Country Songs by Karen Jonas

Born, raised, and recorded in the heart of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Karen Jonas's Country Songs is a celebration of music made outside the machine - of songs written in her living room, captured live in the studio just down the street, and sent out to see where it stands in the big, wide world. Releasing October 14, the album is a collection of character, talent and tenacity.

Country Songs is a refreshing mix of classic sounds with new, head-turning country swagger. At times defiant, celebratory, or pining, Country Songs remains intensely personal. It is crafted to be focused on - perhaps alone, while sipping whiskey on a quiet evening - for poetry, story, and nuance. The layered fiddle, steel, and organ are the stage upon which Jonas's stories shine, with collaborator Tim Bray's lead guitar acting as a spotlight. The swanky, two-steppin' title track professes a love of the Bakersfield sound (and Dwight Yoakam's jeans), born out of heartbreak. It isn't quite serious, but isn't quite tongue-in-cheek. "Wasting Time" adds a softer side with a timeless tale of love that won't disappear, while tracks like "Ophelia" and "The Fair Shake" show off the talents of twang-master Bray's big orange Gretsch.

Recorded live in the studio, the collection encompasses both the vibrant local music community surrounding Fredericksburg, as well as the dynamic live feel that Jonas and Bray have spent nearly three years honing while on the road supporting the release of 2014's Oklahoma Lottery. The critically acclaimed album was praised by Rolling Stone Germany, Farce the Music, Saving Country Music, Twang Nation and Country Perspective, among others.

In a time when the country music genre is complicated by competing definitions, Jonas weighs in strongly with her own version of what country music should be. Country Songs may be the self-made duo's showcase of a local sound, but the collection has them poised to take a bow on an international stage. Maybe they'll ask Dwight Yoakam if they can borrow a pair of his jeans.

Tracklist

1.	Country Songs	5:05

2.	Keep Your Hands to Yourself	3:11

3.	The Garden	5:41

4.	Ophelia	3:35

5.	Wasting Time	4:43

6.	Wandering Heart	4:10

7.	Whiskey and Dandelions	3:15

8.	Why Don't You Stay	4:35

9.	The Fair Shake	3:24

10.	Yankee Doodle Went Home	4:54

Credits

released October 14, 2016

All songs written by Karen Jonas
except The Garden, music by Eddie Dickerson and lyrics by Karen Jonas

Karen Jonas (acoustic guitar and vocals)
Tim Bray (electric guitar)
Jordan Medas (bass)
Jason Cizdziel (drums for The Garden, Wandering Heart, Whiskey and Dandelions, The Fair Shake, Yankee Doodle Went Home)
Jack O’Dell (drums for Country Songs, Keep Your Hands to Yourself, Ophelia, Wasting Time, Why Don’t You Stay)
Jay Starling (lapsteel, electric piano, organ)
Eddie Dickerson (fiddle)
Recorded and Engineered by Jeff Covert at Wally Cleaver’s Recordings Studio, Fredericksburg Va.
Mastered by Bill Wolf at Wolf Productions Inc

Photography by Amber Renée Photography
Album art by Erin Bray

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