Sam Burchfield & The Scoundrels w/ Palmyra

Sam Burchfield was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, where he learned to play and learned to write.  His youth was steeped in the mossy creeks and deep ravines of those ancient woods, and they imbued him with the gift of song.  Now in his thirties, Burchfield raises a small family in the North Georgia mountains and continues to find inspiration in the rivers and ridges of Southern Appalachia.

 

His latest album ‘Me & My Religion’ was produced with his touring band, The Scoundrels. It is the first collaboration for the group after years of paying dues to the highway. Colin Agnew (drums), Trygve Myers (bass), and Ryan Plumley (guitar) accompanied Burchfield to Muscle Shoals, Alabama along with Nashville producer, Rachael Moore, to record the album of 7 days. 

 

“It’s certainly the most upbeat record I’ve ever released,” reflects Burchfield. “We crafted many of the songs together on countless stages, and most were then tracked live in the studio, which just felt right.”

 

This 10 track album is almost equal parts Americana, psychedelia, indie folk, and Southern rock. All these flavors combine to support the album’s main theme. As seasoned listeners will expect, Burchfield’s lyrics are far from on the nose, as the declarative title would suggest. ‘Me & My Religion’ is an exploration of mankind’s toil for meaning in a world of vapid consumerism and commercialism – one in which we have become deaf to our own harmony with nature. Despite the weight of these ideas, the album feels like a lighthearted sojourn through the backwoods of our imagination. 

 

PALMYRA
“Like the best folk often does, [Palmyra] balances melancholic yearning with intimate beauty, crafting a dance of lovely harmony and unadorned instrumentation.”  -Under The Radar, 2023

“Their voice(s) drips with a beautiful desperation, every single word holding an earnestness you don’t find just anywhere anymore.” -The Alternative, 2023

Established in the Shenandoah Valley, Palmyra’s set explores the fusion of traditional folk string instruments, three part harmonies and earnest songwriting. The trio captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives, Teddy (he/him), Manoa (he/him), and Sasha (they/them), often described as a distant cousin of the progressive folk band, Punch Brothers, mixed with elements of Oliver Wood or the Avett Brothers. Palmyra’s songs are intimate and contemplative, with arrangements that allow them to create the illusion of a full, larger-than-three ensemble. The trio’s sound is a nod to Appalachia and Midwestern Americana, apparent through their stirring craftsmanship and dedication to a folk-driven, innovative experience throughout each unique live performance.