I get more excited for this new Shane Smith & the Saints album with every release.
Today, the Austin-based band dropped a new single from their forthcoming album Norther called “It’s Been A While,” which finds frontman Shane Smith missing home and wanting to go back to Texas.
He says he wrote it during a low point of touring, at a time when he didn’t necessarily have the means or money to get back to the lone star state for a few days. The concept of wanting to go home is obviously universally relatable, and the desperation this track was inspired by is palpable:
“I’d started this song years and years ago, during a very low point of touring. There were many moments of desperation to be back home, without having the means or money to get there.
The lyrics here are derived straight from that time, but can often times still continue to hit home for us now. Most all of the footage from this video was filmed on our phones, over the the last 10 years on tour.
We really hope you love this newest single, ‘It’s Been A While.'”
The band also released an accompanying music video:
Norther is slated for release on March 1st, and will be the band’s first full-length album release in five years. To say it’s highly-anticipated by fans feels like a massive understatement, as Shane Smith & The Saints have quickly become one of the premiere acts in the independent country scene.
Produced by Beau Bedford (who has worked with the likes of Paul Cauthen and Tanner Usrey), the sound of this project will reflect the five-piece Texas country music outfits eclectic blend of country, Southern rock and folk.
Some of the singles they’ve put out here and there over the years, like “Hummingbird” and “The Greys Between,” will be featured on the new tracklist, in addition to 11 other tracks like “Fire In The Ocean” that they played in the Season 5 opening of Yellowstone.
If you’ve been a fan of their music for any length of time, then you know they simply don’t miss… you can listen to “It’s Been A While” and watch the music video below.
“It’s Been A While”
Shane Smith & The Saints 2024 tour dates:
Feb. 10 – Kearney, NE – Red Dirt On The River
Feb. 15 – San Antonio, TX – San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
Feb. 17 – Bossier City, LA – Bulls, Bands, and Barrels
Feb. 24 – Lake Charles, LA – Golden Nugget
Mar. 1 – Tempe, AZ – Extra Innings Festival
Mar. 8 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
Mar. 24 – Pelham, TN – The Caverns
Mar. 26 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry
Mar. 30 – Abilene, TX – Outlaws & Legends
Apr. 5-6 – New Orleans, LA – Hogs for the Cause
Apr. 7 – Eagle Pass, TX – 57 South Music Fest
Apr. 13 – Fort Worth, TX – Syndicate Smokedown
Apr. 14 – Gonzales, TX – Cattle Country Festival
Apr. 26 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach
May 2-4 – Stillwater, OK – Calf Fry
May 7 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 14 – Copenhagen, DK – DR Koncerthuset Studie 2
May 16 – Utrecht, NL – Cloud Nine
May 17 – London, UK – Highways 2024
May 18 – Manchester, UK – Gorilla
May 19 – Glasgow, SCT – Oran Mor
May 30 – June 2 – Panama City Beach, FL – Gulf Coast Jam
June 19 – Mack, CO – Country Jam
June 20 – Filer, ID – Gordy’s Hwy 30 Music Festival
July 19 – Eau Claire, WI – Country Jam 2024
Aug. 10 – Sikeston, MO – Bootheel Rodeo
Aug. 16-17 – Helix, OR – Wheatstock Music Festival
Sept. 1 – Dillon, MT – Montana’s Biggest Weekend
Sept. 19-22 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond Festival
Oct. 18-20 – Sacramento, CA – Goldensky 2024
