Everything s Gonna Be Alright,
Johnny Lee s first collection of new recordings since 2016, serves as more than a trip back to the crossover-friendly country music made prominent in the early 80s by the John Travolta movie
Urban Cowboy. The Feb. 12 release also reminds us that well-written songs about dim lights, thick smoke, loud music, hope and family always connect with country fans, with or without mainstream buzz.
Though it was written before
social distancing became part of the vernacular, the title track connects as if it s specifically about our current situation. I started writing that song a couple of years ago, before I knew everything was going to go crazy, Lee says. I met Tony Ramey. We were playing a job in Fort Worth somewhere, and he came to my bus. I said, Tony, what do you think of this? He loved it, so he made up a couple of verses on the spot.
Three Acts to Watch: Leah Belle Faser, David Adam Byrnes and Kären McCormick
Michael J. Media, RPR Media and Screengrab via YouTube
Every month, Wide Open Country will spotlight three country or roots music acts with upside that s yet to equal commercial airplay or inclusion on taste-making playlists.
In most cases, Acts to Watch isn t code for new. Most appeared on our radar after years of paying dues on stage and in the studio.
Read on to meet February 2021 s three Acts to Watch.
Leah Belle Faser
Leah Belle Faser (born in 2004) started writing songs about 10 years ago, so don t mistake youth for musical inexperience. Nor should anyone equate a lack of the irritants that come with adulthood with a shortage of lived-in, relatable lyrics.