Song Premiere: Steven Bruce Stares Down Loneliness on Pedal Steel-Driven 'Cryin' Eyes'

"We felt like this song was the right one to kick the album off. I wrote this song on the backside of my divorce. I remember feeling depressed, used, confused and generally miserable. I could not help but think when it was all over and the papers were signed, man, it's just me here...alone. This song is a good starting point when thinking back on the last several years of my life," Bruce tells Wide Open Country. "Even though I was not the one who messed everything up, I could not help but say to myself, 'there ain't nobody left to blame, until there's no one left but you.' The rest of the song flooded out with those raw emotions and memories. The teardrops, the smeared makeup, all of it is as real as it gets."

"This song came together so nicely in the studio. [Producer] EP Jackson really helped put a 'groove' on this one, especially with his guitar parts coupled with Gary Lee Gimble's pedal steel wizardry. The amazing Karen Jonas lends her vocals on harmony. This song is one of my favorites on the album," Bruce continues. "From the darker days back when I was writing the material for the album, saying goodbye to lovers and forever saying goodbye to loved ones, to taking the songs to the studio and working them out, watching them grow and recording them, to planning a release and watching that halt at the feet of this global pandemic, it's been a crazy ride...but I am so proud of every piece of this album and all of the heart and energy that has been but into it. I just feel so grateful and happy to finally have the opportunity to be sharing it with the rest of the world and I hope it makes anyone who listens feel emotions across a broad spectrum."

Steven Bruce · Cryin' Eyes