty heavily during that time. I guess soon after The Great Divide, different factors cause the band to dissolve. I was still living in Athens, and after some soul searching, I had the opportunity to get another really talented group of players together to keep the music going. We recorded the single, "Beyond the Divide" with Keane and we actually have a shelved album "Stone Farm Redemption" that I hope will see the light of day at some point. That lineup toured heavily between 2012-2014 and we still occasionally play a few shows from time to time
Listen to "Wake Up Woes" by Mama's Love here:
Thomas: One of my favorites was going out west for the first time. Seeing and feeling the landscape change as you get further out. We got to open up for Mickey Hart (The Grateful Dead) and Keller Williams. Actually, that was in Driggs, Idaho, and some Jackson Hole shows. We did some Colorado and Texas dates too.
New Interview + Song Debut: Whit Murray and Thomas Galloway of Maradeen September 15, 2015 13:09
We recently caught up with Whit Murray and Thomas Galloway of Maradeen, one of Nashville's hottest young rock groups. In just their second year, the band has quickly progressed from small local bars to well-known music venues across the Southeast. The band's debut album, Mirage, drops next Tuesday (September 22nd), and we couldn't be more excited to debut the albums opening track, "She Treat Me Like a Real Man" here in this interview.
Let’s start off by talking about the recent birth of Maradeen. Did you guys have much experience playing together before then? Tell me about that first gig.
Whit: Thomas and I were in a band called Mama’s Love out of Athens, GA from 2009-2012. I left the band to pursue a music degree up in Boston and Thomas continued on. We used to exchange shows with this band Afro out of Nashville. Their keys player Kaitlyn and I started jamming in Nashville and she brought Sterling along to play bass. I had met our drummer Russ Garner at a local jam in town and when the 4 of us linked up, the music came together really quickly.
Then Thomas moved to Nashville in October and he and I started writing songs. After about 3 months, we had written an album's worth and I invited him to sit in with us at one of our shows in January and he’s still coming back! Having two guitars, three lead vocalists, and three part harmonies really brought what we’d been creating to life and added a whole new level of excitement.
There was no denying that the first full gig we played, we sounded like a real band. We recorded this catalog of material in March and it's set to be released on Tuesday, September 22nd. We’re calling it, Mirage.
Listen to "She Treat Me Like a Real Man" by Maradeen
Deciding on a band name can be tricky. A lot bands run through a couple before the right one sticks. Where did you guys come up with Maradeen?
Whit: Before Thomas entered the picture, the four of us recorded a three-song demo and booked our first gig at South here in Nashville. Before we could announce the show and release the music, we needed to come up with a band name. I had a buddy visiting me for the weekend and we made a huge list and kept coming back to the word Meridian.
By definition, meridian can mean: a point or period of highest development or greatest prosperity, splendor, or success. We thought this could be applicable to both the music itself and the original mantra of the band. The name would serve as a reminder to always reach as far as you can in anything you pursue.
But rather than just call it Meridian, we changed it to Maradeen to give it some originality. After settling on it, I noticed a billboard outside of my apartment for Nashville’s Mayor, Karl Dean. That must be where the name entered my subconscious and so it stuck.
The Nashville music scene is second to none, with an endless amount of music being played on any given street corner. You guys obviously know how this works from your days in Athens. How vital has the band’s progression been calling Nashville home?
Thomas: There is a credibility and seriousness that comes with the town of Nashville. I feel the same way about Athens, GA. Great artists and bands have come out of both areas. I still consider Athens an integral part of my musical growth, and now Nashville has become my new home and the center for the music business machine in the South. There is such a saturation of songwriters here and opportunities to collaborate. Everyone I've met in town has a creative drive and willingness to work hard and play hard.
Who have been some of your biggest influences over the years? Are there any particular guitarists who you have modeled your style of play after?
Whit: I grew up to classic rock and the likes of Hendrix, Clapton, and the Rolling Stones. In high school and college, Phish and the Grateful Dead and their two front men (Trey Anastasio, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir) were a huge influence.
When I went to music school, I spent a lot of time studying jazz and blues. Players like Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, and George Benson, then Duane Allman, Albert & Freddie King, Hubert Sumlin are among some of my favorites. Too many list!
And the amazing teacher’s I’ve had the privilege of studying under. My mentor at Berklee, Richie Hart, is one of the most amazing musicians in the world and he really stressed the amount of work and commitment it takes not only in effort to be great but to merely survive as a musician.
Thomas: The people I've played with have honestly been the biggest influences. I've had the privilege of playing with incredible players and writers over the years, all of whom I consider part of a connective musical family. When I was 15, Classic Rock became a huge influence for me with bands like The Beatles, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Boston, The Doobie Brothers, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Later I dove deeper into bands such as The Grateful Dead, The Band, Old and in the Way, and Little Feat. Every one of these artists inspired me with their ability to write with integrity and still reach a wide audience. Prime examples include Neil Young, Robert Hunter, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Waylon Jennings, & Tom Petty. These early classic rock and country influences still guide my writing today.
What has been your approach when writing new songs? Do you typically start with the chords or the lyrics? How has the songwriting process worked within the band?
Thomas: I rarely try to force or plan anything when writing a new song. I will usually hear a musical phrase at some point, with at least a rough melody and/or lyrics that inspires me enough to make a quick note or recording of the idea. That initial cryptic influence is usually "the gift" and will be the fuel for the rest of the process to evolve. From there it's a matter of adding context and color, turning it into a full story and a complete song. In Nashville, co-writing is such an integral part of the scene. Right when I moved here, Whit and I got together and co-wrote a handful of tunes. Our goal of these collaborations was to develop and complete a full song in each session from a blank canvas. I think Whit and my approach to songwriting have complemented each other well in the writing room. We were both pleased with the results, and once they were filtered through the talent of the band, they were taken to a whole new level.
Much progress has been made with the band in a short period of time. Maradeen has quickly broken out of the Nashville scene and made its way into the Southeastern circuit. Not many people understand how much goes into the business side of a band, much less a new band. How has that worked for this band thus far?
Whit: When I joined Mama’s Love in 2009, they had already released a full-length album 2 years prior and had been touring pretty extensively, especially for a college band. I had no idea how much would go into getting this thing off the ground a year ago when we first started.
Fortunately for us, we’ve all been at this for so long and have had amazing support from old friends, fans, and mutual connections. We’ve been doing a lot of the booking ourselves which requires a tremendous amount of patience and persistence. We’ve taken old markets where we had previous success and just kept hitting them every 2-4 months. We’ve still got a long ways to go, but the progress has been astounding and we’re all really proud of how far we’ve come in the past year.
It’s also been refreshing to start over have the freedom to implement what worked in other projects and try and avoid things that didn’t. I feel like I’m constantly learning new ways to try and make our music more viable and appealing from a business standpoint.
How is the rest of 2015 shaping up for the band? What has you guys most excited? Have any major goals/plans for 2016 been laid out yet?
Whit: 2015 has been an amazing first year for us. We’ve recorded and are releasing our debut LP, gone from opening to headlining some of our old favorite venues, and gotten to share bills with some of our old friends who we’ve been coming up with since we first started 8 years ago.
I’m most excited about sharing our first album with our growing audience, having one of our tracks included on the October/November issue of Relix Magazine’s sampler, and playing the Blueberry Jam with our old friends in Earphunk and the Revivalists! We have yet to play with the McLovins but are excited to link up with them too!
Our biggest goals for 2016 are continuing expanding into new markets, supporting larger acts, and signing with a booking agency eventually. We also hope to break play as many festivals as we can next Summer!