After 7 studio albums with both Secretly Canadian and Western Vinyl Records over the last 20+ years, Early Day Miners have returned with their latest offering, and their first with Solid Brass Records, titled Outside Lies Magic (to be released digitally and on Limited Edition Desert Sand or Ultra Clear vinyl on March 22nd).
Led by Daniel Burton—founding member and engineer of albums by Songs: Ohia, Papa M, Okkervil River, and Windsor For The Derby—the band has enlisted various friends to round out their studio and live performances since their formation in Bloomington, IN over 20 years ago.
Early Day Miners’ surroundings have always been reflected in their sound.
Their early compositions, while in Bloomington, IN, mirrored the slowly unfurling, seemingly inescapable expanse of the Midwest. Now based in New Orleans, their sound has yielded a subtle but correlative shift in the band. The Crescent City; its name is not only a reminder of its shape carved out by the river cradling it, but also a perfect allegory of a city forever in flux between the most contrasting aspects of the human condition, from light to dark.
Within those darker quarters of experience lies the gold that Early Day Miners have labored to unearth with cautious vulnerability over the course of their eight albums. The internalized rumination that has characterized the band up until now has been exchanged for an open embrace of loss and sorrow and, perhaps even more courageously— joy.
Outside Lies Magic offers an audible lightness. Most notably Dan Burton’s voice, once hushed and at times hesitant, is now full-bodied and sure; his heart, once tenuously carried on his sleeve, is now firmly in his throat. And though this might be the leanest the lineup has been, they are focused and warm, exuding the maximalism of their new home with nuance and a laissez-faire approach. Early Day Miners sound as unhurried as ever, but never aimless; Early Day Miners have finally arrived.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the video for the standout track “Along The Ramparts,” a sharp and honest work indie rock that breezes along with simple, airy guitar strumming and Daniel Burton’s poignant lyrics and quietly smoky vocals. Reminiscent of acts like Alejandro Escovedo and U2 but with more of an intimate, reflective sound, the song builds excitement for what we can expect with the coming album.
WATCH:
