The Austin-based singer-songwriter debuts the track “Good Life on the Plains,” exclusively with C&I.
The song: “Good Life on the Plains” is off of James Steinle’s upcoming live album, Live at the Hole in the Wall, available July 26.
The artist: Born in Pleasanton, Texas, and now based in Austin, singer-songwriter James Steinle made his studio-record debut with 2018’s South Texas Homecoming. The record won high praise and Best Album of the Year nods, including from texasmusicpickers.com and altcountry.nl, for its unique Americana country blend. Now the talented up-and-comer is back with his highly anticipated live album, Live at the Hole in the Wall.
About the album: Live at the Hole in the Wall was recorded in and pays tribute to the Austin venue the Hole in the Wall, which describes itself as “the go-to club for generations of beginner bands, established touring acts, and famous rock stars to throw back a few, have a laugh with the locals, and … ‘get down to the nitty gritty.’”
“The Hole in the Wall has always been one of my favorite bars because it almost feels human ... a kindred spirit even,” Steinle says. “There is no conformity or pretense. I’d like to think this is something my art has in common with the joint. That’s why I had to make this live record here. It has always felt like a home for my songs.”
About the song: “I’ve always been a mediator by nature, which I believe is a byproduct of not only my disposition but also my international upbringing, which exposed my mind to a lot of different perspectives,” Steinle says. “I’ve always de facto existed in both terminals of the pendulum. For years I attempted to write a song that brought perspective to such a polarizing period in human history. For some reason I could never say what I wanted to in a song format, so I wrote [‘Good Life on the Plains’] as more of a poem and later decided to put music to it. The three verses are real places/folks I knew growing up that I can now see had a lot more in common than they were different.”
Why we like it: Abundant in grit, pain, and country crooning, “Good Life on the Plains” is a fresh, expressive perspective on the American ranching lifestyle.
For more information on James Steinle, visit his website. Photography: Weston Smith.
