Ain’t nothin’ changed but the name, y’all.
Southall’s inaugural, self-titled record under the new moniker, Southall, is a masterpiece of gritty red dirt rock and roll. But that shouldn’t take you by surprise.
Formerly known as Read Southall Band, the Stillwater, OK-based outfit spent years cutting their teeth on the Oklahoma and Texas circuit, where they earned themselves a reputation as a hardworking, hard charging rock and roll band. With a gritty sound and spectacular songwriting, they have amassed one of the most passionate fan bases in independent music and solidified their place atop the scene.
Frontman Read Southall laid the foundation for the band with his debut record Six Strings Sorrow that infiltrated college campuses across the country following its release in 2015, and really got the ball rolling for what was to come. They released their first album as Read Southall Band in 2017 with Borrowed Time, which led straight into the release of their seminal live album Live at the Tower Theatre from the legendary Oklahoma City venue.
The band kept the momentum going with their fourth album For the Birds in 2021, and toured heavily to promote the project.
Aside from relatively intermittent touring in 2022, at least compared to their typical schedule, the band kept a relatively low profile and left fans wondering what was next.
Well, seemingly out of nowhere at the beginning of the summer, the band began hinting at a rebranding on social media, and before we knew it the news was out. Read Southall Band was shortening the name to Southall, and an album of the same name was on the way.
An interesting move for a band who spent years building their brand on the previous name, the change was ultimately a move to embrace an all-for-one mentality for the band, and no longer set vocalist Read Southall apart with the name.
Now with new music out, it’s safe to say the band came out firing on all cylinders.
With Read Southall’s vocals out front, Reid Barber laying the beat on drums, bassist Jeremee Knipp, John Tyler Perry and Ryan Wellman slinging guitar, and Braxton Curliss on the keys, Southall has honed in on a unique sound that is almost equal parts Nirvana and Turnpike Troubadours, with grungy instrumentals and a brazen rock and roll attitude that provide the backing for introspective lyrics and deft storytelling rooted in their Oklahoma homeland.
This sound is present now more than ever, with their latest record Southall. Recorded in Tulsa at Leon Russell’s Church Studios, Southall employed the help of producer Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Cody Jinks, Brandi Carlisle) to bring the project to life.
The first single “Scared Money” dropped back in June shortly after the name change, and with subsequent single releases of “By Surprise” and “When You’re Around” throughout the remainder of the summer, Southall effectively built suspense within their fanbase with each drop. Adding eight more songs to the mix today, it was well worth the wait.
Despite all of the great music these guys have been responsible for over the years, this album may take the cake. Check it out for yourself here:
1. “The Score”
“That wind was hauling ass and I had both hands on the wheel
Slugging up that mountaintop in my nana’s Coupe de Ville
Southern Oklahoma is where we’d go to make our score
If I can get there three times faster I’ll make it back with ten times more”
2. “When You’re Around”
“Somewhere out there right outside of someplace
A thousand miles away from where you are
Trying to carve a dream out of the highway
Wondering how it ever got this far
You’re finally getting used to feeling lonely
And I’m getting used up awful fast
Trying to prove myself to perfect strangers
The kind of high that never seems to last”
3. “Out Alive”
“The names of old sad tunes keep ringing in my ear
Did anybody ask you which songs you wanted to hear?
Blood starts pumping and hands start shaking
Overthinking moves worth making
And I’ve got less than what you’re taking
But plenty more to give”
4. “By Surprise”
“The morning comes and the evening slips away
Another link in an ever-growing chain
Yesterday’s burden sits in your soul
Hot from the fires burning below
Let the flame die and dance on the coals
You’re in your own way
It’s right in front of you, it’s in disguise
The more you look for it, the less you’ll find
Between your fingertips, before your eyes
You’ve gotta learn to let it take you by surprise”
5. “One Day At A Time”
“Running in circles, just pacing through the days
I need a miracle if anything is gonna change
I need silence, I’m lost in all the noise
I need to make room instead of trying to fill the void”
6. “Scared Money”
“Born in a boom town
Been up and been down
Ain’t afraid to do it again
I tried to go to school
Thought I was too cool
And that’s where that story ends
Put in my application
On the Anadarko Basin
There’s fortune right beneath your feet
I walked out of class
And straight to the patch
‘Cause no one ever paid me to read”
7. “All I Have”
“No more water under the bridge
It’s as dry as it was when I came
It’s not who I was raised to be
But people can force the change
Can’t try to hide from what’s built up inside
It seems like it’s always too late
The truth and the lies may all coincide
So watch where you lay your faith”
8. “Spit It Out”
“Oh let’s figure this thing out right now
I can see you with your nose to the ground
I gave you everything you ever wanted
And you tore it all down
Now it’s time to spit it out”
9. “Get Busy (Till It’s Done)”
“The hardest part of starting something is right there in your hands
You can choose to throw them up or you can build your promised land
They say anything worth having is worth fighting for and I know that it’s true
It’s gonna take a little time, a little grind, to get what’s coming to you”
10. “Ain’t Ever Gonna Change”
“There’s a silver lining
Between the hand and the gun
You got your mind on the trigger
You got your eyes on the run
Nobody said it’d be easy
Living down in a hole
When the shove starts pushing
When you lose all control”
11. “Short and Sweet”
“We may not make forever
But I’ll give you everything that I can give
It’s better late than never
Our story isn’t over until it ends
If I could turn back time
Get another go at life
I’d follow my own footsteps to a T
I wouldn’t change a thing
‘Cause life is short
But honey you sure make it sweet”
Man, I can’t wait to hear these songs live. If Southall is coming to a city near you, as they hit the road this fall to promote the album, then I highly recommend you buy a ticket. You won’t regret it.
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