Midwestern alt-country stalwarts The Roseline kick the week off for us on Folk Radio UK with Maze of Glass from their forthcoming album, Blood, due out October 6th. The band are spearheaded by Colin Halliburton – a 35-year-old university research assistant by day, who delights in the literary aspects of songwriting. He shared the following about Maze of Glass:
“This song explores the experience of moving back in with my parents at an age that may not exactly be encouraged by today’s societal norms. My girlfriend and I decided it would help us save money as she was returning to school. The move also resulted in me getting my first ‘straight’ job at the same middle school I attended as a kid, which was at once surreal and massively rewarding. In short, it’s a love song — a testament to the ability of a partner making you a better person. And if you’re familiar with my catalogue of songs at all, that’s a true rarity. Not every song should be a total bummer.”
https://soundcloud.com/the-roseline/0-maze-of-glass/s-u4kKg
Colin’s love of twang was not innate. In fact, up until he was 19 years old, Halliburton religiously listened to angular post punk and indie rock. One day he was on a back porch somewhere, and someone was blasting vintage Whiskeytown. As if someone had flipped a breaker, suddenly Colin found himself incredibly drawn to this rustic sound and thus commenced a journey down the Americana rabbit hole with pit stops at Lucinda Williams, Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Neko Case and fellow midwestern wordsmith, Conor Oberst.
Blood (due out October 6th) was recorded with engineer David Chutka at their local book repository, the Lawrence Public Library, which boasts a fully functioning recording studio in the soundproofed basement. The new recordings feature The Roseline’s classic blend of wit and melancholic honesty, told from a perspective that is firmly rooted in 2017. “A lot of Americana leans toward the bizarre fetishizing of all things old timey” Halliburton concedes. “I prefer to tackle the nuances of modern commitment and the existential dread of pursuing a creatively fulfilling life in this particular point in time.”
The band (as well as Halliburton, solo) will be touring the US and Europe in 2017/18.
Photo credit Stevie Jackson