With a half-time back beat and a feel-good guitar twang, songwriter Forrest McCurren graciously marries a classic rock road song with a classic country love song on his new tune “Little Rock.” Sparked by how his messy motel room on the road was compared to the orderly and clean life he led back home, McCurren spun up this rocker that evokes the urgency of a road warrior like himself to make it on home, specifically to his wife Margaret—who sings and plays drums and fiddle on McCurren’s upcoming debut Oh Me, Oh My. “The motel room I had booked in Little Rock was a complete mess and the AC wouldn’t turn off,” remembers McCurren. “I probably could have had my room switched, but the owner, and from what I could tell the only employee, was a sweet lady named Ramona that had run the place since the 60’s. I didn’t want to trouble her so I decided I’d go out and stay up late enough that I didn’t care that the bed sheets hadn’t been washed.” The initial idea transformed into an ode to Margaret and getting home to her. “Ever since I’ve known her, I knew we fit side-by-side,” says McCurren. Last week, Wide Open Country premiered the music video for “Little Rock,” which follows Forrest and Margaret on a beautifully-shot mission from the fireworks store to the Piggly Wiggly and beyond. They noted, “You could consider Oh Me, Oh My a soundtrack to those moments of human connection that feel almost cosmic.”
Fans can watch the “Little Rock” music video now at this link and stay up to date on all things Forrest and Oh Me, Oh My ahead of its August 19th release right here.
More About Forrest McCurren and Oh Me, Oh My: McCurren’s entertaining debut album Oh Me, Oh My showcases the energy of his live shows with songs that shimmer and rock with an ebullient warmth that’s bound to reach into listeners’ hearts and souls and get them to reflect a little on the people and places that mean the most to them. “Whenever I’m playing I feel most present, and I love sharing an hour or two of music with folks,” says McCurren. “Music should be a celebration!” He’s always writing songs, but all the songs on this album are from a three-year period when McCurren was setting out on his own, between college and now. He’s looking back at his life, looking at his life now, and looking forward to his life to come in the 10 songs on the album. “I was just setting out on my own,” McCurren laughs. “I spent a lot of time thinking about my grandparents, painting a picture of characters I knew growing up. In the songs there’s a sense of longing and place, and they evoke the transition from running wild as a kid to running wild as a man. The songs have a sense of movement and a sense of place and a sense of who I was gonna be.”
As soon as he learned three chords, McCurren started to write songs. “I’ve always been a writer, and I have always liked stories.” In his early 20s he started accumulating songs. “I never had a plan in my life; music has always given me something to keep me focused,” he says. He strives to “win over a crowd of 1,000 with an original song.” In his songwriting, he resembles Hemingway. “I always try to write one true sentence. Every song I have kept, the first line I wrote was the first line of the song. Words come first, then melodies get inspired by the words. I trust the quickness of the way I write. I am always jotting down rhymes. Songs have given me a way of understanding who I am and relating to people.”
Music is McCurren’s favorite ways to connect with people. “My songs show them a little bit of who I am and when I show them a little of me they share a little bit of them, too.” He doesn’t write sad songs, but songs that move us and celebrate, as he says, the “luckiness of life.” As his debut album shows, McCurren excels at making those connection and at celebrating life. Forrest McCurren has a reverence for the songs, and he sings, plays, and writes with a heart for bringing people together.
Catch Forrest McCurren On Tour:
June 17-18 - Jadwin, MO - The Campout Music Festival
June 23-26 - Slade, KY - Festival of the Red
Oct. 6-8 - Eldon, MO - Lake Ozark Music Festival
For more tour dates and ticket information please visit forrestmccurren.com/calendar.
