The Australian singer-songwriter debuts the new track “Stay.”
The premiere: “Stay” is off Josh Rennie-Hynes’ forthcoming album, Patterns, available September 27.
For fans of: The Felice Brothers, Carl Anderson, the War on Drugs, Deer Tick, Langhorne Slim.
About the artist: Before Josh Rennie-Hynes made the move from Australia to Nashville to focus solely on his music career, he was a part of the Ahern Brothers. “The duo’s vocal harmonies and careworn guitars shiver with timeless feeling,” Rolling Stone said. “A mesmerizing contemporary recording; restrained, pithy and pure.” Striking out on his own, Rennie-Hynes is now channeling that talent into his upcoming solo album, Patterns, a compilation of songs that document his transition to a new hometown and the personal growth that followed.
About the track: Rennie-Hynes says the inspiration for “Stay” came about during the kind of wild, mind-altering experience that many rock ’n’ rollers consider a rite of passage.
“It was summer in Nashville when I wrote this one, so I tried to channel some of that sunlight into this song. … I [had] headed out to catch a show at Fond Object (a now-demolished record store/venue in East Nashville). It was a daytime show outside and hot as hell. I just lay out in the back under a tree for about six hours and stared at the sky and trees. There were psych-rock bands playing all day long, so it was kinda perfect and almost too clichéd. When I finally started to return to earth it was nighttime and they had Easy Rider playing on the big screen outside. I sat at the back by myself and watched. It can be hard to talk to humans sometimes.
“I finished the song off once I’d had time to process it all. It’s got a dreamy summer kinda vibe, and it’s one of my favorites from the album. Originally it was a rockier, more straight-ahead number. After rehearsing one day we decided to try turning the song on its head and taking a more chill Wilco-esque approach to it. We played through and it felt great. Micah Hulscher played keys and synth on this track and took it out there to dreamsville somewhere.”
Why we like it: Whimsical, bright, nostalgic, yet still a little edgy, this is a perfect song for the end of summer.
Listen to the track “Stay” below.
For more information on Josh Rennie-Hynes and to preorder his album, visit his website.