We last checked in with Portland-based Americana songwriter Jeffrey Silverstein around this time last year as he was gearing up to release his Western Sky Music LP. And less than a year removed from that project’s shelf date he’s already all fueled up again and back on the road with another release set to arrive this summer, with the Roseway EP landing June 14 via Arrowhawk Records.
Far removed from the country-ambient instrumental ode to Chet Atkins he shared with us last spring, the first single from the upcoming release is a road-ready roots-rock cut that puts the spotlight on Silverstein’s backing band as his low vocals take the back seat to tight percussion, funky bass, and sunny guitar and steel pedal. “This song is my reminder that simple ideas can yield big results,” he shares of “Gassed Up,” which he refers to as the “centerpiece” of the new EP. “I couldn’t figure out where this song was headed until I brought it to Dana [Buoy, drums] and Alex [Chapman, bass]. We only had the two verse chords, but the feel was there. We took it on the road for the first time with Connor [Gallagher, pedal steel] and it quickly became one of my favorite songs in our set. Now it really moves.”
The track arrives with a music video that really emphasizes the 1969-ness of it all, depicting the band jamming in Southern California. “My close friend Roberto Johnson shot some gorgeous footage in Santa Barbara and Ojai on a West Coast tour last summer, and longtime friend/collaborator Austin Abbot put together the edit,” Silverstein explains.
Check it out below, and pre-order the Roseway EP here.
