Los Angeles-based folk-rock band Grand Canyon deliver an ode to the open road with "Kansas City." The song celebrates getting back to your roots over a '70s rock groove that would sound at home on a mixtape between Fleetwood Mac and Jackson Browne.
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Lead singer Casey Shea says the tune was partially inspired by the classic Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller song of the same name, which was recorded by Little Richard, The Beatles and more.
"By the time you get to the end of this song, you might find yourself wondering, has this guy ever even been to Kansas City? And to be honest, the simple answer is no. But Kansas City is a state of mind. Is there a more American sounding city? When I think of it, the first thing I think of is early rock and roll," Shea tells Wide Open Country. "The Leiber and Stoller track made famous --in my mind at least -- by The Beatles' various takes on the classic got too much airtime in my teens. Shouting along with the Fab Four 'Oh Kansas City' driving down the highway in Florida. I couldn't have been further away from Missouri, but it was more about the essence and promise of America."
Shea says the song, which he penned with bandmate Joe Guese, is a nod to simpler times.
"Just the thought of Kansas City brings me back to a simpler time when I was naive and optimistic," Shea says. "And that's what Joe and I were really trying to convey with our take on Kansas City....a desire to get back to those simpler times."
The video, which Wide Open Country is premiering today, features B-roll footage of the band interspersed with American road trip imagery of freight trains, backroads and bowling alleys.
Watch the video for "Kansas City" below.
Grand Canyon is made up of Casey Shea (guitar and vocals), Amy Wilcox (vocals), Joe Guese (guitar), Darice Bailey (keys, vocals), Jon Cornell (bass) and Fitz Harris (drums).
For more information on Grand Canyon, visit their official website.
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