RUSTON KELLY’S “SON OF A HIGHWAY DAUGHTER” MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES AT NPR MUSIC
DEBUT ALBUM DYING STAR OUT NOW TO WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM
HEADLINE TOUR DATES CONFIRMED
The official music video for Ruston Kelly’s new song, “Son Of A Highway Daughter,” is premiering today at NPR Music. Of the video and Kelly’s acclaimed debut album, Dying Star, NPR Music praises, “Its songs speak to the mystery of art’s ability to touch people. The words and music alone haunt one’s soul, but adding pictures brings it to another level altogether…This is irresistible work.”
Out now on Rounder Records (purchase/stream here), Dying Star was co-produced by Kelly and Jarrad K (Kate Nash, Weezer) and continues to receive widespread critical acclaim…
“Damn, is he good…Kelly digs down deep on Dying Star to fearlessly put forth a set of songs steeped in emotional twists, turns and complications…This here is powerful stuff.”
“…finds Kelly channeling the dark minimalism of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska
with a stark guitar-and-a-harmonica aesthetic.”
“…an emotional powerhouse…If you’ve ever had a taste for somber country songs
capable of ripping you apart, you ought to make time for Ruston Kelly’s opening blast.”
“…mesmerizingly smooth voice…”
“…it's a uniquely emotional and raw collection about our ability to build a new life from the ashes.”
“…a dazzling deep-dive to rock bottom.”
“…Dying Star is a triumph.”
“…a genre-defying singer-songwriter…”
“…Kelly defines modern folk-rock songwriting. It’s music with an ear-worm
melody that you can’t help but whistle along to but laced with sincere lyrics that
bare the deepest part of the singer’s soul.”
“It’s as heart-on-a-sleeve as they come. A flood of raw and intense emotions
coat Kelly’s self-deprecating ballads and late-night benders.”
“Dying Star is a confident and strong debut from an artist who feels already fully realized…It’s the kind of record you’ll turn to again and again, to keep you company whether you’re falling in love or falling down in the gutter.”
In support of the new album, Kelly will embark on an extensive headline tour this fall including stops at New York’s Mercury Lounge (sold out), Philadelphia’s Boot & Saddle (sold out), Atlanta’s Vinyl, Chicago’s Schubas Tavern (sold out) and two nights at Los Angeles’ Hotel Café (both nights sold out) among several others. Tickets are on-sale now. See below for complete details.
Dying Star was recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX and includes 14 songs written/co-written by Kelly. In addition to Kelly (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, xylophone, harmonica) and Jarrad K (12-string guitar, background vocals, electric guitar, Rhodes) the album also features Tim Kelly (pedal steel), Ian Fitchuk (piano, organ, drums, percussion), Eli Beaird (bass) and Kyle Ryan (banjo) as well as background vocals from Jon Green, Natalie Hemby, Kacey Musgraves, Kate York, Abby Sevigny and Joy Williams.
Of the album, Kelly comments, “A lot of my music is focused on suffering, or trying to understand the human condition through the lens of suffering…which probably sounds totally depressing, but it’s actually the flipside of that. Sometimes you’ve gotta go into that darkness—you need to get lost and then figure out for yourself how to find your way back. That’s the only way we can find pure joy, and really be thankful for the life we’ve been given.”
Photo credit: Alexa King
The release of Dying Star follows a breakout year for the Nashville-based artist, whose debut EP, Halloween, was released last April to widespread acclaim. Of the music, Rolling Stonepraised, “…shows a powerful grasp on storytelling gleaned from his love of the Carter Family and Townes Van Zandt, but also a more ragged rock & roll soul: it’s Americana, if your Americana is Bruce Springsteen with an acoustic guitar, sung by someone who spins a little heavy metal too,” while the HuffPost declared, “simultaneously current and effortlessly timeless.”
Born in South Carolina, Kelly started playing guitar under the guidance of his dad, Tim “TK” Kelly, a pedal steel guitarist who now performs in his band. Since his father worked for a paper mill and often changed job locations, Kelly grew up frequently moving, living everywhere from Alabama to Belgium, including time in Michigan—where the young one-time figure skater went to train with an Olympic coach in the hope of furthering his career, and where he first began writing songs. At 17, he moved to Nashville to live with his sister and went on to land a publishing deal with BMG Nashville, placing songs with several high-profile artists.
DYING STAR TRACK LIST:
1. Cover My Tracks (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K)
2. Mockingbird (written by Ruston Kelly)
3. Son Of A Highway Daughter (written by Ruston Kelly)
4. Paratrooper’s Battle Cry (written by Ruston Kelly)
5. Faceplant (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Brendan Benson)
6. Blackout (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Joy Williams)
7. Big Brown Bus (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Ricky Brantley)
8. Mercury (written by Ruston Kelly)
9. Anchors (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K)
10. Just For The Record (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Lucie Silvas)
11. Trying To Let Her (written by Ruston Kelly, Joe Leathers, Kyle Jacobs)
12. Jericho (written by Ruston Kelly, Joy Williams, Natalie Hemby)
13. Dying Star (written by Ruston Kelly, Caitlyn Smith, Rollie Gaalswyk)
14. Brightly Burst Into The Air (written by Ruston Kelly)
RUSTON KELLY CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
October 23—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge* (SOLD OUT)
October 25—Allston, MA—Great Scott*
October 26—Philadelphia, PA—Boot & Saddle* (SOLD OUT)
October 27—Vienna, VA—Jammin Java*
October 28—Richmond, VA—The Camel*
October 30—Atlanta, GA—Vinyl*
October 31—Charlotte, NC—Free Range Brewery*
November 2—Louisville, KY—Zanzabar*
November 3—Chicago, IL—Schubas Tavern* (SOLD OUT)
November 6—Los Angeles, CA—Hotel Café* (SOLD OUT)
November 7—Los Angeles, CA—Hotel Café* (SOLD OUT)
November 8—San Francisco, CA—Hotel Utah Saloon* (SOLD OUT)
November 10—Portland, OR—Bunk Bar*
November 11—Seattle, WA—Sunset Tavern*
November 14—Denver, CO—Globe Hall*
November 16—Lincoln, NE—The Rye Room*
November 17—Davenport, IA—GAS Fest
November 18—St. Louis, MO—Blueberry Hill Duck Room*
November 21—Bath, U.K. —Komedia†
November 22—Brighton, U.K.—Patterns†
November 24—Exeter, U.K. —The Phoenix†
November 26—Norwich, U.K. —Norwich Arts Centre†
November 27—Ramsgate, U.K. —Ramsgate Music Hall†
November 28—London, U.K. —Islington Assembly Hall†
November 30—Cardiff, U.K. —The Globe†
December 1—Liverpool, U.K. —Arts Club Upstairs†
December 3—Newcastle, U.K. —The Riverside†
December 4—Edinburgh, U.K. —The Caves† (SOLD OUT)
December 5—Birmingham, U.K. —Institute2†
*with support from Katie Pruitt
†with The Wandering Hearts
