Red Sky July ‘Walking Country Song’
Red Sky July are delighted to share the official video for new single ‘Walking Country Song’, taken from their upcoming third studio album ‘The Truth And The Lie’. The song’s witty and playful lyrics are inspired by the task of having to split up a record collection after a break-up. It has the well-loved signature Red Sky July touches – clever writing, smooth harmonies and a country twang.
The trio recently took their hazy blend of Alt-Country and Americana to Country 2 Country Festival at London’s O2, where they performed on the sought after pop-up slots over the weekend including the Brooklyn Bowl and Town Square stages. This was their first time playing at the festival, which in recent years has grown to a substantial 3 day-and-night affair featuring some of the biggest country artists from the USA and UK. The band have also confirmed appearances at Cornbury Festival and Bob Harris’ first Under The Apple Tree Festival this year.
The new album ‘The Truth And The Lie’, released March 25 th, features compositions from all three members, husband and wife Ally McErlaine (guitarist in Texas) and Shelly Poole (previously one half of Alisha’s Attic) along with Charity Hair (guitarist/vocalist in The Alice Band). The gorgeous harmonies and classic guitar sounds on the recording bring out the depth of their songwriting. Their carefully crafted compositions work just as well acoustically, but the full band arrangements Red Sky July have orchestrated really bring them to life.
The album was recorded in the band’s own studio, where theywere joined in the studio by twice Grammy nominated, Nashville based singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman (Elton John, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson). The drive of the rhythm section came from Ross Hamilton on bass and drums, and long-time collaborator Mark Neary (Noel Gallagher, U2, Adele) added some authentic country twang on pedal steel guitar. A layer of classic Wurlitzer electric piano and percussion comes from multi-instrumentalist Dave Etherington (Kylie Minogue, Giorgio Moroder, Sub Focus). The band were hands-on at every stage, recording, mixing and mastering everything themselves.
Red Sky July formed in 2009. 2011’s self-titled debut garnered the praise of the critics including excellent reviews from Q Magazine, the Evening Standard and The Daily Telegraph, with Q describing the album as “a timeless blend of vocals & intricate twang…. As atmospheric as it is emotional”. The band have been playlisted on BBC Radio 2, and have supported artists such as Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow, 10CC, Tom Jones and Jools Holland. Festivals they have performed at include T in the Park, Isle of Wight and Glastonbury.
2014’s ‘Shadowbirds’ came straight in at No. 3 in the Official UK Country Charts, with Maverick describing it as “a beautiful slice of alt-country showcasing sunny songs and gorgeous harmonies. 5/5”. The band’s achievements were recognised at the Scottish Music Awards where they were presented with a prestigious Tartan Clef award by Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.