Even if you don’t know who Ben Chapman is, it’s very possible you’ve seen one of his Porch Session videos come across your Instagram feed.
It really doesn’t take much more than listening to one of his songs to get a sense of Chapman’s talents as a songwriter. And it only takes seeing him and his band live once to get hooked. But in a time when social media engagement is more important than ever for artists, and views are likely the biggest catalyst for ticket sales, Chapman found something that seems to strike a chord with his fanbase, and sometimes even the algorithm.
Featuring he and his band piled onto the porch of his Nashville home, performing both covers and originals, Chapman’s series of porch session videos have amassed millions of views on Instagram alone. And inevitably, especially on videos of covers, the comments are full of fans begging him to record some of these sessions and put them on streaming services.
Well, Chapman has been reading those comments, and now there’s an EP to prove it, bringing the social media success of his Porch Sessions to Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to music. Released today, the five-track Porch Sessions EP features three covers, a brand new original, and a new rendition of “Out in the Country” from his recent Feet on Fire record.
Providing fans with a laid-back glimpse of Chapman’s diverse musical influences, and the swampy sound of his band that often toes the line of country and soul, Chapman’s Porch Sessions have proved an awesome way for one of country’s most underrated artists to connect with fans and advertise his music.
And with the background vocals of the cicadas singing in the Nashville night, these recordings are an awesome way to capture these moments.
Check out Ben Chapman’s Porch Sessions EP below.
“Waymore’s Blues”
Perhaps the most popular of Chapman’s porch sessions has been this Waylon Jennings cover. Originally released as a B-Side in 1975, “Waymore’s Blues” is a timeless outlaw country classic that never gets old.
“Call Me The Breeze”
Originally written and recorded by Tulsa, OK legend J.J. Cale in 1971, and popularized a few years later in 1974 when Lynyrd Skynyrd included it on their Second Helping album, “Call Me the Breeze” has been a staple of a cover ever since for country, blues, and rock bands that like to jam.
In addition to Skynyrd, Chapman joins the likes of Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, John Mayer, and several other high profile artists who have recorded and released their own spin on the classic.
“Saving Grace”
A previously unreleased original, “Saving Grace” is a brand new track that Chapman wrote alongside his wife Meg McRee and Leon Majcen.
“Out in the Country”
Originally released back in April as the 3rd single off of Feet on Fire, “Out in the Country” conveys the feeling that Chapman feels whenever he returns home to Georgia, and this laid-back country groove if perfect for the Porch Sessions.
“He’s Gone”
I don’t know it for sure, but it seems to me like Chapman is equally as influenced by Waylon Jennings and outlaw country as he is by the Grateful Dead, and that makes for a pretty awesome brand of music.
This is on full display with this cover, as Chapman and his band decided to try their hand at a 1972 Grateful Dead fan-favorite with “He’s Gone.”
And since we’ve been on the subject of Ben Chapman and Meg McRee, check out McRee’s latest single “Tetris” that dropped last week. This one is a heater too.
