On Sierra Farrell’s second album Trail of Flowers, we hear an artist beginning to stretch out and show off her artistry and musicianship.
Whether it’s the ruminative Americana of “America Dreaming,” the honky-tonk swagger of “Dollar Bill Bar,” or the blistering, foot stomping bluegrass of “Fox Hunt,” it is clear Farrell is confident in her songwriting skills no matter the genre.
She worked with in-demand producers Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton) and Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dwight Yoakam, Gillian Welch) and they bring a larger sound and broader instrumentation to Farrell’s music.
Speaking about her cover of Fiddlin' Arthur Smith's “Chitlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County,” Farrell said:
“It’s about how enslaved people would always get the last of the meat, including pig intestines, which meant they had to learn how to cook and eat them. I wanted to cover that song because I think it’s important to acknowledge what’s happened in the past and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
"And as someone who spent a lot of time in New Orleans and who gets a lot of influence from the blues music I heard there, I wanted to show my appreciation for the roots of that music and the history behind it.”
Trail of Flowers is expansive, dreamy and a whole bunch of fun.
Must Listens:
- "Fox Hunt"
- "Chitlin' Cookin' Cooking Time in Cheatham"
- "I Could Drive You Crazy"
- "Rosemary"
Tune in to KAXE Monday-Friday (10 a.m., 3 p.m., 8 p.m.) to hear from our featured Album of the Week.
