Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and screenwriter Korby Lenker releases his latest single, “Spring Fling”, today, on May 27th, 2022, via Grind Ethos Records, co-produced by Lenker and Nick Beardon.“ Co-written with Travis Nicholson, the feel-good song was inspired by a neighborhood gathering that Lenker hosted in Nashville in April.
[Clockwise from upper right: Alex Wong, Bill Miller, x, y, z, Brandon Campbell, Derek Campbell, Korby Lenker, Randa Newman, James Kyson, Nora Jane Struthers, Arianna Guillard]
Lenker explains:
‘Spring Fling’ was originally the name my wife and I gave to an event we hosted in our front yard. The idea started back in 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd murder. Watching the news I felt that something was sorely missing the pose striking and online punditry — namely, a sense of simple neighborliness, and a demonstration of respect for human beings as such…I made a little flyer and went door to door and personally invited everyone on my street to what we then called the Ice Cream Social. I made a bunch of homemade ice cream. It was an amazing turnout and it felt like a small healing and better, we made a bunch of new friends.
The return to post-Covid life in 2022 presented an opportunity to extend the event and add a talent show, inviting many kinds of artists, including poets, spoken word artists, comediennes, and even an improv acting troupe. Lenker and his wife Randa Newman reached out to a local charity to see if they’d be interested in being the beneficiary of the event’s proceeds. Crossroads Campus, an organization bringing resource-challenged youth and rescued pets together for mutual love and benefit became the focus.
But the event suggested a creative challenge and Lenker decided to write and perform a theme song to commemorate the event. Thus the theme song to “Spring Fling” was born, penned with Travis Nicholson.
Lenker shared an exclusive quote with Wildfire about why this year’s event was particularly special to him:
I notice most of what makes me crazy involves looking at something inside my phone. This year I vowed to start looking up, looking out, seeing what’s in the faces of the folks around me. Spring Fling is about that. About going outside, whatever that means to you. Outside your phone, outside yourself. Turning strangers into friends is my resolution for 2022!
“Spring Fling” was recorded live at The Retro Lab in East Nashville, engineered by Nick Beardon and featuring Korby Lenker on electric guitar and vocals, Travis Nicholson on acoustic guitar, Nick Beardon on bass, Joe Overton on fiddle, and Jerry Pentecost on drums.
Lenker’s last album, Man in the Maroon was released in May 2021.
Korby Lenker will be playing select dates this year including:
June 25th Portland OR Thirteen Presents
June 29th Prosser WA Brewminatti
July 17th Austin TX Rawhide Trail Concerts
