New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Huntington Beach, CA-based classic country singer-songwriter
Victoria Bailey is releasing two different cover versions of "Hungry Heart" today, October 21, 2020, exactly 40 years to the day that the original single was released by
Bruce Springsteen in 1980. Bailey cast her own brand of musical magic on both a full-band rendition and a stripped-down, acoustic take of the Springsteen hit. The song was the lead single from Sprinsteen's Grammy-nominated, quintuple-platinum-selling album, The River. Both of Bailey's versions premiered yesterday (October 20, 2020) at TheBoot.com.
"I've been a Springsteen fan for quite some time now - he is truly the most beloved rock star and is one of the best musicians and humans we have in the history of music," says Bailey. "I wanted to cover a song to honor Bruce's 40th anniversary of The River album, and this song has always struck something big in me - I love the message, his voice on the recording, and the horn arrangements. On my covers, I wanted to emulate what I love most about The Boss. Recording this during the pandemic also made this song so important and special to me. I think we've all taken a step back this year and have recognized what is most important to us and our desires and weaknesses. I've hung on tight to my close friends and family through this wild year, and this song just sums up the condition of the human heart - how we all want the same thing at the end of the day, and all that really matters is the love relationships in our lives."
Just last week, Bailey got in the holiday spirit a little bit early with the release on October 16, 2020, of "Christmas Must Be Tonight," a cover of a song originally released by The Band in 1977. "I love Christmas so much, and it's been a dream come true to track a holiday song," says Bailey. "The Band is one of my all-time favorites, and this song is so special to me. I wanted to put a 'Victoria' twist on it. My band and I recorded it live around one mic, acoustic, in the studio. There was so much beautiful energy in the room with the back-up vocals and string instruments, and it truly did feel like Christmas! It turned out exactly how I wanted - raw and live - and it just really represents who we are as a band and who I am as an artist." Bailey's version premiered at Americana Highways on October 14, 2020.
Both versions of "Hungry Heart" and "Christmas Must Be Tonight" are the follow-ups to Bailey's latest album, Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline, which was released on
September 18, 2020 by Rock Ridge Music. Produced by Jeremy Long, Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline is a whiskey-smooth concoction of crisp guitars, silky fiddle, and radiant pedal steel that expertly glides beneath Bailey's magnetic, California sun-kissed soprano. Grounding Bailey's timeless country music palette is her crystalline voice; an inviting warm tone with the occasional flutter that transports you back in time to a classic honky tonk, one where Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton,
Emmylou Harris were all in heavy rotation.
Bailey's full-length label debut — a nine-song collection featuring eight originals and one cover — paints stunning vignettes spanning from adrenaline-rushing love at first sight and down-and-out heartache, to treasuring country music's indelible roots, and the wavering journey of resilience when chasing one's dreams. Bailey brings the classic country spirit to the 21st century through relatably raw, non-sugarcoated songwriting that may seem unexpected from most contemporary female musicians in the country realm. She shines a relevant light on some of the shadier corners of the genre not typically addressed, such as the hypocrisy that can be found in the outlaw country mindset, all while evoking a fiery, no-holds-barred lyrical approach in the vein of Margo Price.
PopMatters.com called her music "…a country romp... a rollicking, narrative-driven sound," while Cowboys & Indians lauded her "storytelling soul-twang," and Americana Highways praised her "grit mixed with personality, fluency in her musicality, she's expressive and imaginative... Sawdust thick, whiskey-smooth..." Saving Country
Music said: "If you're looking for a honky tonk sweetheart, then you've found one in native Californian
Victoria Bailey, who comes sauntering out of the painted desert on a Palomino like a singin' cowgirl from the days of old, seducing you with... a sweet soprano with the most perfect country warble... a full package of country music goodness… Classic, but cool." The video for her song "Spent My Dime on White Wine" is in rotation on CMT.
Raised under the rays of the sun in Huntington Beach, CA, the classic country singer-songwriter was surrounded by music in her household from an early age. From her drumming father's rock 'n' roll band practices to her mom playing the narrative-driven songbooks of folk icons like
Cat Stevens and
James Taylor, Bailey was naturally drawn to music and the art of storytelling. After falling in love with the guitar at the age of 12, she quickly developed an affinity for songwriting in her late teens, eventually performing shows around town. She found a sense of community very early on by playing honky tonks and bars that allowed the opportunity to cut her teeth on the craft of traditional country music. With five or six years of diligently working the Golden State's music scene under her belt, she was ready to transpose her striking penchant for storytelling from the stage into an impressive full-length label debut. Bailey is a promising torchbearer for the genre's rich legacy and where it's heading.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bailey is unable to tour widely right now, although occasional in-person shows have started to creep back into her schedule. She is set to take the stage at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville with labelmate
George Shingleton on October 28, 2020. Bailey is also set to perform at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge on October 27, 2020 while she is in Nashville. Fans eager to see her live elsewhere can catch her livestreaming on her Facebook and Instagram pages on Friday, October 23, 2020 at 7 p.m. pacific time. She will also be livestreaming shows on her Instagram page from Salty Bear Brewing Company in Costa Mesa, CA at 6 p.m. pacific time on both Thursday, November 5th and Thursday, November 17th. Bailey will also be livestreaming as part of TheBoot.com's "Live and Socially Distant" series on their Facebook and Instagram pages on Thursday, December 10th at 6 p.m. pacific time.
https://www.victoriabaileymusic.com/
