(Reybee) Chuck Ragan has shared his new duet with Paige Overton called "One More Shot", along with a lyric video. The track comes from Ragan's forthcoming album "Lover and Lore", which will arrive on October 29th.
With the release of the singles "Echo the Halls" and "Wild In Our Ways," it's safe to say that the new album LOVE AND LORE takes a big step aside from what you'd expect from ultimate folk troubadour, punk pioneer, and fly-fisherman extraordinaire CHUCK RAGAN. His already robust command of Americana and folk gets a boost of adrenaline, propelling him into craggy indie rock territory. But what isn't lost is that mythical and "Chuck Ragan element" that is deeply embedded in his music that sets him apart. His authenticity and that gritty, instantly recognizable voice are intact, as can be evidenced by the brand new single "One More Shot" which is released today.
"One More Shot" finds Chuck expanding his wings again, this time with a strong honky tonk flavor. Recruiting Paige Overton (of outlaw country band Paige and the Overtones) to share the microphone, the duet is a new wrinkle for him. Though he has shared vocals in his legendary punk band Hot Water Music and during his Revival Tour collaborative jamborees, this is a first in his studio output. A song about heartbreak and standing on that stubborn precipice between stubbornness and apology, he sings, "Hear me begging for mercy / I'd trade all the diesel in the world for you / And just one more shot."
"There's so much heartbreak that comes with this life and I'm not just talking about myself, I'm talking about the people around me," Chuck explains. "As someone who spends a lot of time away from my loved ones, there's a lot of darkness at times and a lot of questions-and a lot of these songs are very much reflective of that and very much about therapy and finding peace and solace in nature, on the water and with loved ones."
This honesty and vulnerability while still maintaining his integrity is trademark Chuck Ragan™ and why his fanbase has been intensely loyal despite long stretches of time between solo records (his previous studio album Till Midnight was released in 2014; his videogame soundtrack The Flame In The Flood in 2016). Love And Lore was conceptualized in 2016 with studio work beginning in 2019, progress was halted due to that ol' dreaded COVID, Love And Lore was posited on the shelf while he focused on his fly fishing operation in Grass Valley, CA to provide for his family. "We got serious about making this album again in 2022, but I didn't have a ton of time to devote to it between being physically exhausted and having a toddler," he admits. "It was just chaos." (This also includes a tree falling on guitarist/pedal steel/multi-instrumentalist Todd Beene's house.) Eventually Love And Lore was recorded in early 2023 and the result is an album that showcases Chuck's further transcending the "folk" label to create a collection of songs that see him stretching out as a songwriter to fearlessly explore new sonic territory.
A formidable presence on stage for the last three decades, Chuck Ragan played his first solo show over 30 years ago and has been writing heartfelt campfire anthems ever since he picked up an acoustic guitar at the age of 12. Growing up in the Southeast and raised by his Louisiana and Florida-bred Southern family, he has toured the world with seminal punk band Hot Water Music and as a solo performer. Chuck conceptualized The Revival Tour in 2005, which has been one of the most anticipated tours throughout North America, Europe, and Australia since its inception in 2008. Featuring such punk rock royalty as Frank Turner, Dave Hause (The Loved Ones), Jenny Owens Young, Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem), Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!), Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio) among many others, The Revival Tour was a festival of sorts that brought together artists of varying genres to collaborate and jam on stage as a musical collective. Ragan has toured the globe extensively for the past two decades and has become a household name in both the folk and punk communities.
Aside from his constantly evolving musical career, Chuck is a true multi-hyphenate as he is an established fishing guide who leads fly fishing trips throughout the Sacramento Valley Rivers in and around the Western region of the Lower Sierra Nevada Mountains. He has also written a book, The Road Most Traveled (2012), which compiles anecdotes about life on the road. In addition, an award-winning documentary Landsick based on his balance between music, his fishing, and his family, had a theatrical release in 2018, and was followed by a wide release on YouTube the following year.
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