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For a band that regularly plays 250 shows a year, theres nothing like coming back home.One To Grow On, the eighth studio album from Mike and the Moonpies, is a musical homecoming that returns the group to its roots as a working mans country band. Layered with Telecaster twang, honky tonk harmonies and lyrics that highlight the Everymans struggle to remain optimistic during a 9-to-5 world, this is organic music for dance halls and car stereosa soundtrack for the mid-week blues, shot through with weekend energy.I wanted to create a record you could crank loudly in your truck on Friday afternoon at quitting time, says frontman Mike Harmeier, who wrote One To Grow On in his backyard studio on the outskirts of Austin. To do that, I developed a narrative and a central character. Its a guy whos working hard to make ends meet, all while living in the moment and hoping to stay appreciative of the things he has. A guy who takes pride in what he does but is still searching for a balance in his life. There are a lot of similarities between him and me.For more than a decade, Harmeier and his band of hard-touring road warriorspedal steel player Zach Moulton, guitarist Catlin Rutherford, bassist Omar Oyoque along with new drummer Taylor Englert have traveled far beyond their Austin homeland, flying the flag for homegrown Texas music in more than a dozen countries. Theyve become global ambassadors of a blue-collar country sound, striking a balance between timeless influences and cool, contemporary appeal. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the Moonpies busy schedule to a halt, Harmeier found himself back home in Austin, inspired to return to the sound that had launched his bands career. He didnt need to look far for ideas.I have an old, square-bodied Chevy pickup from 1985, he says. My dad had the same one. I used to work with him as an electrician when I was younger, and I started thinking about my dad, my grandfather, and the original owner of that truck. I thought about the kids I grew up with. Everyone I know who isnt a musician is working construction.Theyre putting one foot in front of the other and trying to appreciate the moment theyre in, while basically working 24/7, 365. A lot of people live their lives that way, and they inspired me to write a working mans story.A working man himself, Harmeier headed to his backyard studio, where he used his free time to his advantage. He wrote. He revised. He sent ideas to his producer and bandmates, who helped mold and modify the songs from their own home studios. What emerged was a sound that split the difference between 70s southern rock and 90s country, with twin guitar leads and earthy storytelling. One To Grow On took shape during those months of isolationmonths that found all of the Moonpies collaborating remotely, remaining active even while in quarantine.
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