Chris Shiflett releases ‘Dead and Gone’

LA-meets-Nashville country rocker available now

“It’s kind of classic country chords,” says Chris Shiflett about his new tune “Dead And Gone.” He’s not wrong, but it’s so much more than that. The two-step-ish feel is there, as are the sweet dobro playing of Charlie Worsham and the swampy tremolo guitar tones of Tom Bukovac, but a wildly fuzzy electric guitar fills the space between Shiflett’s slightly overdriven and doubled vocal lines. He stomps on another pedal for his solo that splits his guitar into three whole octaves of in-your-face chicken pickin’ licks. That’s country, for sure, but it’s also very rock and roll. The first song he tracked with The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston producing, “Dead And Gone” touches on some old friends of Shiflett’s who, as the first verse goes, “Passed away, just another Saturday night mystery.”

“My hometown was an odd mix of luxury paradise and working-class grit and continues to be a bottomless pit of lyrical inspiration,” says Shiflett. “Sad to say there’s been more than a few friends who’ve left us too soon, so there are lots of stories there…kind of a lost generation.”

Written spring 2020, recorded spring 2021, and played live ever since, “Dead And Gone” is the second look into a new Chris Shiflett album due out in 2023 via his new label home at Blue Élan Records, a Los Angeles-based independent label. Fans will hear more about the Jaren Johnston-produced LP in the coming months but can count on hearing an album that represents Shiflett’s fully-realized vision of connecting LA to Nashville.

“A big part of my inspiration to work with Jaren on this record was because I knew he’d push me out of my comfort zone into new territory,” Shiflett says. Fans can also check out the first track from the upcoming album, “Black Top White Lines,” at this link.

In addition to the release of “Dead And Gone,” Shiflett was just announced as part of the AmericanFest 2023 lineup. The long-running event takes place in Nashville on September 19-23.

For more than 25 years, Shiflett has blurred the lines between genre and generation, balancing his full-band projects with a thriving solo career.  Shiflett has played a crucial role in shaping the sound and scope of modern-day rock music as a longtime member of the Foo Fighters. He’s also an alum of California-based punk rock bands No Use For a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Shiflett’s latest releases refocus his attention on a mix of country twang and rock and roll bang, showcasing the full range of his musical abilities.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com