There’s no shortage of great music being made in Texas, by Texans: from slide guitars to 808s, from accordions to distortion pedals, the tapestry of Texas includes the traditions of George Strait, Pantera, UGK, At the Drive-In, and Freddy Fender. Today’s burgeoning artists are tomorrow’s legends, and on the Daily Post’s song and video premieres, artists explain why their latest tracks are worthy of your time and attention.
This week, Austin’s retro-soul revival ten-piece The Nightowls drop a video for “Get Up!” from forthcoming album, Fame Sessions. Watch the video, and then read on as lead singer Ryan Harkrider answers our questions.
Can you walk us through the songwriting process on this song?
We wanted to pay tribute to some of the great Southern soul songs written by Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, and Aretha Franklin. We set out to capture a horn-driven anthem that was both high energy and provoked crowd participation.
When did you know that this song was finished?
When recording “Get Up!” at Fame Studios, we tracked the breakdown section with the entire band singing, clapping and stomping their feet around single room microphone. When we heard the playback, we knew the song was finished.
Is this the best song you’ve ever written?
Arguably, yes. It’s definitely the highlight of our live show.
What do you think people should be doing while they listen to this song?
Dance, dance, sing, and dance. It’s happy and upbeat. It should put a smile on your face and a bounce in your step.
If you had to compare this song to a food, what food would that be?
Chips and salsa! You just can’t get enough.
(photo credit: Nicola Gell)
