New to The Shootouts? Here’s the tea:
My introduction to The Shootouts was at AmericanaFest in 2018; their performance was pure joy, making me an instant fan. And in a time when country music seems to be having a genre-identity issue, this Akron, Ohio band stood out with a refreshing classic presentation of fun-loving, honky-tonk. Yet they remain uncliched, even in western wear.
Their debut from 2019, Quick Draw, proves they’re no one-trick-pony. The album shows their range from the fast-talking, high-energy If I Could to the soft-spoken delicate story-telling of California to Ohio. Their lead vocalist, Ryan Humbert, writes from a well tapped vulnerable source of personal experience. And I look forward most to hearing Another Mother on the upcoming album which Humbert penned in tribute to his own mother, who unexpectedly passed away in 2018. Though most of the 12 tracks on Bullseye will deliver upbeat fun, because as Humbert expressed to me, “We all need fun and upbeat now.”
The album includes two fan favorites from live performances, Rattlesnake Whiskey and Saturday Night Town, that will finally find their recorded home on Bullseye.
Producer of Bullseye, Chuck Mead (BR549) describes the album as “…a collection of top-notch, modern honky-tonk music that is rooted not only in great tradition, but in the here and now. Great songs. Great picking. Great singing. Bullseye gives it all to you. What more can you ask for?”
Can’t ask for much more than that. This album will surely hit a dead-center Bullseye.
While you wait for April 30, pre-order of Bullseye (including colored vinyl) is available at shootoutsmusic.com And might I recommend their version of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody -XO Amber