×

Boom Town Boys set to release new album ‘The River Song’

PHOTO PROVIDED This photograph by Brady Hartman shows the Boom Town Boys during a recording session for “The River Song” at Eight Days a Week Studio in Northumberland.

Seven weeks ago, the recently formed country-rock group known as the Boom Town Boys released a music video for their debut single, “Baby Wants,” which has already garnered over 3,000 online views. Those are some pretty impressive numbers, considering the band has only been around since November, but the lighthearted feel of the song and video have clearly resonated with area music lovers.

Now, fans of the single who have been wanting to hear more from the Boom Town Boys won’t need to wait much longer, as the Williamsport-based band is set to release its first EP, “The River Song,” tomorrow.

“We are definitely very excited,” said Mike Steppe, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist. “From start to finish, the process has been enjoyable and a great learning experience.”

The Boom Town Boys were formed after Steppe enlisted the help of three friends — Nick Laylon (bass), Mike Wrench (drums, percussion) and Connor Schall (piano, vocals) — to help him create what he thought was going to be a solo album. But after the four started playing music together, the particular sound they created felt a lot more like a band album than a solo album, and thus the group was created.

“For me it is a very satisfying experience. Most of the material on this album was written within the last three years, but there are also a couple of songs that I wrote in 2002,” Steppe said. “I wrote all the songs on acoustic guitar, but it’s great to see the songs come to life in a full band arrangement; the instruments add more depth and interest, but ultimately the storylines are still the focal point of the songs.”

“The River Song” album will feature six songs, all of which were recorded at Eight Days a Week Studio in Northumberland, with the help of producer Paul Smith. The studio, Steppe said, was designed in the likeness of Electric Lady Studios in New York and invokes a funky ’70s feel.

“We loved that,” said Steppe. “The vibe of the studio was comfortable and creative. I believe all those elements contributed in some way to the feel of the album.”

Smith was also an extremely valuable asset for the band, as he made suggestions for the tracks and helped pull emotion and energy out of each group member during the recording process. He can also be heard adding the B3 organ and harmony vocals to songs on the EP.

“Paul truly focused our musical performances and helped us to recognize moments that we should accentuate within the context of the songs,” Steppe said.

Aside from the group’s core members, other area guest musicians featured on the album include Mark Tomeo (steel guitar, dobro), Cassey Chatham (vocals) and Mike Caschera Sr. (congas).

Five of the songs on the EP — “Pray for Rain,” “Baby Wants,” “Fade to Gray,” “One Last Time” and “The River Song” — were all recorded on the same day last fall. Two months later, the Boom Town Boys returned to the studio to record one more track — “Exit 10” — to round things out. The songs were all recorded with live drums, bass, acoustic guitar, keyboard and rough vocals; then the band overdubbed guitars, piano, organ, percussions, steel guitar, dobro and final vocals to them.

“I would say that ‘The River Song’ and ‘Exit 10’ are songs that I’m most excited to release,” Steppe said. “They are both songs with deep personal meaning to me and it feels good to share them in this context. I think both songs present a cinematic storyline that listeners will be able to easily visualize and connect with emotionally.”

Though he wrote all of the songs on the album, Steppe said three of the tracks are especially meaningful to him: “Pray for Rain,” which he penned about a prolonged drought that nearly put his family’s farm out of business when he was a child; and “Fade to Gray” and “The River Song,” which were written in the midst of his failing marriage.

“They are very personal to me and recording them was a particularly cathartic process,” he said. “Recording the vocals for those songs was especially challenging as I had to allow my emotions to revisit a very dark and painful time.”

Though there is no release party scheduled for the “The River Song” EP, the band has released a new music video for “Exit 10” to accompany its debut, which can be found on Youtube and Facebook. Those interested in listening to the album will be able to find it on on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, CD Baby, Bandcamp, Apple Music and other digital services. Physical copies will be available by contacting the band through their Facebook page or in person.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today