New music from Chris Heers!
PRESS RELEASE
Chris Heers
New Freedom Grin
Release date: 6-1-2024
Las Vegas based Country-Folk Americana singer-songwriter Chris Heers is set to release his third studio album, “New Freedom Grin”. The album’s title is from a line repeated twice in the song “New Texas Dinosaur Band”, about a 100-year-old ex-guitar ace who escapes from an assisted living retirement home, sticks his thumb in the air with a new freedom grin, and hitchhikes to a bar where he joins a touring band. Far-fetched, yes, but it happens in this album which centers around a theme of escape and freedom.
Recorded in Nashville under the direction of Pat McGrath, New Freedom Grin, like Heers’ last albums “The Road Ahead Shines” and “Western Stars” is a technicolor road trip of diverse characters who somehow seem to fit together. “There are bikers, ghosts, gunfighters, cattle detectives, not one but two songs about centenarians, Native American vision quests, singing drunken soldiers, two dogs, and a poor soul who ends up naked at Jack in the Box.”
It wouldn’t be a Chris Heers album without a character blazing by a cactus at high speed. This time in a convertible mustang “Dusty Roads”. Last time on an actual mustang “Pony Express” (The Road Ahead Shines).
The last song on the album, Bouncing On is “The most honest song I ever wrote”, Says Heers. “I wouldn’t have the courage to share that one if it wasn’t for some of my heroes like Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark. Rodney really put himself out there on “The Houston Kid” which influenced me. Bouncing On is an honest look about the perils faced by a working band in the Las Vegas casino and bar circuit if said band is broke as hell and prone to partying along with the crowd. “Which we were nightly, says Heers. That song is semi-autobiographical but inspired mostly by a long-time band member and great friend who managed to run himself over with his own van after one of our gigs at Gilley’s and still made it to the next gig”. We used to call that a ‘Tuesday’. It’s not that I wasn’t making a living then. I just had a ton of debts and obligations that were previously taken care of by a day job. Looking back I guess it is a bit of a pity party but that was where my head was that night trying to figure out what to do with five bucks at the Crown and Anchor LOL. I wrote that one on a napkin.
“We play Boulder Highway. We Play down the street. We play for low pay ‘cause there’s buckets of reef, and buckets of Coors and cookies and chicks. We play ‘cause we have to; you don’t want none of this…”
The cover and back cover of the album are shot at the historic haunted old west Pioneer Saloon, a 110-year-old ghost town saloon located up in the high desert south of Las Vegas (also famous for being at the start of Fallout New Vegas) where Chris and his band “High Blue Cactus” are the Saturday house band when they are not touring.
“I played there by myself for a lot of years before we were able to go full band. This is where most of the ghosts and bikers come from, and where the tune “Harkins Letter” was written.
Goodsprings was a thriving mining town 100 years ago. There is a famous story from the summer of 1915 about a drunken Goodsprings miner who was shot by the houseman (saloon manager) for cheating at cards and making a grab for the cash. The Justice of the peace and coroner, W.H. Harkins rolled up to Goodsprings in his “machine” with the Sheriff and promptly ruled it justified. When the brother of the late miner sent a telegraph regarding the circumstances of the shooting, Harkins penned an official letter back to the brother that hangs on the wall at the Pioneer Saloon to this day next to a trio of bullet holes. I was always in awe of the hard eloquence of that letter and had an idea to put it to song keeping as much of the original text as I could. I found out in my research that there is a whole lot more to the story of this W.H.Harkins character in later years, but I will leave that for another story.”
Some of the songs on New Freedom Grin were written during the lockdown. “It was a surreal time here in Vegas. The Las Vegas Strip was also a ghost town. There were no gigs. It wasn’t all bad though. One of the good things to come out of It was how close many of us got to our four-legged companions. I could see the posts from friends on Facebook. My dogs and cat loved it except for when I actually had covid and wouldn’t pet them because I was afraid I would give it to them. My shaggy dog Sammy was a rescue and I remember saying to him “Where did you come from?” As in, what Angels brought you here to me, but also literally, who dropped you off on the freeway east of Vegas? The character I envisioned is a late teen girl who is with her dog or cat into adulthood for a dozen years.”
