Life is unpredictable. That’s maybe the lesson learned from Austin native, now Colorado resident Chris Roberts. Unlike many musicians that throw away other opportunities to make music, Roberts’ success as a hat maker drove him to concentrate more on the music, perhaps as a creative counterbalance to the rigors of being a successful entrepreneur. His debut EP, Red Feather was recorded early in the pandemic with the band quarantining in a remote studio in Joshua Tree, and was just released.
The record sits at the intersection of southern rock and country, with a little blues for color. Get Down powers out of the gate with straight ahead rock, and features some sweet guitar licks from Eli Wulfmeier. On My Own also puts the pedal down, but with a high desert mytic-inspired psychedelic vamp in the middle. Coming Down Ain’t Easy starts with an echo-y piano creating a lonely, vast feel to accompany the astronaut metaphor of a life on earth that dates back to the Byrds. The 5 songs on the EP leave you wanting more and let’s hope Roberts success as a milliner continues to push him to make more music.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.