The Byson Family started 2021 in style, when their self-released, limited edition debut album ‘Kick The Traces’ made a big impact from its soft release. It debuted at #1 on Independent Breakers; #3 on Scottish Albums; #5 on Americana Albums; and #9 on Independent Albums. Now ‘Kick The Traces’ is set for a much wider discovery, with the release of its Expanded Edition on September 10th via their own Seshlehem Records label.
Press play on ‘Kick The Traces’ and you’ll discover rootsy heartland rock that’s as evocative of sprawling road trips through America’s open highways as it is soundtracking an escape into the Scottish Highlands. It’s a sound that echoes the great bands whose music never ages: the strut of The Stones, the beatific beauty of The Byrds, the riffs and reflection of Neil Young. But they’re also kindred spirits to the artists who extend that lineage in new ways: the joyous rush of The War on Drugs and the alt-country adventures of Wilco, with a touch of Calexico’s desert noir.
Now entirely remastered and boasting brand new artwork, the Extended Edition also adds five new tracks to the original album. Dan Hawkins of The Darkness features on guitar on ‘Lonely Side Up’, which is one of two songs he also mixed, the other being ‘Echoes In The Dust’. ‘Little Bit Longer’ is already a fan favourite, having previously been released digitally and performed at early live shows, while ‘Bluer Things’ and ‘Trouble Was A Road’ continue the band’s exploration of soulful rock ‘n’ roots. And two songs from the original album, ‘Riches’ and ‘Lean In And Love Me’, have been newly remixed for this edition.
Frontman Phil Campbell commented:
“So The Byson Family swallowed the lockdown this time last year and after a few sighs and groans, we used the time to finish our album. We pressed up 1000 copies of ‘Kick The Traces’ and sold all of them. This got us attention from Townsend Music who offered us a deal to get our music out there in a bigger and better way. Townsend are cool. So cool in fact, that we offered to record more music for an extended version of ‘Kick The Traces’.
We went back into the studio again and hey presto: we have five new songs, new artwork and a bigger and better album which deserves a shot at being slung out into a world now opening up after COVID. So here it is, the OFFICIAL release of ‘Kick The Traces’!”
The original tracks are just as essential as before. ‘Riches’ bursts from the starting blocks like a country-rock classic fired down a dragstripe. The pace lets up for the stirring, bluesy ‘Cross The Lines’, which best encapsulates frontman Phil Campbell’s feelgood approach to lyricism, an outlook that also inspired the U2 scaled ‘Lean In and Love Me’, which looks to a future when social distancing is a thing of the past. Whether it’s with the current Planet Rock playlisted ‘Hope And Pray’ or the potent slowburner ‘If You See The Emptiness’, it’s a cult classic in the making, with a reputation that will flourish once it receives its extended release.
‘Kick The Traces: Extended Edition’ is now available to pre-order here. In addition to digital and streaming, the album will also be released on double coloured vinyl and double CD formats.
