Shane Smith & the Saints taking their Texas sound to daytime TV.
Since the release of their album Norther, this one has been on constant repeat for me. While the whole album really feeds the flame of their electric sound, capturing the stage presence that fans know and love in studio form, “It’s Been A While” captivated my ears from the first listen.
As the Austin, Texas group has been promoting the album, they took this song to the national stage of CBS Saturday Sessions for their TV debut.
The opening guitar riffs of the track capture you from the first strum, and Shane leans in towards Dustin Schaefer as they both are in tune with their instruments. Shortly after, Bennett Brown comes in on fiddle, and you get a taste of that Shane Smith & the Saint’s iconic sound, knowing the melody is about to ramp up.
Smith’s vocals sound just as crisp live as they do on the studio recording, and the rest of the band is in sync throughout the whole performance. If this is your first taste of this group, you can clearly see they operate as a unit rather than a frontman and his band. They are all dialed in and feeding off each other’s energy.
The chorus of this song is what sold me on this song, and it’s perfectly performed while on the network’s stage.
“I’m gonna take a train back to Texas
Freight-liner, won’t you call my name
Cause it’s been a while
Yeah, it’s been a while
Since I’ve seen your face…”
I am so glad that these boys are getting the recognition they finally deserve. This year is going to be a big one for Shane Smith & the Saints.
