 photo by Mathieu Bitton
Alternating between guitars and a harmonium pump-organ, some spoken word and some instrumentals, Murry's first recording away from the 97ís is due April 1, 2008. The deep roots element in the music of the Old 97ís is found here in its distilled form. The listener is going to hear a lot about trains, soldiers, my own restlessness, death and religion all stuff I think about constantly. God makes several cameos |
Murry Hammond's day job is as an Old 97, a position he has held since he and longtime musical partner Rhett Miller formed the band in 1993. Hammond has always been given credit or to some, the blame - for the roots influence found in the Old 97ís songwriting and sound. "Both in my own songs like Valentine,ìOld Familiar Steam, Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue, and co-writing with Rhett on things like Timebombî and Crash on the Barrelhead- I've always tended to push the chug of the old train songs, the soul of old-time and spirituals, the high-lonesome wail of mountain music, and the pure tuneful fun of singing cowboy music."
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