Today, Old Crow Medicine Show urges music fans of all stripes to exercise their right to vote with their new song “Donkey & Elephant,” a bipartisan metaphor about the current election climate. The band also announces a milestone achievement in their 25th anniversary Jubilee year – they have regained ownership of the masters of their first three albums, O.C.M.S., Tennessee Pusher, and Carry Me Back, and have partnered with Firebird for their distribution.
Stream/embed “Donkey & Elephant” via YouTube.
“Old Crow is proud to join artists across all genres in urging our fans to vote,” explains Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor. “We wrote this song because when your heroes are Johnny, Willie, and Kristofferson you’ve got to sing about what’s going on, and this election is a pretty huge deal coast to coast and around the globe. We decided to take a middle of the road approach. Instead of preaching about one candidate or another, we used this song to talk about our frustration with the current crop of Donkeys and Elephants out there. We don’t really care who you vote for, as long as your hearts are in it. Just get out there and exercise your right and if you care about causes like we do, voting is the way to see it through.”
About the band’s new partnership with Firebird, Secor adds: "Old Crow is extremely proud about our new partnership with Firebird. For an old time string band that started on street corners to sign with one of the most innovative and forward-minded leaders in today’s music business says a lot about both of us. Firebird stands foremost for the artists it serves, and I’m mighty grateful we’ve circled the wagons with ‘em."
“Firebird Label Services is excited to partner with Old Crow Medicine Show as they take back ownership of three of the most exciting and beloved catalog albums from their 25 years making music - including the groundbreaking O.C.M.S. on its 20th anniversary,” said Kenny Weagly, VP and Head of Artist & Label Services at Firebird. "We welcome the opportunity to support the band on new releases such as ‘Donkey & Elephant,’ empowering them with our resources and unique support system as they move forward in the next chapter of their illustrious career.”
The two-time GRAMMY-winning band is in the midst of their 2024 Jubilee Tour, which celebrates their 25-year anniversary. OCMS founding member Willie Watson, Jaime Wyatt and Hannah Dasher will join on select dates, wrapping up with the group’s annual New Year’s Eve shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on December 30 and 31.
The Jubilee Tour is in support of the GRAMMY-nominated album of the same name, which has garnered widespread acclaim including Consequence, SPIN, BrooklynVegan and more. Last year, Ketch Secor spoke with Rolling Stone and NPR’s Here & Now about the album and shared more insight into the band’s activism. The group also released a powerful protest anthem called “Louder Than Guns,” and Secor penned a compelling guest essay for The New York Times.
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Old Crow Medicine Show Tour Dates:
October 24 – Evans, GA @ Columbia County Performing Arts Center - Ron C. Cross Theatre *
October 27 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
November 7 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall **
November 8 – Jim Thorpe, PA @ Penn’s Peak **
November 9 – Charles Town, WV @ Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races - The Event Center
November 10 – Wilmington, DE @ The Grand Opera House **
November 15 – Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry
November 16 – Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry
November 20 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant +
November 21 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom +
November 22 – Milwaukee, MI @ The Riverside Theater +
November 23 – Iowa City, IA @ Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa +
December 30 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
December 31 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
February 22-28 – Miami, FL @ Outlaw Country Cruise 9
March 15 – Shipshewana, IN @ Blue Gate PAC
* with Hannah Dasher
** with Jaime Wyatt
+ with Willie Watson
