Outlaw Country Rock artists Old Heavy Hands have released their single “Runaround” to coincide with the release of their beer “Small Fires.” Working on the track comes from a period of grief and suffering for several members of the band, but that time also led to intensive songwriting. “Runaround” is the first single from their forthcoming album, Small Fires.
Nate Hall, guitarist/vocalist on the new track, shares:
It’s a song that comes from a place of revelation. Sometimes we don’t realize that we’re the bad guy in our story. Runaround is about accepting that and changing the story.
The “Small Fires” Pilsner is a collaboration with the band’s friends at Little Brother Brewery. They chose a Pilsner because they wanted “a crispy boy that leaves you feeling refreshed and ready for another”.
Singer Nate Hall found himself grappling with a dire stomach cancer diagnosis in August of 2018 and was not expected to live, but through “hard-assed willpower”, his eventual recovery prompted a “nine-month songwriting torrent” by the entire band. The first song to emerge from this experience was “Runaround.”
Another member, Dee Self, also dealt with the grief of his mother’s untimely death during this period while Larry Slaton’s grandfather died from cancer during their writing process. In the forthcoming album, the band either “reflect on bitter experiences, or provide an escape hatch to a more tranquil place”.
Three of the band’s members are noted tattoo artists. Formed in 2015 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Old Heavy Hands are as informed as much by the Muscle Shoals tradition as the DIY punk rock of their youth. They recorded their new album, Small Fires, at The Fidelitorium and Earthtones studios.
