As much of the world turns a romantic eye to the West—with television shows like Yellowstone driving popular culture toward a fictional depiction of life on the ranch—singer and songwriter Colter Wall continues to deliver a realistic lens into the West and cowboying, with his distinguished, authentic voice. Today, Wall surprised his fans with the release of two new songs on La Honda Records; a Wall original called “Cypress Hills and the Big Country” and a cover of “Let’s All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)” written by country music titan Cowboy Jack Clement. Audiences saw Wall’s performances at the Stagecoach Music Festival and legendary Canadian rodeo, the Ponoka Stampede, in June, and glimpses here and there on social media of his work on the ranch, but these new releases reveal that he’s also been writing and recording new music this summer, much to the delight of Colter’s dedicated followers.
“Cypress Hills and the Big Country” was written by Wall about his native country of southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. With images of the regional landscape decorating the song’s narrative, Wall revels in the expansiveness of the prairie that he upholds, and he calls for the solitude and comfort afforded by the hard work of cowboy life. Wall is joined by Patrick Lyons on mandolin, dobro, and guitar for this sweet, easygoing ode to where he calls home, singing, “You can duck underneath all your trials and troubles for a time, like a pronghorn underneath a bottom wire.”
With “Let’s All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues),” Wall performs a stripped-down version of the song once popularized by Waylon Jennings. In his version of the song, Wall presents a vocal range yet to be heard. The whimsical, smooth nature of the lyrics breaks as Wall leads the chorus with a wail, his voice almost breaking itself. Backed up again by Lyons on mandolin and dobro and Jake Groves on harmonica, Wall’s brawny guitar playing is matched only by his obvious love for the song in its execution.
“Let’s All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)” and “Cypress Hill and the Big Country” can both be streamed or purchased now at this link.
This release of new music follows Wall’s 2020 LP Western Swings & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs—which Associated Press called “raw as the prairie wind”—and Colter Wall and the Scary Prairie Boys’ Live In Front Of Nobody, a 2021 livestream, full-band show turned indie record store, vinyl-only release–a coveted and limited release. Information on both albums can be found at colterwall.com.
More About Colter Wall: Colter Wall and his music are from the prairies of southern Saskatchewan, where he lives and works. He is a La Honda Records recording artist and has appeared abroad, including Austin City Limits and most recently at the Ponoka Stampede.
