John Merchant and The Desolation Angels – Midwest Blues

Labels: Highway Driver Records
Number of Tracks: 1
Total Time: 2:55
From the Album: Midwest Blues
Formats: Americana, Non-Commercial, NPR
Available Date & Time: January 20, 2017 09:00 AM ET
Country: USA

Midwest Blues is a song about growing up in the Midwest. Long hard winters, heartbreaks, heartaches and flat out debauchery.

"My dad was a bassist and singer in a very popular regional country act (Jack Kittle and the Now Country)". Along with charismatic frontman Kittle, Merchant can still recall a cast of characters being around that only added to the mystique and pull of music. "Lots of turquoise jewelry, denim jackets, pointed-toe cowboy boots…these guys looked like (and in some cases were) outlaws". This led to being (along with a life-long best friend who dreamt of a life as an over-the-road truck driver) the only kid on the playground in cowboy boots, pearl-snap western shirts, and Mack Truck belt buckle. "In my defense, when Jerry Reed in ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ is your fashion icon, you’re going to end up a bit out of step with the other 7 year olds".

School friends still recall Merchant putting on playground concerts where he would sing songs by Don Williams, Waylon Jennings, and Marty Robins. "I tried, but I couldn’t care less about sports, bicycles, movies, or anything else, I ONLY wanted to talk about music, songs, bands, and instruments".As a songwriter and arranger the focus remained on the song. Constructing music that compliments and moves literate, revealing, and honest lyrical content forward.

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