Kentuckian Bill Taylor brings mountain soul to “Roll Me Away,” the third radio single from the all-star tribute to Bob Seger, SILVER BULLET BLUEGRASS (Lonesome Day Records distributed by SONY/The Orchard). The track drops July 5 on all streaming platforms, and the album will be available (vinyl, disc, streaming) July 12.
Taylor’s twang and unique phrasing make for a memorable twist on this rock classic, which premiered on Bluegrass Today. There is a genuine sense of freedom as he sings of climbing on his big two-wheeler, taking a bead on the northern plains and rolling that power on. It is a song about journeys and choices, the untraveled path and the unknowable future. Mostly it’s about hope - and Taylor sings it with all the fevered conviction of a new convert.
Roll, roll me away
I’m gonna roll me away tonight
Gotta keep rollin’, gotta keep ridin’
Keep searchin’ til I find what’s right
And as the sunset faded, I spoke to the faintest first starlight
And I said next time
Next time
We’ll get it right
Roll me away
Roll me away
Come on
Roll me away
Roll (B. Seger)
For Taylor, who grew up listening to Seger on cassette, a spot on this tribute album is truly meaningful. “And what a song,” he notes. “Because I know what it’s like when you need to get away from it all. Sometimes you just gotta do it and to hell with anyone that tries to slow you down.”
Produced by Randall Deaton and engineered by Deaton and Jimmy Nutt, the track hums with energy. Deaton notes that Shawn Brock, a mutual friend, introduced him to Bill. “Shawn swore that Bill could knock this out of the park, and I knew after one pass that he was right,” Deaton says. “I love working with a great vocalist because you can immediately bypass the ‘great’ and go for ‘extraordinary.’ And we got there.” Tastemaker Donald Teplyske (Fervor Coulee) is certainly a fan, noting that “Taylor's 'Roll Me Away' strikes powerfully.”
Recorded at Lonesome Day Recording Studio, Booneville, KY and The NuttHouse Recording Studio, Muscle Shoals, AL, “Roll Me Away” features the singular talents of top-tier musicians Stephen Mougin (Guitar), Shawn Brock (Mandolin), Ned Luberecki (Banjo), Mike Bub (Bass), Shawn Lane (Fiddle), and Wayne Bridge (Dobro). Shawn Lane contributed the harmony vocals.
Radio programmers can access the song via AirPlay Direct, CDX and Play MPE. Fans can pre-order “Roll Me Away” and SILVER BULLET BLUEGRASS now.
