Singer-songwriter Jerry Castle's next album Midnight Testaments, out this summer via Melrose Artists, will find the Abingdon, Virginia native leaning more on Appalachian Mountain twang and country rock sounds from the opposite coast.
For a snapshot of his evolving sound and songwriting vision, check out the lyric video for recently unveiled track "Tequila and Tears."
"This has hands down been the most well-received song I've ever put out and it has only been in the world for a month," Castle says. "It's all so bittersweet with everything that's going on in the world right now. At the same time, maybe that's a part of why people connect with the song. On the surface the song can come across as a drinking song but if you look under the hood, it's a song about being overwhelmed by grief and a whole lot of people are dealing with more than their fair share of that these days."
It's the fiddle accompaniment that points listeners to Castle's Southern roots. Without it, "Tequila and Tears" sounds like a well-written yet less eclectic example of story-driven rock 'n' roll.
Castle's potential breakthrough album as an Americana artist includes nine other tracks, highlighted by Bakersfield sound homage "Worried Man" and album closer "Charades," featuring special guest Amanda Shires.
Press materials describe Midnight Testaments as the album "that finds him adding a new perspective to his brand of 'Appalachian Soul' while also pushing ahead into new, unexplored territory.
Read More: Amanda Shires on Being Rock and Roll, Embracing Uncertainty and her New Album 'To The Sunset'
"Midnight Testaments is music for the highway, the heartland, the happy, and the heartbroken," continues Castle's bio. "Midnight Testaments is music for all hours."
Castle's new music follows the critically acclaimed 2018 album Brand New Hello.
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