Nashville, TN (Top40 Charts/ Mark Pucci Media) Singer-songwriter Rian Greene announces a June 4 release date for his new album, Drown the Miller, on Post Oak Records, which showcases his keen eye for a lyric and rootsy Americana take on country music. Produced by Brian Harrison (Shelby Lynne) and recorded primarily at The Rendering Plant in Nashville, Drown the Miller features Rian Greene's unique blend of Americana music and traditional country sounds backed by a cadre of Nashville all-stars with pedigrees from work with such stars as Emmylou Harris,
Waylon Jennings and
Buddy Miller. The recording sessions feature Bryan Owings on drums, Phil Senseny on bass, John Jackson on guitar, Phil Madeira on keyboards, Robby Turner on steel guitar and Tom Littlefield on harmony vocals.
Drown the Miller spotlights Rian Greene's attention to detail and carefully crafted compositions. For the new CD, Rian brought in 19 demos to producer Brian "
Brain" Harrison and drummer Bryan Owings, who helped him narrow it down to the 11 album tracks.
"I was living in Knoxville and spoke with a few great musicians, like bassist Phil Senseny, about wanting to make a new record," he recalls. After a couple of weeks and a trip to Nashville, things came together indeed for Drown the Miller. "I'm very proud of the songs and all the performances from everyone involved," Rian notes. "Brian's production worked great in complementing and bringing out the best in the songs. There's not a whole lot of fat on it—if a song didn't need a bridge, there wasn't one; if it didn't need a third verse, it didn't get one." Subsequently, Drown the Miller is a succinct, easy album to listen to, with depth and subtleties that reveal themselves through multiple listens. That is the mark of a good album.
With a sound rooted in traditional country music, Drown the Miller correspondingly offers Rian's uniquely fresh perspective. A mature, well-crafted work, this highly anticipated second album proves that his honest, no-frills lyrics and melodies stand up perfectly alongside the best Americana music of today. Lead single "The Best I've Ever Had" recalls some of the finer moments of
Tom Petty and The Jayhawks, while tracks like "Stranger in My Arms" and the title track reveal a poignantly honest talent. On the new album, Rian Greene wisely surrounds himself with some of the more well-respected pros in music. "I didn't know who the other players would be, but I knew they'd be good. Once John Jackson came in to play guitar, it was a dream come true. If someone would have told me as a 16-year-old concert-goer that the guitarist I saw on stage with
Bob Dylan (John Jackson) would play with me someday, I would never have believed it," Rian adds. "Making a record with such great musicians was an honor, and it made the whole process an absolute pleasure. I can't wait to do it again."
In the wake of his refreshingly straight-forward debut album—the Dusty Wakeman produced See Things Like You—Nashville singer-songwriter Rian Greene quickly earned the reputation of being a "songwriter's songwriter." While the album received world-wide airplay and heavy VH1-Country rotation for the single, "The Shotgun Side," Rian was really just getting started. As both a solo performer and a member of the award-winning San
Diego band The Hideaways, Rian put years of touring experience under his belt, as his live show mixed in solid, original songs with his encyclopedic knowledge of country standards and classics. He has worked with artists ranging from
Lucinda Williams and The Flatlanders, to Asleep at the Wheel and The Beat Farmers; and, as a band leader he has played with
Gordon Waller of
Peter & Gordon, and early
Beatles collaborator, Tony Sheridan.
Americana radio promotion for Drown the Miller is being handled by Bill Wence Promotions (
[email protected]).
For more information, visit www.riangreene.com.
