Singer Ethan Lee Sadler says, “While I was working on ‘How Far Down,’ I wrote a verse for every single place we played on the nightmarish tour we did in support of our last album, Thirty Pieces. I ended up with twenty-something verses and then pared it down to the most evocative lines. It worked best in these little couplets—that way, we could fit in more of the cities we played on the tour.” Listen now: Tennessee Stiffs’ new album Dearly Departed is a cautionary tale—an ambitious, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age concept record about a band on a good-intentions-paved tour to hell and back. The story was inspired by Tennessee Stiffs’ real-life experience releasing the 2018 sophomore album, Thirty Pieces. It was a time that saw them badly burned by a shady record label and PR firm before valiantly pressing on, embarking on an aimless and soul-crushing support tour that nearly broke up the band. But they’ve lived to tell their tale brilliantly in song, and Dearly Departed is the result. Formed in late 2011 and fueled by their eclectic musical interests, co-founders-turned-married-couple Ethan Lee and Cara B were determined to create something never heard before. They seamlessly blend Americana, blues, rock, folk, country and myriad other influences into a powerful and provocative avenue of true grit Americana. In the beginning, the duo spent their time writing tunes and performing intimate shows, often using old books and a hat containing lines of poetry as inspiration. They wanted to build each song as its own story in a greater collection of real-life events. Each song’s characters are vividly constructed and personal, allowing for the listener to relate. After recording the debut album, Nightery, in April 2015, the Stiffs garnered attention from all over the United States, getting airplay from coast to coast as well as Europe. The Akademia Music Awards gave Nightery the Best Americana Album Award, as well as the Editors Top Pick of 2015. Keeping up the momentum, the Stiffs toured the nation in 2018 and 2019 promoting the sophomore album, Thirty Pieces. Distributed through Sony’s The Orchard, it created waves propelling them to perform across the country. Dearly Departed will be released on May 6. Preorder here. Next, do people who are tone-deaf hear music differently?
