Catharsis Via Wry Humour And Expansive Introspection On
New Album
Heat Comes Down
Out Oct 6 Via Rounder Records
Releases New Single
‘Nobody Has To Know Your Mind’
US headline tour dates throughout the summer and will perform at various festivals, including Nelsonville, Catbird, Whimmydiddle and more “His music reflects a refreshingly raw honesty, reflectiveness, and the undeniable beauty in discovery and growth” Spin
John R. Miller belongs to the rare breed of songwriters whose expansive introspection uncovers many truths about the state of the human condition. On his new album Heat Comes Down, out October 6th via Rounder Records, the West Virginia-raised, Nashville-based artist intimately narrates his sleepless nights and nostalgic daydreams, existential dread, and nuanced observations of the troubled world around him. But while a number of its songs convey a certain unease, Miller endlessly imparts the kind of lovely reassurance that can only come from shared catharsis. Heat Comes Down pre-order/pre-save will be available on Friday, June 16th HERE. “Whenever I’ve got a lot of thoughts bouncing around my head, alchemising that energy into something creative helps take the gravity out of them and quiets them down for a while,” says Miller. “For me this album is largely about anxiety in many forms: the things that cause it, what it causes in turn, and the moments of clarity in between. Listening back to it now, most of the songs seem like they’re trying to answer the questions I’ve been asking myself.” The follow-up to his 2021 Rounder Records debut Depreciated – an album No Depressions says “casually saunters towards a full existential breakdown that’ll leave you gasping for air” – Heat Comes Down finds Miller teaming up with producers Andrija Tokic and John James Tourville (both known for their work with artists like Sunny War and The Deslondes). Over a three day session at The Bomb Shelter (Tokic’s Nashville studio), Miller joined forces with several members of his long-time live band (drummer John Clay Burchett, guitarist J. Tom Hnatow, fiddle player Chloe Edmonstone) as well as bassist Craig Burletic and Jeff Taylor (a multi-instrumentalist whose credits include Willie Nelson and Elvis Costello). With its understated but gorgeously detailed convergence of country and rock-infused folk, Heat Comes Down hits with a potent impact despite its exquisite intricacy – a dynamic suited to an artist whose background includes playing in punk bands in high school and touring as a member of an old-time string band in his 20s. “I think the feeling in the room heavily contributes to the feeling of a record, and that room was full of people I love very much,” Miller points out. “We all felt free to open up and fool around and experiment with different ideas, which helped us create something that hopefully feels warm and inviting to everyone.” On the album-opening ‘Nobody Has to Know Your Mind’, Miller immediately draws the audience deep into his inner world, offering up a gently swinging cosmic-country tune etched with his self-aware humour (from the second verse, “Give me a mile, I’ll take an inch/Give me a shovel, I can dig my own ditch”). “In my more socially anxious moments, it’s easy to feel like my thoughts are written all over me,” he says. "That song is essentially a reminder to get out of my own head and be more present with whatever's going on in the room." Miller has extensive US headline tour dates into the summer, and will hit a number of summer festivals, including Nelsonville, Catbird and Whimmydiddle. Autumn tour dates will be announced soon.
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