Los Angeles-based Alternative Country artist David Serby returns on June 14th, 2024 with his sixth album Low Hanging Stars. It also marks his first collection of new music in ten years and his debut release on Blackbird Record Label.
For Low Hanging Stars, Serby has again collaborated with longtime producer, guitar player, and friend, Ed Tree. They recorded at Ed Tree’s Treehouse Studio where Tree also engineered. The record was mastered by Mark Dann.
Today, we’re very pleased to debut Serby’s track “Another Chance To Dream” from his upcoming album. The song will be available on May 24th, 2024. The immediately atmospheric song sets the scene for a lovely early morning just as the sun is rising but contrasts that with the narrator’s blissful feelings about lingering in dreamland. Though it starts subtly, we get the idea that daylight realities may be enough of a “nightmare” for someone going through hard times that dreams are a healing thing and the morning, though beautiful, may not be welcome.
The mellow tone of the song, where instrumentals and the vocal delivery have a laid-back vibe, introduces relatable but emotive details about the absence of a loved one while life continues in its merciless way. While its a traditional thing in ballads and love songs to revel in dreaming about one’s love interest, this song turns that tradition around by reflecting on loss, and also brings in a sense of modernity through its attention to details that a current audience can relate to. Sonically, Serby captures that fine line between a dreaming and waking atmosphere, as if one foot continues to stand in both worlds. For that reason the song brings a sense of sweetness and harshness together, giving the audience a chance to reflect on their own experiences of love and loss.
David Serby says about “Another Chance To Dream”:
Every time I’ve lost someone who is really meaningful to me – whether it be a break up or a loved one passing on – they’ve periodically come to me in dreams. Sometimes the dreams sad, but sometimes the dreams are happy and when I wake up I have this moment where I really wish the dream had been real. I’m sure I’m not alone with this happening. Another person here hanging onto to something he should probably let go of. Again, Carl Byron’s accordion and Ed Tree’s nylon string guitar really make this track.
Serby reflects on the time gap between his releases:
A lot has happened in that time, but I haven’t really gone anywhere. That’s the struggle and the beauty. Figuring out how to fight through life’s roadblocks and still keep creating…losing loved ones, jobs, insecurity, moving, illness, money, pandemics…I’d say figuring out how to navigate life is how I got comfortable with not going anywhere and that’s where I am today.
I was trying to figure out a way to get back to making a country record (after the pop record The Latest Scam and the folk record, Poor Man’s Poem). I was really going to explore the idea of being on the fringe of something and maybe wanting to hold onto what you have, but at the same time also wanting to run away from it.
On Low Hanging Stars, David Serby supplies vocals and acoustic guitar, Dale Daniel (Hacienda Brothers) plays drums, Gregory Boaz (Mavis Staples) plays bass, Darice Bailey supplies piano and harmonies, and Carl Byron (Hot Club of Los Angeles, Jim Lauderdale) plays keys, accordion, and B3.
Serby’s previous albums include I Just Don’t Go Home (2006), Another Sleepless Night (2007), HonkyTonk and Vine (2009), Poor Man’s Poem (2011), and The Latest Scam (2013).
