New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On June 22, the forward-thinking folk rocker Reuben Bidez will release his second EP Something To Say. Today, Bidez released the video for the EP's first single "What You Really Wanted" featuring Molly Parden in advance of his performance at Musicians Corner in Centenniel Park in Nashville, TN this Friday, May 11. The video was produced and filmed live by the famed acoustic amplification company LR Baggs on location in Nashville, TN.
The Nashville Scene premiered the video today and said of the EP: "The collection showcases Bidez's versatility as both a writer and performer, with rollicking rock-ish tunes that don't at all feel out of place alongside gentle folk cuts. The threads that connect them are Bidez's malleable voice and his lyrical focus: In this set, he takes a deep dive into ideas about identity." Watch the video for "What You Really Wanted" via Top40-Charts:
American Songwriter said, "Anchored by gentle acoustic guitar and embellished with slide guitar flourishes, the track takes stock of the ways in which we try to shape ourselves to fit the expectations of others.:
The Something To Say EP is an analog album for the digital age where Bidez's elastic voice, which has earned comparisons to Jeff Buckley and Roy Orbison, tackles subjects that make the modern world tick: politics, sex, social media and more.
While the EP was written in Nashville — his adopted hometown since 2014, when the Georgia-born Bidez left Atlanta and moved to Tennessee — Something To Say was largely recorded with producer Jeff Saenz in Dallas, TX. There, during a week-long session at Modern Electric Sound Recorders, he found himself free to explore a sound that reached far beyond the usual boundaries of Americana. He was charting new territory, assisted by a group of instrumentalists — including past and present members of the Texas Gentlemen.
More friends awaited back home in Nashville, where he wound up finishing the EP alongside longtime bandmates like Wyatt Funderburk and Seth Plemmons, as well as Marren Morris' drummer and fellow Atlantan Christian Paschall.
"On earlier records, I focused a lot on romance and relationships," says the songwriter, whose 2016 release, Turning to Wine, earned him a slot at the Bonnaroo Festival, as well as acclaim from outlets like American Songwriter, No Depression, and The New York Times. "But I've learned that great art is sometimes divisive, and I have thoughts about where the world is going and where our culture is headed. I've got something to say. This isn't the time for me to write love songs — it's time to take a stand and do something that, maybe, not everyone wants to hear."
Tracklist:
1) "Something To Say"
2) "Don't Let Me Die"
3) "What You Really Wanted" feat. Molly Parden
4) "American Dream"
5) "Bad Name"
6) "Desert"
Tour Dates:
5/11: Nashville, TN - Musicians Corner
6/27: Lexington, KY - Willie's Locally Known
6/28: Chicago, IL - Haymarket Concert Series
6/29: Davenport, IA - Racoon Motel
