Jake Winstrom - Come To Texas She Said
PREMIERE | JAKE WINSTROM UNVEILS ‘COME TO TEXAS SHE SAID’
Singer-songwriter Jake Winstrom introduces the lyric video for “Come To Texas She Said,” taken from his upcoming sophomore album, Circles, scheduled for release September 25.
Jake Winstrom
Produced by Jeff Bills, who played drums with The V-Roys and Steve Earle, the album comes to life under the musical ministrations of Winstrom (vocals, electric, acoustic, 12-string guitars), Jeff Bills (drums, percussion), Peggy Hambright (piano, keyboards, organ), Dave Nichols (bass), Greg Horne (electric, acoustic, pedal steel guitars), Jeff Caudil (vocal harmony), and George Middlebrooks (electric guitar).
Luckily, the recording process was all but done prior to the pandemic. Jake explains, “We were basically 99-percent done. So we were able to lean on some very talented friends with home studios to add the odd overdub here and there. And engineers John Harvey and Mary Podio were super savvy to invent a new workflow that let us finish mixing remotely.”
Talking about how “Come To Texas She Said” came together, Jake shares, “This was inspired by a long-distance infatuation that derailed before it could become something more. The title was stewing in my notebook for a few months. But once I sat down with a guitar and tried to put it to a melody the song came relatively quickly. It ended up having very little to do with the situation that inspired it. It turned into more of a tongue-in-cheek sendup of the way folks will give you the hard sell to get on a plane and come visit them. Hyping up their town’s bars, coffee shops, bands, laundromats, and on and on. All these mundane things. ‘Oh, when you come visit, we’ll definitely go to XYZ, you’ll LOVE it there!’”
Jake Winstrom has it going on! “Come To Texas She Said” delivers a tantalizing blend of country and pop, all crowned by Jake’s inimitable tones.
He goes on to add, “The key of the song keeps going up because I couldn’t figure out a good way to resolve it, haha. But I think it works. Our first attempt at recording this song was way more country, with lots of steel and a walking bass line. But it came out a bit too precious and overtly Texas-y. This second attempt just feels more natural. And Dave Nichols’ stretchy bass line is crazy good! Reminds me of McCartney’s more ‘out there’ bass moments.
The highlight of any song performed by Jake Winstrom is his voice. It’s one of those oh, so unique voices you can’t forget once you’ve heard it, à la Neil Young or Leon Russell or Leonard Cohen. Where Leon Russell’s voice is twangy and whiny, Jake’s resembles a polished sonic scrape filtered by means of digital manipulation. Only it’s not.
“Come To Texas She Said” opens on a ZZ-Top-flavored guitar, and then flows into an alt-country melody laced with pop savors, especially on the chorus. The shuffling rhythm rides on Bills’ finessed drumming and the “stretchy bassline” Jake spoke about, infusing the tune with low-slung rolling energy. When the bray of the organ kicks in, the chorus ramps up to glowing harmonic levels.
Jake Winstrom has it going on! “Come To Texas She Said” delivers a tantalizing blend of country and pop, all crowned by Jake’s inimitable tones.
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