Personal lives in the music business can take a back seat to the music itself, so there tends to be plenty of material for the classic country music break-up song. Running against the current of that are husband and wife Donna and Kerry Herrick, known collectively as the band Herrick. Theirs is a story of love-struck teenagers who have stayed true to themselves while building a single musical legacy. Kerry comes from a family of professional gospel singers, but he had to persuade Donna to show off her amazing voice publicly. Their third album, Sunderland Road, comes out shortly and features Donna’s vocals on a collection of classic country music sounding original compositions.
Beyond This Town is a country ballad about looking forward to breaking from the past. Someday I’ll Fly is a little more existential take on that theme, while Losin’ Cinderella Shoes shows a touch of cynicism that there’s really no such thing as “happy ever after”. A Place Called Always is perhaps a slightly autobiographical realization that “to reach forever, you have to go through a place called Always” and showcases the couple’s harmonies. The title track gets a little injection of rock and roll in a tale of growing up poor in just about everything except love.
One of my favorites on the record is Old Bridges. It’s sung in a classic country style, but could so easily be interpreted in a folk or rock version. It’s a song of regret and reminding us not to burn bridges that are the only way back home. We have the good fortune here at Twangville to be able to premiere Old Bridges. So enjoy the song here today, and check out Sunderland Road when it releases.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.