SONG PREMIERE: Ezra Bell Shine the Light with Hopeful Folk Rocker “5th and James”

Ezra Bell was founded late in the summer of 2013. It was warm enough to sit on the porch into the evening and learn a couple of songs. A lap drum, a banjo, and an out-of-tune guitar. Woodie Guthrie: “A folk singer’s job is to comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable.”

That’s what Ezra Bell does. Present day, they’ve put out records and toured the country. In Salt Lake once, a young man told Ben Wuamett (singer/songwriter) he was ‘his hero.’ The hero spent the night on the floor with his overcoat for a blanket, the host and the piano man making love a few steps from his pillow. The floor wasn’t as bad as a cardboard box in a vacant lot. Wuamett smiled. Still at it. Streaming services have worked in Ezra Bell’s favor, surprisingly enough. Tales spinning out of order around disconcerting musical interludes seem to resonate with listeners. Some way some how, a licensing company found and commissioned Ezra Bell to play and record Sam Cooke’s worst song for an insurance commercial. Said company flew Wuamett to Mexico City to record the vocals so as not to be sued by the Sam Cooke Foundation. The commercial aired on Superbowl Sunday. Ezra Bell espouses neither football nor insurance but sold out accordingly for the pittance that was paid, and the exposure. Such is the music industry.

Many heartfelt messages from unknown listeners keep Ezra Bell busy writing and recording. At some point, a booking agency caught on to the growing cult following and propped Ezra Bell up in front of audiences outside of Portland, forcing the band to drive thousands of miles, sometimes in a single day, to play for small crowds. Ezra Bell recorded a new album over a year ago, and a record label recently decided to sign it, release it, even make vinyl copies. You’re reading this now because you’re about to encounter that album, suitably titled This Way to Oblivion (due out April 3rd on Dutch Records).

Today Glide is excited to premiere “5th and James”, one of the standout tracks on the new album. With Ben Wuamett’s vocals at the helm and gorgeous harmonies layered in, the song is rich and dreamy folk nugget with a sense of euphoric optimism that shines throughout. The combination of organ and twangy guitars gives it a soulful, cosmic rock sound that culminates with the chorus, which is sure to linger in your head long after listening.

The band describes the feeling that inspired the song in their own words:

“There is that time in the morning when the sun is just rising and the light is soft but everything is illuminated and beautiful. It is similar to when you have just fallen in love, where everything looks and feels more beautiful than ever … which is almost like getting out of jail.”

LISTEN: