Americana Legend, Floramay Holliday To Release Title Track As Single Off Forthcoming Collaborative Album 'Song to Myself'
The Outlaw-Country-Americana songwriter and singer, Floramay Holliday, has been busy catching up on lost time since releasing her first new music in decades with the recent EP, Hearts Have Wings (2023), and playing a slew of tour dates and appearances since essentially restarting and reviving an already legendary career. The Texas by way of South Carolina artist cut her teeth in Austin, TX, introduced by Clifford Antone to Jerry Jeff Walker’s band, who played on her first album. Holliday has also recorded with Ray Benson and members of Asleep at the Wheel, Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson, Bobbie Nelson, and members of Slightly Stoopid. She’s shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, James McMurtry, Stephen Bruton, Radney Foster, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Jimmy LaFave, Monte Montgomery, Marsha Ball, Dale Watson, Tish Hinojosa and more, establishing her solo career as a prolific songwriter and formidable performer. On Nov 2, 2000, Mayor Kirk Watson proclaimed “Floramay Holliday Day” for her musical contributions to the city, and later that same year, her first album was recommended for nomination in the 42nd Grammy Awards. Holliday also plays with several bands, including her all-female country-rock band, Sis Deville, with Carolyn Wonderland and Shelley King.
While recorded before Hearts Have Wings, her newest collaborative effort, and sixth studio release on Roseneath Records, Song to Myself (featuring members of New Bohemians) is finally set to see the light of day in May of 2024 (Roseneath Records). With the recent passing of Brad Houser, founding member of Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, the fruits born from this heartfelt and endearing musical partnership are sadly both bitter and sweet, but perhaps more relevant, and the effort behind sharing the music, even more vital. Floramay's music, her songs, and her sometimes tender lyricism, is as good a medicine as anyone could ask for when grieving the loss of a friend and musical companion. As one of Houser’s close friends and colleagues, Edie Brickell, poignantly states,
“Floramay and the New Bohemians make beautiful music together. I’m so glad Brad got to shine on this soulful album before he left this world. It’s a gift to us all."
On March 14th, Floramay Holliday and the members of New Bohemians, are set to give us a first taste of the new album - our gift - that they made together. Written and produced by Holliday, it was recorded in the fall of 2021, after connecting through old friends. Holliday and Kenny Withrow (guitars), Brad Houser (bass) John Bush (drums) and Matt Hubbard (organ), best known for his work with Willie Nelson and 7 Walkers, holed up at Kessler Sound Studios in Dallas, TX, for an epic string of recording sessions with engineer Jim King. Also featured as special guests were Gabor Racz (harmonica), James Ervin (guitar), the legendary Milo Deering (pedal steel), and others.
"Our time in the studio was magical. We worked three twelve-hour days in the first sessions, completely losing track of time in the process. Recording this album truly was an inspiring collaboration, and I am so grateful to work with the members of New Bohemians, a band I have admired for years," explains Holliday.
In the end, sixteen new songs were recorded and the album was then mixed and mastered by Hearts Have Wings producer Will Holland (Pixies, Dead Can Dance) at Chillhouse Studios in Boston, MA. At the time of Brad Houser's passing, Floramay and the band were making release and tour plans for the upcoming album drop, and of course, sadly those plans will never come to fruition with the original cast. Lucky for us, and especially for the friends, family, and band mates of the late Austin, TX music legend, we have the music that is left behind.
With 'Song to Myself,' the first single from the anticipated album, and the accompanying music video created by Daniel Rockey, we are invited back to the magic of those epic recording sessions in that intimate Dallas studio, in the pandemic fall of 2021, and back to the original allurement that made these sessions so fun, epic, and magical.