“We were living in the sunshine, had the whole world by the tail, we saw it all together, oh the stories we could tell..”
“I was lucky enough to have the great Lisa Brokop singing harmony with me on that one along with a duet on the song “Sunset 30722” which is about a couple celebrating their 80ish wedding anniversary.”
“Hot damn, it’s a brand new year!”
Chris Heers
New Freedom Grin
• High Dollar Dog
• I’m Still Living
• Last Ride
• This Lever Action
• New Texas Dinosaur Band
• Bright Sun
• DCTABM
• Where Did You Come From
• Harkins Letter
• The Next Guy
• Sunset 30722 ( Feat. Lisa Brokop )
• Dusty Roads
• Black Pine Trees
• Bouncing On
Album Credits:
Chris Heers – Composer, Producer, Executive Producer, Vocals, Backup Vocals
Pat McGrath – Producer, Band Leader, Acoustic guitar
Rob McNelley – Guitar 1,3,6,7,9,11,12,13,14
Jerry McPherson – Guitar 2,4,5,8,10
Steve Hinson – Steel Guitar, Resonator guitar
Shawn Fichter – Drums 2,4,5,8,10
Dennis Holt - Drums 1,6,7,9
Dave Francis – Bass, Acoustic Upright Bass
Mike Rojas – Keyboard, Grand Piano, Synth
Fred Eltringham – Drums 3,11,12,13,14
Lisa Brokop – Vocals, Backup Vocals 8,11
Michael Walter – Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer
Eric Cobb – Mastering Engineer
Cover photo by Darrell Craig Harris
Back cover photo by Chris Heers
Recorded at Omnisound Studios, Nashville Tennessee
Vocals recorded at Sweetbriar Studio, Nashville Tennessee, The Tone Factory, Las Vegas, NV, and High Blue Cactus Recording Studio, Las Vegas, NV
Mixed by Michael Walter, Nashville, TN
Mastered by Eric Cobb, Independent Mastering, Nashville, TN
*Tracks 1,6,7,9 Bass and Drums tracked at Dennis Holt’s house during the lockdown, then bounced around to other homes for the rest. Merica.
Thank you to my brilliant friend Pat McGrath as always for driving the boat; This time through the torrid seas of a pandemic and beyond. The road ahead shines! Thank you to Michael Walter for the vocal production help and the patient mix. Thank you for lending me your vocals Lisa Brokop. I’m not worthy! Additional thanks to the Nashville wrecking crew members who lent me the paint for this group of portraits. Greatness. Thank you to my family and friends for your encouragement and additional financial help with this record. Lastly, thank you to everyone for asking… “When is it going to be done?”
Bright Sun is for my spirit warrior daughters, Hayley and Sunnie. You make me proud.
The Next Guy is for Rhett
This Lever Action is for my neighbor Wayne “Fill yer hands you sonufabitch” Bliss.
Bouncing on is for the members, past and present of The Chris Heers Band, The Dirt Rich Band, and the High Blue Cactus Band who bounce with me... but mostly for Terry Greene and KR Farrell.
Harkins Letter is adapted from an eloquent letter written in 1915 by W.H. Harkins (1890-1980) which currently hangs at my home gig, the Pioneer Saloon Goodsprings, NV, next to some bullet holes.
Sunset 30722 is for those fortunate couples who still live to wake up with each other.
Where Did You Come From is for all creatures who throw four legged shadows and wait for us to come home. What Angels brought you to us?
©2024 Chris Heers/Saddlefarm Music and Media LLC (ASCAP) for the United States and the world outside of the United States. All rights reserved. Made in the USA.
*Harkins Letter adapted from a 1915 official letter penned by Justice of the Peace/Coroner W.H. Harkins