A rising star in Country, Country Rock and Americana, Kyle Daniel has been flagged up as one of the best upcoming artists in the scene and has just released a video for ‘Hollerin’ Hills’ – the B-side for Kyle’s digital 45.
Country Hits Radio premiered A-side ‘This American Dream’. Rolling Stone Country recently picked the “Kentucky guitarslinger’s” A-Side as a Pick of the Week, whilst Songwriting Magazine made it their Song of the Day and added to their musical roundup ‘On the Stereo’.
Kyle is based in Nashville, Tennessee but originally hails from Kentucky. And as the saying goes: you can take the man outta Kentucky but you can’t take Kentucky outta the man!
Out now on all platforms, the B-side for Kyle’s digital 45, ‘Hollerin’ Hills’, vividly shows the truth of that saying. It’s partnered with the anthemic ‘This American Dream’: an A-side that has received praise, acclaim and enthusiastic airplay.
“Written with Dylan Altman and Will Hoge,” said Songwriting Magazine, “there’s a rough edge to @kyledanielmusic’s “This American Dream” which should appeal to fans of everyone from Chris Stapleton to Bruce Springsteen – the more ears on this message of unity the better.” LYRIC Magazine was likewise impressed: “WOW! Springsteen feels on this polemic anthem about the USA and about love. Gruff vocals & fierce guitars. LOVE. IT.”
Whilst ‘This American Dream’ speaks to all of America a clarion call to recall its whole-nation ideals, the roots of ‘Hollerin’ Hills’ lie deep in the state of Kentucky. Kyle himself calls his musical style, “Homegrown Kentucky Rock N Soul,” and this song is a fine example of that: an homage to the blue-collar working men and women of his home state and their battle against poverty and for justice, after mass layoffs and failure to pay wages owed.
“As a Kentucky boy,” says Kyle, “I love to talk about my roots. I wrote this with one of my favourite writers in Nashville: Mr. Adam Wright with Carnival Music. Adam’s rooted, literary style has earned him a stellar rep. in Nashville.
“He and I have connected on a songwriting level and I’m very impressed with the creative content we have been able to put together between us. I feel like all of our songs have unique storylines, and therefore they keep the listener’s attention for longer.
“This song is specifically about the eastern Kentucky coalmine strikes, and how the workers went on strike after not being paid wages they deserved. They took a coal train hostage and literally laid down on the tracks until the coal company paid them for the wages due to them. I am very excited to share with the world what Adam and I have been able to create together.”
The song has a big sound, full of the strong, razor-sharp guitarwork that fills Kyle’s music, giving it wider appeal than many of his Country peers. It recalls the Country Rock sound of Kyle’s heroes like Greg Allman, but is fresh and original, as are the sharp lyrics, sung with conviction.
The video, Live from The Loft, was produced by Nick Stafford in Nashville, TN: footage of a raw, stripped-down live version of the track, featuring Kyle playing with Seth Rentfrow and Drew Smithers on the electric guitar laying down some VERY impressive edge and solos. Definitely worth checking out!
Check out the stripped down version of Hollerin’ Hills here – https://youtu.be/9ekr7lEFO6c
The Guardian newspaper reported on the Harlan strikes, “There are no longer any unionized mines in Kentucky, but Harlan’s miners are currently continuing the region’s legacy of labor struggles against wealthy and powerful coal corporations: they are blocking the coal trains from leaving a mine that laid them off.”
Kyle Daniel and Adam Wright’s powerful lyrics point out the injustice of the mass layoff without due notice, the failure to pay wages owed and the hardship that caused, the pressure on workers to find other work and move away to find new prospects. What’s more: they celebrate the heroic resistance and actions of the miners.
Check out the ‘Hollerin’ Hills’ for yourselves in this stripped down version and the phenomenal studio take.
Available on all digital Platforms Now
Download/Stream here https://cmdshft.ffm.to/digital45
