Austin-based singer/songwriter Jesse Daniel has announced new album Countin’ The Miles, due out June 7 via Lightning Rod Records. He also released the black-and-white official video for the raucous yet reflective album opener “Comin’ Apart At The Seams” featuring background vocals from Jon Randall and fiddle from the legendary Gene Elders of George Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band, who passed away shortly after recording.
Born from his commitment to contributing to the legacy of country music, Countin’ The Miles, Daniel’s fourth studio album, features guest appearances from Ben Haggard, son of country legend Merle Haggard, and Jodi Lyford, Daniel’s partner, bandmate and frequent co-writer. His first with the Nashville-based label, the LP bears all the hallmarks of Daniel’s brand of the Bakersfield sound – the twanging guitar tones, crying pedal-steel and hard hitting honky-tonk rhythms – while imbuing a gritty punk intensity and an indelible wisdom that only comes after breaking the cycle of addiction.
“I wrote this song about my experience in life,” says Daniel about the new track. “It’s autobiographical and touches on the way my brothers and I grew up. Coming from a broken home, there were a lot of hurdles for us, but I see now that those hard lessons we learned so young were actually a blessing. I wrote this one about the spirit of perseverance and the earned toughness that comes from an upbringing like we had. It’s the realization that no one is coming to save you. That’s on us to save ourselves.”
Recorded at Austin’s Arlyn Studios with the help of Grammy-winning engineer Jacob Sciba, Countin’ The Miles features a stacked lineup of A-list musicians, including pianist Ronnie Huckaby and the aforementioned Elders of George Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band, as well as bassist Kevin Smith – a longtime member of Willie Nelson’s Family Band – and songwriter/producer Jon Randall, also the guitarist for Emmylou Harris. The album is Daniel’s first as sole producer, after previously co-producing with the legendary Tommy Detamore. An album rooted in Daniel’s deep conviction in country as a way of life, Countin’ The Miles doubles down on the battlecry Daniel has spent years hearing from fans: “Jesse Daniel plays my kind of country.”
Tour Dates:
April 10 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s ^
April 11 – Bakersfield, CA @ The Nile Theater ^
April 12 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst ^
April 13 – Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post Sacramento ^
April 14 – Chico, CA @ Tackle Box Bar & Grill ^
April 16 – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub ^
April 17 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ^
April 18 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern ^
April 19 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux ^
April 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room ^
April 21 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall ^
April 26 – Bandera, TX @ Big Texas Bash
April 27 – Galveston, TX @ Rock The Coast – Texas Country at Sea
May 16 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note Lounge #
May 17 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads #
May 18 – Des Moines, IA @ xBk Live #
May 19 – Waterloo, NE @ Buck’s Bar and Grill #
May 22 – Wisconsin Dells, WI @ Showboat Saloon #
May 23 – Chicago, IL @ Carol’s Pub #
May 24 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern #
May 25 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe #
May 26 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi #
May 29 – Newport, KY @ The Southgate House Revival #
May 30 – Lexington, KY @ The Burl #
May 31 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd and Lindsley #
June 1 – Little Rock, AR @ White Water Tavern #
June 7 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s Nightclub %
June 14 – Helotes, TX @ John T. Floore’s *
June 21 – Houston, TX @ Last Concert Cafe
June 22 – Beaumont, TX @ 7 Oaks Event Garden
June 29 – LaPorte, IN @ Red Wine and Brew
July 27 – Lowell, MA @ Lowell Folk Festival
August 17 – Red River, NM @ Motherlode Saloon
August 20 – Waterloo, NE @ Buck’s Bar and Grill &
August 21 – Pierre, SD @ Grey Goose Store & Social Club &
August 23 – Gallatin Gateway, MT @ The Westerner &
August 24 – Butte, MT @ Covellite Theatre &
August 25 – Missoula, MT @ Monk’s Bar &
August 28 – Selah, WA @ The Outskirts Brewing Company &
August 29 – Portland, OR @ Topaz Farm &
August 30 – Walla Walla, WA @ T-Post Tavern &
September 1 – Colville, WA @ FarmJam 2024
September 11 – Murfreesboro, TN @ Hop Springs Beer Park $
September 12 – Johnson City, TN @ Families Free
September 13 – Bristol, VA/TN @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
September 14 – Wilmington, NC @ The Eagle’s Dare $
September 15 – Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House Music Hall $
September 18 – Richmond, VA – Ember Music Hall $
September 19 – Winchester, VA @ The Monument $
September 21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made $
^ – with support from Brit Taylor
- with support from Alex Williams
% – with Pedal Steel Noah
- – with Mark Chesnutt
& – with support from Tylor & the Train Robbers
$ – with support from Two Runner
Countin’ The Miles Tracklist
- Comin’ Apart At The Seams
- That’s My Kind Of Country
- Countin’ The Miles
- Ol’ Montana
- Restless
- When Your Tomorrow’s In The Past (feat. Jodi Lyford)
- Lonesome Blues
- Tomorrow’s Good Ol’ Days (feat. Ben Haggard)
- Golden State Rambler
- Steppin’ Out (feat. Jodi Lyford)
- Cut Me Loose
