Cody Canada and the Departed unleash new album '3'
Red dirt rockers Cody Canada and the Departed unleash today a new album titled "3," an appropriate title since its the Texas-based group first as a power trio led by Canada, who grew up of Yukon, came of age in Stillwater and has been a major force in popularizing red dirt music.
It's hard to believe, but it's been a quarter century since Canada kicked off his career. A road warrior and prolific songwriter, Canada was the frontman of Cross Canadian Ragweed, a wildly influential band that dominated the red dirt scene for more than a decade and made music that reached far beyond the genre's borders, selling millions of albums and playing for huge audiences across the U.S. Canada formed the Departed in 2011.
Ragweed fans will recognize a lot of what they hear on "3," as he gives a nod to his former band's glory days, brewing up a sound that's inspired by outlaw country icons of the 1970s and rock bands of the 1990s.
"This record sounds like Cross Canadian Ragweed between 2002 and 2006, and it goes back to the way I originally started writing songs," he said in a statement. "It's observational writing. I was inspired by the bad news on the television. The good news, too. I was inspired by falling in love all over again with my wife, by watching my kids go through life, by politics, and by the modern world."
Canada and the Departed worked on "3" with Oklahoma producer Mike McClure, an acclaimed songwriter and producer who helped oversee multiple albums for Ragweed.
"I've been following Mike since I was 16 years old," Canada said in a statement. "I remember the first time I ever watched him play a show, and I thought, 'I want to do that.' When I started the Departed, I wanted it to sound different from what I'd done before, so I didn't bring him into the fold at first. It's good to have him back as producer. I feel like have all the elements we need now."
The band tracked the new material during breaks in an otherwise busy touring schedule, approaching the recording sessions the same way they'd approach a live show.
"The idea was to get into the studio and simplify things, remaining as true to a three-piece as possible," Canada said in a statement. "If you really want to leave your mark, it's all about the songs, not how many people you can cram into the studio."
These days, Canada is doing triple-duty as the trio's frontman, songwriter, and lead guitarist. He is joined by a couple of fellow Oklahomans: bass player Jeremy Plato, who's played alongside Canada for decades, beginning with Cross Canadian Ragweed's first album, and drummer Eric Hansen, a longtime friend currently celebrating his third year with the band.
Songs like "Lipstick" — a heartland rocker, shot through with harmonica and thick harmonies — was partially written in the recording studio, with all musicians contributing to Canada's original idea. Others were written on the road, their compositions cobbled together from iPhone recordings and soundcheck jams. Although the rocker "Sam Hain" delivers an angry political punch, "3" could probably be considered the Departed's happiest album to date.
"I'm a fan of love," Canada said in a statement. "I love my wife, who I've been with for 20 years. I love my kids. I love my friends. These songs come out of the good times and the bad times, but the recurring theme of this thing is me finding my happy area. I've finally found comfort in who I am. My band's where it needs to be. I don't need to fight it."
The album features the Departed's cover of "Betty Was Black (& Willie Was White)," a jam-band tale of interracial romance popularized by Tom Snider. The song, which was written by Will Kimbrough, Michael Grimes, Tom Meyer, Tommy Womack, has been a part of the band's nightly set list since 2013. Check out the band playing it on "The Texas Music Scene":
-BAM