The noble struggle between embracing the light and succumbing to the darkness is an ongoing battle for so many people from one moment to the next. Sometimes sin gets the better of us, and sometimes our moral compass rights itself, letting our virtues rise to the top instead.
To a large degree, these are the same inner demons Nashville-based country singer/songwriter George Shingleton grapples with every day. Rather than give in to the pain, Shingleton has instead been able to wrangle his own internal good vs. evil wrestling match into a number of heartfelt songs that are infused with his patented lived-in, whiskey-tinged vocals. “We’re all striving to be better people,” Shingleton believes. “If we’re not, then what are we doing here?”
In order to provide the rightful, righteous soundtrack that answers such a deep-rooted question, Shingleton is set to release his second full-length album, Out All Nighter, on December 4th via Rock Ridge Music. Produced by Dave Pahanish (who has co-written #1 singles by the likes of Jimmy Wayne, Toby Keith, and Keith Urban), Out All Nighter offers eight gutbucket country songs charged with chronicling the aforementioned daily interpersonal push-pulls between sin and redemption.
Beyond his sacred, sanctuary-nurtured musical roots, Shingleton’s influences run the gamut from Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings to Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band.
There’s little doubt that the breadth of Out All Nighter will engage you in enough different ways to keep you up all night in a good way. Listening to its eight songs on endless repeat — and relating directly to everything George Shingleton sings and plays — will allow everyone to join him on his personal awakening, set to music.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of Out All Nighter. From the opening track “Handful of Hell” with its confessional, pleading twang, it’s immediately clear that Shingleton is both a skilled song craftsman and a talented vocalist. His soulful vocals bring to mind the likes of Chris Stapleton and George Jones. He pays tributes to legends like Willie Nelson with his jazz-inflected guitar playing on the sad country number “Misery & Gin,” which also features some of the album’s most clever and timeless songwriting courtesy of John Robert Durrill and Snuff Garrett. “Fire or Flame” is a deep and twangy country-soul tune that may just make your eyes water with its poignant lyrics and emotionally stirring vocal power, while “Guitars, Girls, Green Grass, and Guns” is the kind of rambling ode to the life of traveling musician that finds Shingleton kneeling at the alter of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lyrically, he doesn’t hold back on getting personal as he sings about his own troubles on the booze-soaked honky tonk ballad “Whiskey and Jesus” before cutting loose with the barrelhouse anthem of “Have a Good Time” (complete with a raucous honky-tonk chorus in its back half). Indeed, Out All Nighter is packed with the kind of songs that would be hits in another era (and may even hit the mainstream considering the success of artists like Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson), with Shingleton straddling the line between outlaw country and Southern rock in his own original style. All of this culminates in the tender and soaring “A Stone’s Throw Away (from Heaven and Hell)” and the heartfelt and intimate commitment affirmation of “I’m Gonna Be Your Man.”
Listen to the new album and read our interview with George Shingleton below…
Talk us through how you put this album together. What made you decide to go into the studio and start recording when you did?
I think it was just time to put some more music out. We had released the first self-titled EP in the spring of 2019, and I felt like people were ready for some more music. I had been writing a good bit, so why not let them hear it?
How did the album song selections come together? Did you have more you were considering that didn’t make it onto the album? How long of a “writing phase” is covered by the songs on the album? How was the recording process for the album? What was the studio vibe like?
We kinda wanted to put songs together that connected to each other in some fashion, whether it was a single line or a hook that could co-exist with other songs we had. We definitely had more songs that we wanted to record, but at the end of the day we chose these. Sometimes as a singer-songwriter, you get caught up in wanting to record every song you write. That’s why it’s good to play them out and in front of folks to see how they relate to them. I feel like these songs got the right responses needed for us to know what to put out. I hope, anyway. The cool part is, some of the songs were already three years old, and others were three months old. It was interesting to see how significant they were to one another, even with the age difference.
Any great stories from the studio or nuggets to share about the creative process overall?
We recorded half of the album at Black River Studio, and the other half at my producer’s (Dave Pahanish) home studio, so there was definitely two recording processes, and two different vibes altogether. I think that’s what was supposed to happen to make it all come together, though. We needed the studio and the studio musicians on the first half to make those songs have the crisp and clear sound that they were asking for. The other half was done at Dave’s for the mere fact that we wanted to be able to experiment a little, and let the next group of songs breathe on their own. That’s when comfortability comes into play for me. When you don’t have time restrictions on the studio and players, you can sort of let loose a little.
You speak openly in the press materials about how you’ve grappled with inner demons in the past, and the album title, “Out All Nighter,” touches on this. Has writing and recording these songs proven therapeutic for you? Did you have any qualms about making that part of your experience a public thing through these songs and this album?
I think it’s been very therapeutic to let people know through song where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I wanna go. I pretty much wear all my emotions out on my shoulder, so I don’t think I’ve ever had any qualms of letting people know about my not-so-bright past. Since it’s the past, to me they’re are just stories now. Everybody “grapples” with things they’ve done or been through. I find that for me, writing a song about life experiences is the best way for me to tell my story. Maybe it will help someone else come to terms with theirs.
You also speak openly in the press materials about the influence your wife has had on your life and your music. What role did your wife play in your music overall and for this album specifically?
Honestly, if it weren’t for my wife, we wouldn’t be having this interview. I wouldn’t exist, and I don’t mean that metaphorically, as in I wouldn’t exist in the music world, which I wouldn’t. But I believe, deep down inside, that I wouldn’t be alive today. She truly saved me, and gave me the right encouragement to make me believe in myself, and that right there is enough inspiration to write a million songs to let everyone know why I am who I am because of her. The song “Handful of Hell” is probably the best explanation for this question, in all reality. I know it sounds cheesy and cliched, but it’s all real and true to me.
What do you think defines the George Shingleton sound?
Well, you take a good old-fashioned tent revival choir, mix it up with a lot of Ronnie Van Zant, Greg Allman, and Hank Williams Jr., sprinkle in some Waylon- and Merle-type writing also, and that’s what ya get with me. All of these singers, writers, and even the music that played behind them, are my biggest influences. I hope that I can stand out on my own, but no matter what, I’ll always give those sounds, and guys that came before me, the credit.
How do you feel about the finished album?
I’m absolutely excited about the new album, and I can’t wait for folks to hear it! Yeah, man!
Out All Nighter is out December 4th on Rock Ridge Music.
Pre-save/pre-add/pre-order link: https://ffm.to/outallnighter
Photo credit: Robby Klein
One Response
Keep up the wonderful work brother shout out from the wonderful hills of West Virginia ?✌