New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Texas-based singer-songwriter John Baumann has had an eventful year. He released his full-length album Country
Shade in June, and also joined The Panhandlers with fellow Texans Josh Abbott,
William Clark Green and Cleto Cordero. Never one to slow down, he's wrapping up the year with the release of A/B Sessions: Vol. 1, out today. The double single features songs "Texas Dead" and "Tokyo Smile."
Though the two tracks don't fit together thematically and are only sonically connected by their string arrangements, it was an intentional choice for Baumann who wanted to harken back to the days of 45s.
"I think old 45s are an opportunity to showcase the different sides of an artist, without getting lost in the weight of a full-length record," Baumann says. "There was always an intent behind making the A-side radio-friendly, and the B-side more out of left field, which takes a lot of pressure off an artist or band and allows them to be creative without the pressure of trying to write a hit."
"I love how unpredictable music can be in the sense that you never know what is going to stick," he continues. "I can see a future in the music business where there is a renewed appreciation for the 45s-it's a fast way to gauge what audiences may or may not like. Releasing these songs in this manner felt like the right way to wrap up a year that's definitely been unpredictable."
"Texas Dead" is a fusion of a few songs Baumann has spent the past year working on. An ode to his home state, the song pays homage to
Texas culture: the Lone Star Beer bottle cap riddle puzzles, the music of some of Texas' finest songwriters, high school football and the dreaded "Oklahoma Drill," which ended Baumann's own high school football career.
"Tokyo Smile" features a character heading across the world in pursuit of his love, unable to focus on anything else along the way.
Vol. 1 is the first in a series of A/B sessions, which Baumann plans to release throughout 2021.
