Gretchen Peters will release new album The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury on Proper Records on 15th May 2020.
Recorded at the historic Cinderella Studios, where Newbury recorded his legendary albums of the late 1960s/early 1970s, the album features Gretchen covering Newbury’s songs in stripped-down versions.
Guests on the album include Buddy Miller, studio founder and legendary guitarist Wayne Moss (Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt), Country Music Hall of Famer and renowned harmonica player Charlie McCoy (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley), Will Kimbrough, Barry Walsh and more.
“In sifting through all the Mickey Newbury songs I could get my hands on, there were only two criteria for inclusion on the album: did I love it, and did I think I could bring something of myself to it?” Gretchen explains. “I decided early on that I didn’t want to make an album of Mickey’s hits; that opened up the potential field to his late-career songs, which took a decided turn towards folk, and obscure early songs, as well as hits. All my lifelong favourites were on the first list, of course – but some of those, much as I loved them, proved not to be the right fit. I came across “The Night You Wrote That Song” early on, and felt it was the perfect title for the album. “You never knew how right you were the night you wrote that song…” seems to sum up my feelings towards Mickey Newbury perfectly. In so many ways he was ahead of his time.”
She continues: “Mickey’s sensibilities as an artist were probably the first thing that drew me to his records. I identified with him, not only because of his songs but because of the way I felt he saw himself. I only deduced this from listening to his records; I didn’t know him (I actually had several chances to meet him when I first came to town, but he was such a hero of mine that I was afraid to) – but he was an artist. He was hugely successful as a songwriter and yet he rejected – in both his writing and his recording – the Nashville assembly line approach. He approached everything he did as an artist, and as a young songwriter I deeply identified with that. That was what I wanted to do, what I felt I could do best. His records were thrilling to me.”
Gretchen will play the following UK shows in support of the album:
Tuesday 12th May – Wimborne – Tivoli Theatre
Wednesday 13th May – London – Kings Place
Thursday 14th May – Leeds – City Varieties
Saturday 16th May – Birmingham – Birmingham Town Hall
Sunday 17th May – Belfast – The MAC
Wednesday 20th May – Glasgow – Community Central Hall
Wednesday 3rd June – London – Kings Place
