Winnipeg born country artist Sean Burns is back with his new album A Bakersfield Half-Dozen inspired by his love of influential artists from the Bakersfield Sound while growing up.
A subgenre of country music and created by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, the Bakersfield Sound was originally titled the Nashville West, born out of the thriving Honky Tonk genre. With heavy indulgence of fiddles, steel guitars, and twang, it was a distant sound from the traditional sounds of recordings coming from Nashville studios during the 50’s & 60’s, which both Owens and Haggard had hit singles. Burns’ teenage years were bred on his love for it, thus compelling the singer songwriter to release this 7 track album with nods to his favorite and influential artists who created the Bakersfield Sound.
The uniquely titled album was recorded back in September under the Stringbreakin’ Records label and was purposefully created with the Honky Tonk vibe that Burns and his band **Lost Country are best known for. Each track, as well as its album cover, pays homage to its creators while delving deep into their iconic sounds.
Take the first track “Truck Drivin’ Man.” Released by Owens in 1965, this latest digital quality on Burns’ version is obviously different, but closeness of their vocals leads one to believe that it could be Owens singing. In fact, all the songs are mirror images from style and substance, thus leaving listeners believing they were in a bustling Honky Tonk bar during the mid 20th century. This can only be credited to Burns, his band, and an impeccable production team who obviously took great care in keeping the original sound with each and every tune.
According to Burns, this album is a “dream come true” to a Winnipeg based country music enthusiast, and it’s likely to garner enthusiasm from others who enjoy the genre.
A Bakersfield Half-Dozen was released on February 11 and is available digitaly via bandcamp, and Vinyl via the Bandcamp store or at a liveshow.
A Bakersfield Half-Dozen Track List:
Side A
- Truck Drivin’ Man (Terry Fell)
- Above and Beyond (Harlan Howard)
- She Didn’t Color Daddy (Scott Turner & Ray Warren)
- Playboy (Bob Morris & Eddie Miller)
Side B
- Chaparral (Bob Morris & Don Rich)
- Roll, Truck, Roll (Tommy Collins)
- Too Many Bridges to Cross Over (Dallas Frazier)
**Lost Country Band
Sean Burns – Vocals, Electric Bass, Acoustic Guitar
Ryan “Skinny” Dyck – Pedal Steel
Jeremy Hamm – Fiddle
Joanna Miller – Drums, Vocals
Grant Siemens – Electric & Acoustic Guitars
For information on Sean Burns, please visit his website: http://www.seanburns.ca/