The Cold Stares album “Ways” coming in 2019

ANNOUNCEMENT. The Cold Stares will release their next album “WAYS” in three installment EP’s. The first “white” EP will consist of 4 acoustic based songs and will be released May 1st 2019. The second “black” EP will be 4 hard rock songs, and be released on June 1st 2019. The last “blue” EP will be 4 blues tracks that will release July 4th 2019. August 1st the “WAYS” album in it’s entirety will be available as vinyl, cd and streaming services as well.
We are extremely excited about this process and project. What we can tell you- the “Black” album will be heavier than anything we’ve done so far. The “Blue” EP will be more bluesy than anything we’ve done so far. The “White” EP will represent our acoustic and songwriting style in a very personal and unique way. Each of these EP’s will be recording in a place and manner that contributes to the sound and feel of each EP and will be treated as it’s own entity. Holding back on some of the details of the recordings yet, but I can tell you each will be filmed for a short film and documentary about the process. We are very excited to be in this position, very blessed that “Mountain” is building the foundation for “Ways”, and can tell you that we intend to shake the ground with 12 songs never publicly heard before. Stay tuned. And thank you all for being here for this ride- For now here’s the cover artwork-

The Southern EP – Background and Lyrics for Cold Black Water

Leading up to the release of our new EP “The Southern” next week I’m going to post the lyrics to each song on the album with an explanation and a little background how each song originated. You guys always ask at shows where some of the songs come from, so hopefully this is something you’ll enjoy. The first song is “Cold Black Water” the third track on “The Southern”. CT

COLD BLACK WATER
I wrote this song specifically about Jeff Buckley. During the time that my music persona really formed, Buckley was a huge influence on me. Everyone now debates on Jeff’s greatness, but to me it’s not as simple as one or two songs, or his voice, or his arrangements. Jeff Buckley’s greatness was the intangible thing that makes all artists great. It’s the thing that can’t be explained, but can be felt when you hear or see their work, or soak up when you are around them. Tim Buckley, Jeff’s father died around the same age as Jeff which is very ironic. And then the way Jeff died, in the Mississippi river, clothes on, in a moment of freedom when he decided to wade in to the water that night, that longing to push it, risk it, live it, like I’ve waded into trouble so many times in my life but somehow by the grace of God emerged. Of course Jeff didn’t. And we’ll never know what he might have become. But for those of us that were impacted by his work, he is a Robert Johnson, Jim Morrison type figure. Enigmatic. Mysterious. But in the end human. As soon as I picked through the opening riff to this song in my living room, I saw that water surrounding Jeff, the darkness of the current, the moon above him, as the world around him was touting him as the savior of rock music, what the moment felt like to fade into that murky water. Wrote the song in one long poem in the moments following.

Here are the lyrics, as well as some explanations in parenthesis.

Cold Black Water

Don’t you call my name Peter don’t you dare (Matthew 16:9 )
I been treading in the water and a fever running through my head
They say I was the chosen one who’d make it all alright (Jeff’s critical acclaim)
But I’m sinking in the Cold Black Water down here tonight. (drowning)

I was just trying to find a place I could rest my shoes
Quarter mile off of Beale I could still hear them sing them blues (Beale street where Jeff was found in the Mississippi river)
Bottle of wine singing hallelujah right across my lips (Jeff’s version of “Hallelujah” is still daily discussed, and his love for wine was known)
Current of the ole Mississippi dancing at my hips

Swing low, low brother won’t you drag that line (metaphor for them dragging the river for Jeff’s body)
Swing low low never know just what you’ll find
Every child of God gotta answer when it comes his time (we are all going to die, quicker you wrap your head around that, the better you’ll start to live)

Don’t you shed no tears for me on that muddy ground
Don’t you waste no wine for me when they lay me down
Don’t you stray down in that water just to see my face
Come up baptized trying just to find some grace (Grace was Jeff’s critically acclaimed masterpiece album)

Swing low, low brother won’t you drag that line
Swing low low never know just what you’ll find
Every child of God gotta answer when it comes his time

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About 26 days until The Southern EP release

About 26 days until the release of “The Southern”. Thought we would pass along the artwork to you guys. This album means a lot to us, represents who we are, where we come from, and our family history. We’ll be releasing a single later this month, and a video to follow. Also we will be doing some contests and free giveaways. Stay tuned and please share our posts regarding “The Southern”. Sept 10th we will be doing a CD release party at Mojo’s in Evansville, please make plans to join us then! TCS

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New EP “The Southern” release date – September 8th

September 8th 2016 The Cold Stares will release their 4th release “The Southern”. The track listing will be
1- Friend of Mine
2- Child of God
3- Cold Black Water
4- The River
There will be a single and video sometime in September as well- and a CD release party on September 10th at Mojo’s in Evansville. Anyone showing up to the release party with a “animalpolooza” Burdette park wristband or ticket will have free cover that night. We were asked to play Parksfest on September 10th, and choose for a number of reasons not to be associated with the event. We certainly feel like the folks in Evansville deserve rock and roll, and we plan on providing it September 10th- if you get your family out please support a worthy cause at the Animalpolooza, and then come join us at Mojo’s that night for the opportunity to get “The Southern” and a Cold Stares show.
The “House” picture was a very close 2nd so we’ve decided to incorporate it on the back cover of the EP as well. Thank you all so much and please share with your friends. SEPTEMBER 8th 2016- THE COLD STARES PRESENTS “THE SOUTHERN”

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Colds Stares exciting news and updates!

Ok. Gonna drop a bit of news on you fine Cold Stares folks.
UPDATE:
Original plan was to have our first Small Stone label release turned in by first of July, and to be released end of September. Due to some scheduling issues, and us having to complete some projects that some of you are now seeing on TV, we were delayed. For that reason we have decided with Small Stone to push the release back to January. Although the album is completed, with distribution, some new found opportunities and a possible European tour in the spring- it makes a lot more sense for us career wise to hold on a few months further for a Jan 2017 release. Crazy difficult to sit on it that long without you guys hearing, but seems legally it’s what we have to do as well.
The good news for our fans-
In the process of recording the Small Stone records album we also cut a group of songs where we really pushed our southern roots. A group of four songs exists that we really love and have chosen to release them together as an EP titled “The Southern” first of September. Hopefully this will tie you guys over until January’s full length label release.
“The Southern” will not be B sides or out takes, but rather a group of songs that just uniquely fit together and was separate from the direction we were going for the SS album. We have long wanted to do a release that showed our more rootsy electric side. How will it sound? I would describe it as a bit of CCR, a touch of Steve Earle, some Free maybe, but definitely Cold Stares.
Artwork and release date will post this week, and we will announce a string of tour dates to support “Dark Dark Blue” and “The Southern” throughout the late summer/fall- winter 2016.
With each release I think we continue to find ways to be more pleased with our art, and we also find ways to express better who we are through our art. “The Southern” is no exception, and once again we feel it will be our finest work to date. It means something to us both personally in who we are, and where we’ve come from. We plan to release a single and video from “The Southern” in late August.
God Bless you all, and thank you for sharing the ride. We are taking a turn south for awhile, hope you enjoy the scenery-
TCS