Leadwood Folk releases first new songs in more than a decade

Alternative rock group goes acoustic for second effort

On June 10th, Leadwood Folk releases Easy To Love, a five-song EP. The EP is their first release since the 2008 album In Pieces, which was a capstone on the band’s move from the small town of Leadwood, Missouri to Nashville, Tennessee.

Easy to Love has one original song by the band and four covers by Big Star, Sleater-Kinney, Jason Isbell, and Greg Brown. The EP is available for streaming and digital download on all major sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

The sound of the EP is a bit of a change from their past work.

“These songs are a little more acoustic and a little less loud than our past songs,” states vocalist/guitarist Ryan King. “It was a deliberate change, but I fully expect the pendulum is going to swing back in the other direction very soon.”

Guitarist John Slater added much of the texture on the songs.

“Fuzz pedal tones stand out from acoustic guitars so much; I think they compliment the mix like a horn section or extra vocals,” Slater says. “I like when guitars don’t sound like traditional guitars. I hope I don’t overdo this, but it doesn’t ever stop me from trying.”

“It was fun recording songs like we did,” adds Slater. “When I had time to work on a guitar or bass part, all I had to do was plug in and record. No one had to waste studio time waiting for me to get it right. There were a few evenings, when I would put 2 hours into something and kept none of it. Conversely I re-recorded my tracks on ‘Modern Girl’ in one take.”

“It’s been ten years since I’ve recorded tracks of any kind,” comments drummer Buddy Iahn, “so it felt great laying percussion down for this. Even though my parts are minimal, they compliment the songs and that’s what it’s all about. I’m looking forward to playing the full kit on our full length sophomore record we hope to start soon.”

The band has already begun making plans on their next release.

“This EP is really acting as a way to reestablish things for us in preparation of releasing a new album,” says King.

Leadwood Folk was originally formed in 2006 in Leadwood by Iahn and King, who later moved to Nashville that same year. In Nashville they teamed up with guitarist John Slater, playing shows and eventually recording and releasing their first album.

The EP’s cover artwork is a piece entitled “Morph” from St. Louis, Missouri-based artist Nicole Cooper. The songs were mastered by Gabe Usery at Encapsulated Studios in Maplewood, Missouri.

Matt Bailey
Matt Bailey

Matt Bailey is a media producer currently located in Washington, DC. He has worked as a writer, producer, and host in a variety of mediums including television news, podcasting, daytime television, and live entertainment. He joined The Music Universe in 2016. Since then, Bailey has traveled across the country to review hundreds of concerts and interview some of music's biggest hitmakers. Bailey truly believes in the unifying power of experiencing live music. To reach him, please email matt@themusicuniverse.com.