Man, this debut album can’t get here fast enough.
Once in a blue moon, a singer/songwriter comes out of nowhere who is lightyears beyond their age, and that’s the definition of Logan Halstead.
The Kentucky born, West Virginia raised teen shared his first ever single, “Dark Black Coal,” when he was only 15-years-old, telling the story of the trials and tribulations that so many go through in Appalachia, echoing the songwriting genius of other Appalachian greats like Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson.
Since then, he’s shared a number of songs that continue to reflect the landscape he grew up on, and that’s ultimately led him to announcing his debut album, Dark Black Coal, which is slated to drop on May 5th..
While discussing the album, he shared where the title comes from:
“I was picking around in the kitchen looking out the window and saw two cardinals playing on the fence out back. I thought back to a summer in Crittenden, Kentucky, where there were rolling hills and cow pastures.
It seemed like the sun never wanted to set there. That’s how I came up with the title.”
Since the announcement, Halstead has released a couple of impressive lead singles, like “Good Ol’ Boys with Bad Names,” and “Kentucky Sky.”
And now, he’s back at it again with his latest single, “Coal River,” which dropped today.
The song is a fiddle driven, haunting song about the struggles a coal miner goes through, and you almost feel like you’re making your way through the darkness of a coal mine yourself whenever you turn this one on.
“Coal River is a sort of ballad I wrote about Boone County, and it relates all around Appalachia.
For generations our families have gave their life to the mines. It ties in with ‘Dark Black Coal’ as a warning call to all the kids like me.”
It’s a brutally honest reflection of what those in this profession go through day in and day out.
Check it out:
And the acoustic version:
Dark Black Coal Tracklist:
Good ol’ Boys with Bad Names
The Flood (written by Cole Chaney)
Man’s Gotta Eat
Dark Black Coal
Mountain Queen
Kentucky Sky
Coal River
Far From Here
1952 Vincent Black Lightning (written by Richard Thompson)
Uneven Ground
Bluefoot
Catch Logan Halstead On Tour:
Friday, April 7 – Charleston, WV – The Bucket
Thursday, May 4 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
Friday, May 5 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
Saturday, May 6 – Pineville, KY – Bell Theater
Thursday, May 11 – Newport, KY – Southgate House
Friday, May 12 – Louisville, KY – Zanzibar
Saturday, May 13 – Huntington, WV – The Loud
Wednesday, May 17 – Buckhannon, WV – Strawberry Music Festival
Friday, May 19 – Richmond, VA – Get Tight Lounge
Saturday, May 20 – Charlotte, NC – Evening Muse
Sunday, May 21 – Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic
Saturday, May 27 – Slade, KY – The Pit House
June 9-10 – Pineville, KY – Laurel Cove Music Festival
