Yarn has released a video for "Turn Off The News," their new single out this Friday, April 26 via all streaming services; check out the premiere today at Americana Highways. Like many of us, Yarn's Blake Christiana was addicted to scanning the latest headlines on his phone. The song exhorts the listener to “turn off the news, shake off the blues – life is short, it’s sweet if you make it.”
"I was addicted to news apps on my phone and it was killing me, ruining my mental well being," Christiana explains. "I quit cold turkey and wrote this song. I wanted to write 10 songs called "Turn Off The News" and release them as an album, that’s how strongly I feel about turning off the news. This wound up being the only one I wrote. I think I said all that needed to be said."
PRE-SAVE 'TURN OFF THE NEWS" HERE
PRE-ORDER BORN, BLESSED, GRATEFUL & ALIVE HERE
Born, Blessed, Grateful, & Alive, out July 26 via Symphonic Distribution, is Yarn's first studio album eight years and a fine return to form. The album finds Christiana, now based in North Caroline, getting his groove back, and the title reflects accepting — and being grateful — for what you do have. Along with producer Damian Calcagne, the album brought together Yarn’s rhythm section, Robert Bonhomme and Rick Bugel, along with Mike Robinson and Johnny Grubb (Railroad Earth), Andy Falco (Infamous Stringdusters), Mike Sivilli (Dangermuffin), Heather Hannah, and Elliott Peck (Midnight North).
The songs on Born, Blessed, Grateful & Alive reflect the range of human experience. There’s the laconic country ballad, “I Want You,” which Christiana wrote with his long-time songwriting partner Shane Spaulding, that “loosely follows the plot of the ‘70s Willie Nelson movie, Honeysuckle Rose, about a married touring musician who finds his true love out on the road.” A road song, “Nomad Man,” glitters with ringing finger-picking and soaring steel runs as it evokes the loneliness and solitude of the moving from one place to another, while the soulful “These Words Alone,” with its driving Hammond B3 organ and gospel-inflected harmonies, sonically resembles Van Morrison’s later songs. The rollicking steel guitar on “Down at the Dancehall” introduces a twangy rambler that would be at home on any album by the Flying Burrito Brothers.
For Christiana, it’s all about the song.
“No one has any idea why we're here, what we're supposed to be doing here or what comes next, and there are very few things in this life to connect us to one another, other than the fact that we all don't know these things,” he says. "I like to think our music could be one of the places where we can connect.”
TOUR DATES:
WE MAY 01 Harrisonburg, VA - Clementine
FR MAY 03 Easton, MD - Avalon Theatre
SU MAY05 Wayne, PA - 118 NORTH
TU MAY 07 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
WE MAY 08 Buffalo, NY - Sportsmen's Tavern
TH MAY 09 Syracuse, NY - The 443 Social Club & Lounge
FR MAY 10 Blairstown, NJ - Roy's Hall
SA MAY 11 Hoosick Falls, NY - UNIHOG
SU MAY 12 South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
SU MAY 26 Axton, VA - Rooster Walk 2024
SA, JUN 22 Charles City, VA - Indian Fields
FR & SA, JUL 19 & 20 Erwin, TN - Yarn Camp on The Banks of The Nolichucky
TU, JUL 23 Emerald Isle, NC - Gaffer's
WE, JUL 24 Emerald Isle, NC - Gaffer's
TH, JUL 25 Charleston, SC - Pour House
FR, JUL 26 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theater CD release show
SA, JUL 27 Charlotte, NC - Whitewater Center
FR, AUG 2 Charlottesville, VA - Fridays After 5
SA, AUG 3 Asheville, NC - AVL Fest
TH, AUG 15 Decatur, GA - Eddies Attic
FR, AUG 16 Nashville, TN - Basement East
SA AUG 17 Loudon, TN - Windy Hill Farm
SA OCT 26 Troy, VA - The Yarnival 2024
