Jonathan and Abby Peyton are flat out great people who just so happen to also make great music.
Their career has been on the upswing ever since Zach Bryan invited them to participate in his Belting Bronco Series a few years back and recently they were offered the opportunity of a lifetime, to open Zach’s show at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater.
But by this point, I think we all know what ended up happening…
Turns out Colorado can get pretty cold and snowy this time of year, so due to the weather and a number of warnings from officials, the concert was shortened to just Zach playing, with Jonathan and Abby, along with Charles Wesley Godwin, getting cut.
Of course, Zach went on to play a show that will go down in history for a number of reasons, but lead by his killer performance of “Snow” right as the skies opened up and a downright blizzard started.
Despite the obvious bummer of not being able to perform, the husband/wife duo did join Zach and Charles on stage for “Country Roads” which still has to be quite surreal.
While they could have just chalked the whole thing up to a load of bad luck, they took a page out of Zach’s book and made some magic happen by themselves.
You may recall Zach playing a pop up show from a truck bed and getting a tattoo in a McDonald’s parking lot in Winslow, Arizona awhile back, which I think may have been the spark for what these guys did next.
They grabbed a guitar and headed out to the parking lot, where fans were still tailgating hard despite the freezing temperatures and falling snow, and put on a performance that will not soon be forgotten.
They played a number of songs, including some yet to be released from an upcoming album that will be produced by the one and only Sadler Vaden, guitarist for Jason Isbell and producer of Morgan Wade’s phenomenal debut album Reckless.
While clips of the performance were floating around the internet for a few days, they finally posted a full video of an unreleased song titled “Denial” that I bet is going to be a big one.
It’s a song that’s right in the vein of what we’ve always known them to put out, songs with a ton of substance.
This one speaks of a woman who refuses to admit the reality of a tough situation, with someone reaching the end of their days, holding on to what she calls faith, but what the rest of the world can see is denial of the truth.
“Probably sitting on your front porch
Rocking yourself to sleep
It’s the middle of the afternoon
All is well so it seems
Started baking cornbread, just like yesterday
She swept your dirt under the rug but the ends they started to fray
What you call faith, sure looks like denial
Praying next to his bed
He was fading all the while
Begging for resurrection, a holy ghost revival
What you call faith, sure looks like denial”
Come ON with it.
Not only do those words eat at your heart but the melody is just so catchy. I’ve been singing it walking around the house since the first listen.
Also, look at the crowd these two drew. What an incredible moment.
These guys are the real deal and I can’t wait for this next project to be released. It seems like everything Sadler touches turns to gold, and when you’re working with people as talented as this, there’s no way it won’t be phenomenal.
Cheers you you two, keep doing your thing. You’ve got some big fans here.
