In a flurry of steel guitar and raucous drum beats, Americana renaissance man Jim Lauderdale kicks off Game Changer—his 35th full-length album—with “That Kind Of Life (That Kind Of Day),” a rollicking ode to what Jim calls “the sentiment and wishes for others to have a good life.” Lauderdale had the instrumental twin guitar/steel hook in his head when he sat down to write “That Kind Of Life.” “For some reason, the first line—‘When a baby tastes a little bit of sunshine, kicks their legs and bounces up and down, Grins and laughs and everything is so fine, We wanna keep em’ that way for a while’—just tumbled out, I wasn’t really sure where it was going but that image popped into my head and I went with it,” he says. The rest of the verses followed and Lauderdale topped it all off with a call-to-action of sorts in the chorus. The resulting tune is a breezy, windows-down country journey, willing listeners to have that kind of feeling “Where things will go a little more their way.”
Today, American Songwriter premiered the track and called it, “a message of the times, delivered like only Lauderdale can in a blended Americana fuse.” Fans can listen to “That Kind Of Life (That Kind Of Day)” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Game Changer ahead of its August 26th release right here. A list of Lauderdale’s tour dates can be found below or at jimlauderdalemusic.com.
In addition to the exciting news of Lauderdale’s new album, he’s also just been named a 2022 nominee for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lauderdale, along with eleven other of his contemporaries, will be celebrated at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in October where the Class of 2022 Hall of Fame inductees will be announced. Members are encouraged to vote and can cast their ballot at this link.
More About Game Changer: Operating under his own label, Sky Crunch Records, for the first time since 2016, Lauderdale recorded Game Changer at the renowned Blackbird Studios in Nashville, co-producing the release with Jay Weaver and pulling from songs he’d written over the last several years. “There's a mixture on this record of uplifting songs and, at the same time, songs of heartbreak and despair—because that's part of life as well,” he says. “In the country song world especially, that's always been part of it. That’s real life.”
From rollicking guitar riffs on “That Kind of Life (That Kind of Day)” to the slow, sweet harmonies of “I’ll Keep My Heart Open For You,” Game Changer shows off Lauderdale’s ingenuity as a singer, songwriter, and producer—while re-establishing him as one of Americana’s most steadfast champions. “Country music is constantly evolving, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for steel guitar and a Telecaster," he says. "I have done my job on this record if people who love classic country feel like they can put it on, or have it in their collection, and it would fit right in."
Respecting the past doesn’t mean he’s not breaking new ground. “We’re All We’ve Got,” a co-write with Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris, offers a timely message about healing torn relationships at home and across the world. And “Friends Again,” a grinning number about rekindling a friendship, is fresh and forward-looking. At every turn, Lauderdale’s collaborative spirit and genuine love for the creative process reveal themselves in thoughtful, well-crafted songs sure to stand the test of time. "When everything works right, it's just magical to be able to hear them back," he says. "You feel, at least for those three-and-a-half minutes, like life makes sense.”
Catch Jim Lauderdale On Tour:
July 9 - Black Mountain, NC - The White Horse w/ The Po’ Ramblin Boys
July 16 - Oak Ridge, TN - ORNL Summer Sessions
July 21 - Buffalo, NY - Sportsmen's Tavern
July 22-24 - Trumansburg, NY - Finger Lakes Grassroots 2022
July 25-29 - Swannanoa, NC - Swannanoa Gathering
August 13 - Maggie Valley, NC - Songwriting Camp
August 26 - Nashville, TN - Grand Ole Opry
August 31 - Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley album release show
September 11 - Bristol, VA - Bristol Rhythm and Roots
September 13-17 - Nashville, TN - AmericanaFest
September 24 - Nashville, TN - Tommy Emmanuel’s CMA Theatre
September 25 - Nashville, TN - Tommy Emmanuel’s Guitar Camp
October 7 - Augusta, GA - Summer Series
October 8 - Pelham, TN - Cave Fest @ The Caverns
October 12 - Jacksonville Beach, FL - Blue Jay Listening Room
October 13 - Live Oak, FL - Suwanee Roots Revival 2022
October 21 - Pomeroy, OH - Songwriter Weekend Fur Peace Ranch
November 3 - Los Angeles, CA - Outlaw Country West 2022
For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, please visit jimlauderdalemusic.com.
