Greg Copeland’s Empire State EP Out Today
Released September 6 on Franklin & Highland Recordings and Internationally with Hemifrån/Paraply Records
Produced by Tyler Chester
Featuring Greg Copeland alongside Tyler Chester, Greg Leisz, Val McCallum,
Jay Bellerose, Jennifer Condos, and a cameo by Sara Watkins
Stream/Buy Empire State → CLICK HERE
“I don’t know, what do you think? I’m 78, and this is the weirdest time I’ve ever been alive…”
—Greg Copeland shares an exclusive essay with Scummy Water Tower
“Californian native Greg Copeland is a bit of a cult figure [and] is a master at creating imagery, as evidenced by the four songs on this collection
and Grammy-nominated Chester is a master at bringing those images to life.”
—Eilís Boland, Lonesome Highway
“The showcase is filled with solidly built tunes, reliably strong and ambitious. Greg has lost none of the nuclear ink in his songwriting pen… Greg (vocals/acoustic rhythm guitar) occupies a realm where today we have similar artists such as Joe Henry, Peter Himmelman, Billy Falcon, John Hiatt, Jon Dee Graham, Buddy Miller, and late career Robert Hazard (before he passed). Greg’s vocals with time and maturity have become seasoned with a gruffer tone than the Revenge Will Come days. But that’s the attraction, especially on these newer ones. I wish Mr. Copeland would be a little more prolific because I think, well…I think he matters and I’d like to hear from him more often… his songs are always compelling, well-written & it’s disciplined work. We could use more of that today.”
—John Apice, Americana Highways
LOS ANGELES — Greg Copeland has a comfortable, yet candid, way with words, and his new EP, Empire State, is a welcome addition to his catalog of music. He has a natural ability to conjure up spare, graceful melodies and evocative lyrics that are plainspoken poetry. His genuine sentiments and strength of character, together with the intricate nuances of these musical compositions, create a vividly illustrative sound that allows him to shed light on difficult circumstances.
The collection of songs exudes a sense of urgency and presence. Empire State takes place right this minute. It opens with “Boon Time” on a seemingly quiet note before quickly becoming a wake-up call with the lyrics, “gunshot ringtone / honey what do we do now?” It could be the opening scene of a movie, foreshadowing violence in the future of what Copeland calls “our rude political awakening.” The subtleties of the percussion and slide guitar mirror the twists and turns of this fate, “Boon time, bound to come and go.”
“We the Gathered” could fit well as a soundtrack for a Cormac McCarthy story with its foreboding quality and lyrics. “From the cardboard tents to the city on the hill, they say you better surrender, like hell I will, nation in pieces, people in pain, systematic bullsh*t, thick as sugarcane’... There will be razors in the reeds, choppers overhead, Maseratis spinning in the riverbed / somebody’s suitcase scattered in the vines, with the snakes, and the gators, and the valentines / You’re going to want that machete / Put down your heavy load…”
Greg describes the inspiration behind “We the Gathered” to Glide Magazine: “This song is a kind of hymn from about two years from now. Hymns are especially weird. I would bet that, at least in their original words, the world’s religious texts, the regional handbooks, are all pretty much alike: Just be kind. That’s about it. Don’t take more than your share, and don’t hurt anybody. Then you look around, and it’s like you’re speaking Navajo.”
On “4:59:59,” the protagonist is digging ditches as a way out of addiction, earning big respect for hard work. “Oxy cotton candy owned me flesh and bone / I burned other people's bridges / so I could be alone / It took a worn-out pick and shovel / for me to find a stepping stone.”
In “Coyotes,” the 4th track, coyotes recorded by Copeland in his backyard literally speak for themselves, setting the scene for the title track, to close out the EP. “Empire State” is about a songwriter who left her boyfriend, left New York City, and left the American Empire all at once—with the scars to prove it. She made up her mind about what she wants, and just does it. “It's just baby talk / and baby steps / until it comes down / to the Silvertone / and your fingertips / Everybody's got their own little jukebox this is mine.”
Copeland’s characters and narratives “volunteer” themselves to be bared to the world through song and often recur throughout his catalog of music. Like a sentinel keeping watch, his songs are a report back to the listener, as inspiration for writing seems to bubble up from within. Copeland says, “When the odometer clicked over to 2000, I somehow started writing again. Don't know why, just had to, and the three subsequent recordings are what matter to me most at this point.”
After a 26 year hiatus (long story) since his 1982 debut, Revenge Will Come, Copeland went back into the studio and reemerged with his second release, Diana and James (Released 2008 on Browne’s label Inside Recordings). This triggered new writing towards a collection of songs that led to his third album, The Tango Bar, in 2020.
Empire State is out now, released September 6, on Copeland’s own independent label, Franklin & Highland Recordings, and internationally with Hemifrån/Paraply Records (Non-U.S. Territories).
Both Empire State and The Tango Bar were produced by Tyler Chester (Madison Cunningham, Sara Bareilles, Margaret Glaspy) and feature longtime comrade (and producer of Copeland’s 2008 release) Greg Leisz on pedal steel and mandocello, among other instruments. Chester, a multiple Grammy-nominated producer, session musician, multi-instrumentalist, and composer, also plays keys throughout Empire State as well as bass on the first track. Returning from previous albums to join them are longtime Jackson Browne sideman Val McCallum on electric and rubber bridge slide guitar; Jay Bellerose (Joe Henry) on drums and percussion; and Jennifer Condos (Joe Henry) on bass. Sara Watkins joins on fiddle for a track.
Medium’s Donna Block interviewed Copeland about Empire State, the inspiration and history behind his music, returning to music after a long hiatus, and what songs may be next. She asked what he wished more people understood about songwriting, he said, “It's mostly a question of just truly showing up. You’re as much a receiver as you are a sender. You get what you’re willing to receive.”
For more information visit www.gregcopelandmusic.com & www.facebook.com/GregCopelandMusic.