The Steel Woods simply do not miss.
The southern rock outfit is gearing up to put out a new record called On Your Time, which will be their first album since tragically losing founding member Jason “Rowdy” Cope, who passed away just before the release of All of Your Stones two years ago.
And today, we’re extremely pleased to premiere their new single “Devil In This Holler,” which was written by frontman Wes Bayliss after playing a show deep in the hills of Kentucky where almost nothing went right.
He says it’s ultimately a song about perseverance and how the good always prevails in the long run, with the true message being that the “Devil won’t hinder the ones doing His work”:
“‘Devil In This Holler’ is one I wrote one night after playing a show deep in the hills of Kentucky where everything had gone wrong since we had gotten there.
It seemed as if there was something fighting our every move and did not want the show to go on. In the end, good prevailed, our perseverance paid off, we were able to play the show and then I got a song out of it.
I guess the message here is: the Devil won’t hinder the ones doing His work. If you feel like something keeps beating you down and making it hard to do what you know is right, let that be the fuel to press on and assurance that you’re on the right path.”
Amen to that…
The opening lines sum it up best, where the frontman proclaims that life can get pretty damn hard, though he ultimately has his faith to give him hope and even though “there’s a devil in this holler… he ain’t gonna pull me down”:
“I get here early, go home late
Lately what seems like every day
I keep my head up
Til I start to pray
At the top of the hill is sacred place
But down in the valley is where I roam
With these faded memories and half-written songs
Just when it seems that nothing else could go wrong
That’s when I’m reminded that we’re not alone”
Coupled with Wes’ twangy vocals and the driving, almost swampy production of the band behind him, it’s another banger from The Steel Woods, and the new project just gets stronger with every release.
On Your Time will be out everywhere on October 6th.
Definitely check out the new tune while you’re here, you’ll be glad you did:
They previously put out “If Not For The Rain”:
On Your Time tracklist:
1. The Man From Everywhere
2. Cut the Grass
3. Devil in This Holler
4. Famine Fortune
5. On Your Time
6. You Don’t Even Who Who I Am
7. Border Lord
8. Stories to Tell to Myself
9. Broken Down Dam
10. If Not for the Rain
The Steel Woods 2023 tour dates:
7/27/23 – Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
7/28/23 – Northwood’s Country Rally – Glen Fora, WI (w/ Sammy Kershaw, Derek Jones, Wayland)
7/29/23 – Rollie’s – Sauk Rapids, MN
8/4/23 – Jackson County Watermelon Festival – Brownstown, IN
8/11/23 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
8/12/23 – Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
8/17/23 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA
8/18/23 – The Monument – Winchester, VA
8/19/23 – Silverados Black – Mountain, NC (w/ Brent Cobb)
9/1/23 – Beer City Hall – Oklahoma City, OK
9/2/23 – Caveman Festival – Weston, CO
9/3/23 – Moxi Theater – Greeley, CO
9/4/23 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
9/14/23 – Born & Raised Festival – Pryor, OK
9/15/23 – White Oak Music – Houston, TX
9/16/23 – Studio at the Factory – Dallas, TX
9/22/23 – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ
9/23/223 – Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA
9/28/23 – Ventura Music Hall – Ventura, CA
10/5/23 – Mystic Theatre – Petaluma, CA
10/6/23 – Rebels & Renegades – Monterey, CA
10/7/23 – The Parish at HOB – Anaheim, CA
10/12/23 – Luckenbach Texas – Fredericksburg, TX
10/13/23 – Cuero Turkeyfest – Cuero, TX
10/14/23 – Tipitina’s – New Orleans, LA
10/19/23 – Amos’ Southend – Charlotte, NC
10/20/23 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
10/21/23 – Hargray Capitol Theatre – Macon, GA
10/27/23 – Tooneys Music Venue – McCaysville, GA
10/28/23 – Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY
11/10/23 – Louisiana Grandstand – Shreveport, LA
11/11/23 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
11/17/23 – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NE
11/18/23 – Knuckleheads The Saloon – Kansas City, MO
12/8/23 – The Bluestone – Columbus, OH
12/9/23 – Piere’s – Fort Wayne, IN
