Will Kimbrough

Award-Winning Songwriter/ Producer Will Kimbrough Documents The Challenges Of 2020 In His New Album, Spring Break

By Nathan Pugh go on tour and perform again, Kimbrough Singer/Songwriter/Producer and focused all his efforts on songwriting and Americana musician Will Kimbrough will be survival. He could quickly observe the releasing his tenth solo album this month on political climate, the tragic losses, and the October 23rd. The new album is going to be effects it was causing. an all-acoustic album appropriately titled “I wrote ‘All Fall Down’ with a friend, Spring Break. Sidelined by the Covid-19 after discussing the strange world of the crisis, Kimbrough has decided to document politics surrounding COVID and the divided this event through his new album. This won’t United States,” he be the first time Will has explored avenues explains. “When like this through his writing. On his album John Prine passed Americanitis, he delved into themes such as from COVID, I anti-war and anti-greed. Later on in his wrote ‘The Late album Wings he explored such subjects as Great John Prine conflicts between family and career, and love Blues.’ Then, I and work. finished a song The new album is created pretty much with a songwriting in the vein of the documentary-inspired and hero, Milton storytelling tradition of the Folkways and Brown—who also Vanguard folk records. For this album he had happens to be one decided to concentrate on the pandemic and of Jimmy Buffett’s its effects on the world and its population in a early mentors,” musical form. He says that the title comes ‘Digging a Ditch from the Spring of 2020 or as he puts it, with a Spoon’” “When the world broke, and we all took a Will started break.: this venture out The album indeed draws on with three newly Kimbrough’s experience with the global penned songs and experience. He thought it would be a good after reviewing the thing to document the event through his results of his music. Like many other musicians out there, creativity, decided he was heavily impacted by this great to keep on going. tragedy. Will was on tour in Australia when He even enlisted the pandemic broke out and was forced to the songwriting return to his home in Nashville. help of a few With no idea when he might be able to friends such as the 38 Rock and Blues International • October 2020 collaboration with Todd Snider on “Rocket Fuel” and “Cape Henry”, not to mention the collaboration with Adrienne Young on “Home Remedy” and “Plow to the End of the Row.” Along with the new collaborations, he also looked to his past and pulled a song out that he had written a long time ago. “I revisited a song I had recorded at my parents old beach house on the Gulf of Mexico, ‘Child of Light,’ and realized that I loved the version I had recorded.” Throughout the whole month of April, Will wrote nearly every day working on the music that would become Spring Break. “Before I knew it, I had 14 solo acoustic songs recorded that I just loved.” We’re told that the new set of songs run the gamut between ‘gentle and wistful reminiscing, to more forceful questioning, to simple reflections.’ We can hardly wait to hear them. With Will Kimbrough’s great songwriting talent, they’re bound to be truly inspiring. During this pandemic, Will has certainly been busy. Despite not being able to tour and not knowing when it might be safe to, he has poured his energy into delivering his music to his fans through his weekly Facebook Live performances and his Patreon page. Here he gives live performances, podcasts, and even a few lessons. It would be well worth checking out when you get a chance. We can hardly wait for Will to get this album out, it should be quite an experience. Sometimes creativity comes from the most unlikely of experiences, and this pandemic is surely one of them. We expect nothing but the best in great acoustic music on this new release. Be sure to check out Spring Break at the end of this month.