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Jun 29, 2020 By Christopher Roberts Photography by Hanly Banks Callahan Bill Callahan

Bill Callahan is releasing a new album, Gold Record, on September 4 via Drag City. It was announced last week and now he has shared the first single from it, “Pigeons.” It humorously opens with Callahan declaring “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” Then he sings from the perspective of a limo driver who mainly works weddings. Callahan then reflects on marriage, as he looks back at the newlyweds in the back of the limo. Listen below.

Gold Record is the follow-up to 2019’s Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, released last June via Drag City. That was his first album in six years, since 2013’s Dream River, so Gold River represents a quick turnaround time for Callahan. Following Dream River Callahan got married and had a kid and after those big and happy life changes he had trouble tapping into his usual songwriting well. It seems like the songwriting is flowing more freely now. While prepping to go on a long tour for Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest and contemplating being away from his family for a long time, he pulled out some sketches from his notebooks and finished some of them. The basics of Gold Record were recorded live with Matt Kinsey on guitar and Jaime Zurverza on bass.

Callahan will be releasing a new single from the album every Monday up until the release date.

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