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Last month, Jake Xerxes Fussell announced his new album When I’m Called, which will also be his debut for Fat Possum, due for release on July 12th and supported by an extensive tour of North America, the UK, and Europe (details below). In follow-up to his lead single “Going To Georgia,” he is today sharing Leaving Here, Don’t Know Where I’m Going; alongside Fussell’s 12-string guitar, he is joined by Ben Whiteley on upright bass, Hunter Diamond on woodwinds, and producer James Elkington on piano and harmonica.
As with the opening single, there’s a calm to the music with Fussell’s guitar at the centre. His voice brings a wearied traveller feel to the lyrics, briefly accentuated here by Elkingston’s harmonica and Whiteley and Diamond’s intuitive contributions.
Fussell shared the following on the origins of Leaving Here, Don’t Know Where I’m Going:
“This song is from the ‘lonesome road’ family of songs, which there have probably been about as many variations of as there have been people to sing them,” states Fussell. “This one in particular is another I picked up from my departed friend Art Rosenbaum, who learned it from Joe Rakestraw—fiddler, guitarist and singer of Athens, Georgia. I also included a verse here that I heard from a Berea College archival recording of a somewhat similar song called ‘Alabama Water’ performed by the great Tennessee/Kentucky banjoist and singer Virgil Anderson. I thank Joseph Decosimo for introducing me to that one.”
Jake Xerxes Fussell Tour Dates
Thu. May 16 – Charlotte, NC @ The Evening Muse
Fri. May 17 – Asheville, NC @ The Outpost
Sat. May 18 – Talbotton, GA @ Talbotton Fest
Sun. May 19 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Fri. June 21 – Roanoke, VA @ Spot on Kirk
Sat. June 22 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
Sun. June 23 – Mt. Solon, VA @ Red Wing Roots Festival
Tue. June 25 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
Thu. June 27 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge ~
Fri. June 28 – Catskill, NY @ Avalon Lounge ~
Sat. June 29 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Tue. July 16 – San Diego @ The Casbah *
Wed. July 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Barnsdall Gallery *
Thu. July 18 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Brisol’s Cider House *
Fri. July 19 – Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall *
Sat. July 20 -San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *
Sun. July 21 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s *
Tue. July 23 – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Pub *
Wed. July 24 -Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
Thu. July 25 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
Fri. July 26 – Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo *
Sat. July 27 – Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall *
Fri. Aug. 30 – London, UK @ Lafayette
Sat. Aug. 31 – Lewes, UK @ Con Club Lewes nr Brighton
Sun. Sept. 1 – Bristol, UK @ Lantern Hall
Mon. Sept. 2 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Tue. Sept. 3 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono
Wed. Sept. 4 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Fri. Sept. 6 – Paris, FR @ L’Archipel
Sat. Sept. 7 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
Sun. Sept. 8 – Rotterdam, NL @ Kantine Walhalla
Thu. Sept. 26 – Lafayette, LA @ Acadiana Center for the Arts
~ with special guest Kath Bloom
* with special guest Robin Holcomb