New Braunfels native Dallas Burrow uses his gift for music to sing a poetic love letter to his childhood inspirations in new album, Blood Brothers.
From a cover of his father’s song to stories about his wife to a co-write with Charley Crockett and more, it's safe to say that friends and family are a constant throughout Dallas Burrow’s Blood Brothers. Through blood pacts, blood feuds, and everything in between, the album’s 13 tracks steeped in classic country contain vignettes of Burrow’s life and those who’ve influenced it, exploring how his musical and spiritual journeys have coalesced in recent years.
Born and raised in New Braunfels, Burrow first began singing at church when he was five before learning piano a couple years later. However, it was his father, Mike, gifting him a guitar when he was 11 that caused his love for music to soar to new heights. Dallas has long been inspired by his dad’s love for music and songwriting just as much as he’s been influenced by Ray Wylie Hubbard, who he saw perform at Gruene Hall when he was young. As a result, Burrow tries to bring his dad up to perform with him whenever he can in addition to recording some songs written by the elder Burrow.
“It’s important for me to honor where I got my passion for music and songwriting from,” Burrow tells Cowboys & Indians. “Including his tunes on my records gives context to what I do and where I’m coming from while also paying homage to him.”
This practice manifests itself on Blood Brothers in the '70s era heartbreak ballad “X Old Flames.” Written before Dallas’ birth, the song sees the father and son sing in unison about a love-gone-wrong scenario where trying to keep things together only makes the people involved resent each other more.
This sentiment also emerges on the album’s title track, based on a story of a wild night in Nashville that his father spent with Townes Van Zandt, Richard Dobson, and John Lomax III in the early 1970s. Burrow’s voice takes on a haunting tone as he recalls the tale of a drunken eve where the group pulled out a knife, cut their arms, and became blood brothers, as a sultry pedal steel looms in the background. Near its conclusion, Burrow succinctly describes the foggy yet formative escapade, singing “The next day as they awoke in the burning midday sun / The cuts on their arms would remember what they’d done.”
“My dad still has the scar on his arm and tells the story,” says Burrow. “It and others like it have played heavily into my musical foundation and has led to a natural fascination with the character that Townes was and the others portrayed in his music. He’s always been this enigmatic figure that plays with the dark and light. He uses a lot of moodiness and humor in his songs, which are both elements I tried to weave together on this song.”
Even as Burrow looks back at the family who raised him on songs like “X Old Flames” and “Blood Brothers,” he also makes sure to not lose sight of the family he’s building in the present. The album starts off on that note with “River Town” and “Starry Eyes,” which collectively see the husband and father to a six-year-old son profess his love to the hill country he calls home and his beloved there who afford him the opportunity to do what he loves. The songs also complement each other thematically, with Burrow having a homecoming moment in the final verse of “River Town” where he returns to settle down with the love of his life to raise his son before fully professing his adoration for her on “Starry Eyes.” According to Burrow, inspiration for the latter came from observing his wife Stacy in her natural habitat and the glow circulating around her.
“I love being a fly on the wall and observing her just doing her thing,” says Burrow. “There’s a beauty and grace you’re able to witness when somebody is in their element, at home and comfortable in their own skin. Seeing her like that is always a sweet and beautiful moment that I will always appreciate.”
Similar to Burrow leaving and later returning home on “River Town,” a spiritual reawakening influences large portions of Blood Brothers as well. He calls for a return of common decency on country-jazz crooner “Out My Window” (“Things are even stranger they seem / They got the whole world divided into teams”), takes an introspective look back on his wild youth with “A Lot Of It Was” (“Why’s it always seem to take so long / For a man to admit he was wrong?”) before coming full circle on album closer “True Believer.” On the rock 'n' gospel finale, Burrow sings about being up all night and watching the sun rise while pondering God’s existence and how he could go from partying all night to working all day to be a better man.
“I never want to beat my beliefs down anybody’s throat, but I do try to find subtle ways to sneak it into my music to show the positive impact it’s had on me,” says Burrow. “My greatest hope is that someone hears my music at a moment of darkness or when they’re at a crossroads and it whispers to their heart a little breadcrumb to follow to that greater answer.”
Another Texas based artist and friend of Burrow’s who’s experienced a reawakening in recent years is Charley Crockett. The two first met serendipitously during open mic at a Northern California honky tonk over a decade ago and quickly grew into close friends, with Crockett even bringing Burrow along to open a recent run of shows for him. In addition to occasionally sharing a stage the duo has done the same in the writer’s room, penning “Only Game In Town” from Crockett’s Music City USA together. Burrow goes on to recreate the tune on Blood Brothers with interjecting piano and harmonica breathing new life into the upbeat gambling number that has helped his amigo rise from crashing on his couch to becoming one of country music’s most sought-after artists.
“From the beginning we had a mutual respect for one another, both being Texas guys that were into blues and roots music who also share a hunger for carving a name out for ourselves,” says Burrow. “Knowing that I’m a big Townes guy who loves gambling songs, Charley wrote the chorus and chord changes to ‘Only Game In Town’ in the vein of his ‘Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold’ (that I also recorded on this album) and immediately I was sold. I sat down and wrote three verses effortlessly before sending it back to him, and the rest is history.”
Whether it's with an assist from Crockett or on his own accord, Burrow’s road to redemption cataloged on Blood Brothers serves as a soundtrack for self reflection while reinforcing the notion that there’s always time to acknowledge past shortcomings and make everlasting change for the better.
“Part of everyone’s journey as a songwriter is finding your voice,” says Burrow. “I’ve found that what I most enjoy about writing and performing is the opportunity to inspire hope, so a lot of my music contains a theme of not giving up on yourself. I’ve been in some dark places in my life that I’ve been fortunate enough to get through, so I like to use my art as a way to motivate others to not give up so they can experience brighter days like I have.”
Photos: courtesy of Madison Taylor and Melissa Payne
To check out the music of Dallas Burrow, head to Spotify and Apple Music.