John R. Miller is pulling off the mask on how the anxieties manifest in our lives.
Miller has shown his brutally honest songwriting through the singles he has released thus far off his forthcoming album, Heat Comes Down.
Today, Miller releases a stripped-back version of a track we can find on the album, “Basements,” and once again poetically highlights the struggles faced daily. Like all other singles off this album, Miller has been releasing live versions of the track, recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio A.
“Basements” reflects on the sometimes depressing life that comes with trying to make it in this business. The lyrics are unfiltered and raw in the best way possible:
“I got a little older, dilated in the woods
Fancied myself some philosopher but I was only ever good
At washing dishes at the cafe, playing bass out on the weekends
Sleeping ’til noon every day and never calling back my friends
I couldn’t make the cut, but I could make a bad impression
It’s only once you’ve lost enough you get to learn the lesson.”
The soft-spoken words will leave you wanting to listen to the song repeatedly to dive deeper into the meaning of the words he chose to highlight in the lyrics.
The melodies that accompany the heavy words serve as the perfect compliment. Miller accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, and after the first verse, the calming addition of keys comes in.
I will have this YouTube video on repeat till the album version is available.
Heat Comes Down is set for an October 6th release via Rounder Records. John R. Miller fans highly anticipate the album after his 2021 album Depreciated (a Whiskey Riff Top 10 Album of 2021).
From the singles released thus far, Heat Comes Down is shaping up to exceed all those expectations.
Heat Comes Down Tracklist:
1. Nobody Has To Know Your Mind
2. Insomnia Blues
3. Harpers Ferry Moon
4. Ditcher
5. Crumbling Pie
6. Smokestacks On The Skyline
7. Summer Lens
8. Conspiracies, Cults & UFOs
9. Basements
10. Dollar Store Tents
11. Press On
If you’re looking to catch a show from Miller, here are some cities you can find him in.
Sept 21 – 23 – Lewisburg, WV – Healing Appalachia
Sept 22 – 23 – Whispering Beard Folk Festival – North Bend, OH
Sept 27 – St Louis, MO – Off Broadway
Sept 29 – Denver, CO – Cervantes’ Other Side
Sept 30 – Boulder, CO – eTown Hall
Oct 4 – Bozeman, MT – Rialto Bozeman
Oct 5 – Columbia Falls, MT – The Coop
Oct 6 – Spokane, WA – Lucky You Lounge
Oct 7 – Walla Walla, WA – Billsville West
Oct 8 – Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown
Oct 10 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
Oct 12 – Portland, OR – Show Bar
Oct 13 – Talent, OR – The Talent Club
Oct 14 – Albany, CA – Ivy Room
Oct 15 – Mariposa, CA – The Grove House
Oct 16 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy + Harriet’s
Oct 18 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer
Oct 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Gold-Diggers
Oct 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
Oct 24 – San Antonio, TX – The Lonesome Rose
Oct 25 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
Oct 26 – Austin, TX – The White Horse
Oct 27 – Fort Worth, TX – Tulips
Oct 29 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern
Oct 30 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s
Nov 2 – Chattanooga, TN – Songbird South
Nov 3 – Macon, GA – Grant’s Lounge
Nov 4 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
Nov 5 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre
Nov 7 – Charleston, SC – The Charleston Pour House
Nov 8 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
Nov 9 – Richmond, VA – The Camel
Nov 10 – Thomas, WV – Purple Fiddle
Nov 11 – Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street
Nov 12 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café
Nov 14 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse
Nov 15 – Columbus, OH – Rumba Café
Nov 16 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival
Nov 18 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
Nov 19 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
