In October, Oklahoma favorites the Turnpike Troubadours will release their highly-anticipated fourth studio album, A Long Way From Your Heart. Today, we're giving Wide Open Country readers an exclusive first listen to "The Housefire," a fresh track from the record that continues a running story in the Troubadours' music.
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Fans will recognize the name Lorrie, a recurring character who appears in the Troubadours' songs. She is the tumultuous, fictitious lover of lead singer Evan Felker's character.
In "The Housefire," Lorrie and the man with no name have settled into domestic life with a baby. Their life is suddenly thrown into chaos when a blaze destroys their home in the middle of chilly December.
Felker is proving to be a master of penning Heartland narratives that contain powerful messages, and "Housefire" is no exception. If you take the lyrics at face value, it's a continuation of a fractured love story. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find a metaphor about finding strength in yourself during life's hardest challenges.
"'The Housefire' isn't simply about a disaster in a small town," Felker tells Wide Open Country. "While touching on that theme for sure, it's more about resilience, how people in general, never cease to be impressive in their resolve during very trying times."
While "Housefire" shares a similar tone to the Turnpike Troubadours' previous material, the new album finds the band stretching their style in new directions, all while staying rooted in the fiddle-driven Texas country and rock-and-roll that makes them such a fun band both on stage and in the studio. With A Long Way From Heart, fans will get to hear how much they've grown as a live act and as songwriters in just a few years.
The short of the long: we think you're going to love this album.
Look for A Long Way From Your Heart on Oct. 20.
