From nostalgia and love to homecoming and burnout, these LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks are all about the experiences that shape us. Featuring Danny Hammons, JD Hinton, Taylor Jo, and more!
1. Danny Hammons – Back to Colorado
Back to Colorado, from Danny Hammons’ album, Take The Long Road Home, is whimsical country music with touches of folk instrumentals. With a tint of nostalgia colouring the whole track, Hammons explores homesickness and longing with nuance. His voice and lyrics complement each other perfectly – his raspy, chilled out voice singing lyrics like “I wanna go back where the mountains touch the sky / I wanna go back where the golden eagles fly” effortlessly communicates a longing to return to a time, a childhood, where things were simpler; it’s a soothing, warm song that’ll bring in you wistfulness for the past, yet contentment in your present.
2. JD Hinton – Once Was Blonde
When you hit play on Once Was Blonde, you’ll be pulled into an almost sultry, dim atmosphere. JD Hinton has crafted a whole experience in the track – a scene where you’re sitting in a quiet underground bar with drinks, quiet chatter, and his charismatic voice and jazzy piano washing over you. He spins you into his story of a love gone wrong, with a disarming honesty and charm that you just can’t help but sway to. JD Hinton keeps the story moving with artful precision, lingering and pulling away at just the right points; it’s minimal, simple, and clever in ways you won’t expect but will keep returning to.
3. Taylor Jo – LIVIN’ OUT OF A CHANGE JAR
LIVIN’ OUT OF A CHANGE JAR is a steady country-folk track that captures the spirit of resilience and strength with raw vulnerability. Taylor Jo sings of loss, perseverance, and gratitude with a voice that resonates with pain and the glow of having navigated unimaginable struggles. The title says it all, setting the tone for the rest of the song: scraping by to make ends meet, finding dignity and strength in every small win, and never forgetting where you came from. Rooted in a traditional, restrained country landscape that allows the story to take centre stage, Taylor Jo weaves a story that’s written with such care that anyone can empathise with it, regardless of whether they’ve lived it or not.
4. Will Pope – Cold Comfort
There’s an intimacy to Cold Comfort in the way Will Pope sings with tenderness and honesty. Twangy guitars and raw vocals give the track a down-to-earth feel as Pope lays bare his fatigue and burnout; it’s patient and unhurried in telling you its story. A deceptively simple track, you’ll realise there are layers to it – subtle flourishes, a carefully created space around the vocals, allowing them to speak without interruption, and an understated production that lets the track speak to you without difficulty. It finds strength in its contrast between warmth and vulnerability, proving that sometimes, the most powerful music is the most restrained.
5. JB Elwood – Back Someday
Back Someday is JB Elwood’s tribute to his parents’ sacrifices, and a reflection on home, belonging, and dreams that take you away from home. “I’ll be back someday,” he sings, a promise to home, that he hasn’t forgotten his roots and those who enabled him to be able to follow his dreams. It’s a refreshing track, crisp in its production and soulful in textures; they give Elwood’s voice – emotionally rich with palpable emotion and longing – space to shine and tell his story. There’s next to no distance between him and you – Back Someday is honest and direct, with a sincerity that is sure to warm your heart.
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