Nashville-Based Singer-Songwriter Rian Greene
Set to Debut His New CD, Drown the Miller, June 4 on
Post Oak
Records
Latest Album
Produced by Brian Harrison and Features Nashville All-Star Backing Musicians
NASHVILLE, TN – Singer-songwriter Rian Greene announces a
June 4 release date for his new album, Drown the Miller, on Post
Oak Records, which showcases his keen eye for a lyric and rootsy Americana take
on country music. Produced by Brian Harrison (Shelby Lynne) and recorded
primarily at The Rendering Plant in Nashville, Drown the Miller
features Rian Greene’s unique blend of Americana music and traditional
country sounds backed by a cadre of Nashville all-stars with pedigrees from work
with such stars as Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings and Buddy Miller. The
recording sessions feature Bryan Owings on drums, Phil Senseny on bass, John
Jackson on guitar, Phil Madeira on keyboards, Robby Turner on steel guitar and
Tom Littlefield on harmony vocals.
Drown the Miller spotlights Rian Greene’s
attention to detail and carefully crafted compositions. For the new CD, Rian
brought in 19 demos to producer Brian “Brain” Harrison and drummer Bryan Owings,
who helped him narrow it down to the 11 album tracks.
“I was living in Knoxville and spoke with a few great
musicians, like bassist Phil Senseny, about wanting to make a new record,” he
recalls. After a couple of weeks and a trip to Nashville, things came together
indeed for Drown the Miller. “I’m very proud of the songs and all
the performances from everyone involved,” Rian notes. “Brian’s production worked
great in complementing and bringing out the best in the songs. There’s not a
whole lot of fat on it—if a song didn’t need a bridge, there wasn’t one; if it
didn’t need a third verse, it didn’t get one.” Subsequently, Drown the
Miller is a succinct, easy album to listen to, with depth and subtleties
that reveal themselves through multiple listens. That is the mark of a good
album.
With a sound rooted in traditional country music, Drown
the Miller correspondingly offers Rian’s uniquely fresh perspective. A
mature, well-crafted work, this highly anticipated second album proves that his
honest, no-frills lyrics and melodies stand up perfectly alongside the best
Americana music of today. Lead single “The Best I’ve Ever Had” recalls some of
the finer moments of Tom Petty and The Jayhawks, while tracks like “Stranger in
My Arms” and the title track reveal a poignantly honest talent. On the new
album, Rian Greene wisely surrounds himself with some of the more well-respected
pros in music. “I didn’t know who the other players would be, but I knew they’d
be good. Once John Jackson came in to play guitar, it was a dream come true. If
someone would have told me as a 16-year-old concert-goer that the guitarist I
saw on stage with Bob Dylan (John Jackson) would play with me someday, I would
never have believed it,” Rian adds. “Making a record with such great musicians
was an honor, and it made the whole process an absolute pleasure. I can’t wait
to do it again.”
In the wake of his refreshingly straight-forward debut
album—the Dusty Wakeman produced See Things Like You—Nashville
singer-songwriter Rian Greene quickly earned the reputation of being a
“songwriter’s songwriter.” While the album received world-wide airplay and heavy
VH1-Country rotation for the single, “The Shotgun Side,” Rian was really just
getting started. As both a solo performer and a member of the award-winning San
Diego band The Hideaways, Rian put years of touring experience under his belt,
as his live show mixed in solid, original songs with his encyclopedic knowledge
of country standards and classics. He has worked with artists ranging from
Lucinda Williams and The Flatlanders, to Asleep at the Wheel and The Beat
Farmers; and, as a band leader he has played with Gordon Waller of Peter &
Gordon, and early Beatles collaborator, Tony Sheridan.
Americana radio promotion for Drown the Miller
is being handled by Bill Wence Promotions (billwencepro@earthlink.net).
For more information, visit www.riangreene.com.
