With the jubilant, open strum of her acoustic guitar and a host of visceral memories circa the American bicentennial, Amy Speace kicks off her upcoming album with its apolitical, patriotic title track, “The American Dream.” A new sonic frontier for Speace, the heartland rocker captures its narrator as a young girl in the middle of a carefree summer, surrounded by a world that feels weightless and infinite. “I rode that Huffy bike with streamers off the handlebars,” says Speace, who incorporated distinct childhood memories from the era. “There was talk of Carter and Ford. Juliette really had a pool and Cheryl’s dad really played for the Vikings.”
Juxtaposed within “The American Dream” are a timeless, windows-down anthem and a foreboding warning for the modern day: “Hold on tight to the American dream.” “Looking back on when I wrote it and what has been happening in the country, politically, I wonder if this came out of a ‘trying to get something we lost back,’” says Speace. “Um, like real conversation,” she laughs. Like most of Speace’s output, there’s always room for the less serious angle, too. “Honestly, I was just giving myself permission to write a country/pop song based on my memories from 1976.”
“The American Dream” is the first, and titular, track from Speace’s upcoming album, The American Dream—out October 18th via Windbone Records. Her ninth LP, The American Dream is a rare glimpse into the past from the ever-moving, ever-progressing songwriter who’s long been championed by the likes of Judy Collins. Reflections from every era of Speace’s life are represented—the aforementioned, childhood bike ride with friends, an artistic awakening as a 20-something New Yorker, a painful divorce—and turned into fuel for chasing down a bolder, brighter present: par for the course for the songwriter who’s never shied away from difficult or taboo topics. Her nearly two decades' worth of albums are only equaled by honest accounts from her pen—poems, long-form essays, published books, and blogs that speak a beautiful truth to all of life’s moments. Pain. Poetry. Resilience. Resolve. It's all part of The American Dream. Speace leaves no stone unturned, writing about her own heartbreak with a beauty that's palpable, turning personal experience into universal songs about the dreams the world shares: to be happy, to be loved, to be fulfilled.
Fans can stream or purchase “The American Dream” today at this link and pre-order or pre-save The American Dream ahead of its October release right here. Speace will take the stage at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley tonight and a full list of tour dates can be found below. For more information, please visit amyspeace.com.
The American Dream Tracklist:
The American Dream
Homecoming Queen
Where Did You Go
In New York City
Glad I’m Gone
This February Day
Something ‘Bout A Town
Already Gone
First United Methodist Day Care Christmas Show
I Break Things
Margot’s Wall
Love Is Gonna Come Again
More About The American Dream: Speace recorded The American Dream in Nashville, teaming up with longtime producer/drummer Neilson Hubbard and lacing her songs with contributions from guitarist Doug Lancio, bassist Lex Price, keyboardist Danny Mitchell (who also wrote the album's string arrangements), harmony vocalist Garrison Starr, and mandolin player Joshua Britt. "In the band, we had two other great players who are also great producers," Speace explains. “Doug Lancio has produced Patty Griffin and Kim Richey. Lex Price has produced Peter Bradley Adams and Mindy Smith. That changed everything. The combined experience of everyone—the creativity and confidence—really informed the tunes.” Equally influential were her co-writers, including Robby Hecht (who contributed to the classic country waltz "Already Gone"), Grammy winner Gary Nicholson (Speace's creative partner on "Glad I'm Gone"), and fellow Grammy winner Jon Vezner (who helped pen the keening chorus to "I Break Things"). The result is a diverse, dynamic album that shows just how far Speace's artistic reach can be, with a tracklist that evokes Tom Petty one minute and Tom T. Hall the next.
Catch Amy Speace On Tour:
Aug. 23 - Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley
Aug. 31 - Nashville, TN - City Winery Nashville
Sept. 13 - North Adams, MA - The Railway Tavern
Sept. 14 - West Hartford, CT - Sounding Board Coffeehouse
Sept. 21 - Nashville, TN - Music Makers Stage
Oct. 21 - London, UK - The Slaughtered Lamb
Oct. 25 - Keswick, UK - Walter Yeats
Oct. 26 - Whitby, NE - Musicport Festival
Oct. 30 - Stirling, UK - Tolbooth
Oct. 31 - Hebden Bridge, UK - Trades Club
Nov. 1 - Londonderry, UK - Sandinos
Nov. 2 - Weston, UK - Lover’s Cafe
Dec. 6 - Littleton, MA - Littleton Lyceum
Dec. 8 - Boston, MA - City Winery Boston
For all tour dates and ticket information, please visit amyspeace.com/tour.
