Patterson Hood featuring Waxahatchee - "The Forks of Cypress"

Photo by Jason Thrasher

Just when you think it's impossible to be more excited about a new solo song from Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers, turns out the song also features Waxahatchee. "The Forks of Cypress" is exactly what we want and expect to hear from a Patterson Hood solo song. It's much more quiet and folky than the vast majority of what Drive-By Truckers have released, but this is going to land right into what you love if you're already a fan. Of course, as with anything Hood does musically, "The Forks of Cypress" doesn't quite fit into any specific category. At first listen, it seems like a fairly standard and straightforward alt-country meets folk song, but the more you listen the more you start hearing. We can't wait to hear Patterson Hood's first solo album in twelve years, especially after hearing "The Forks of Cypress."

Patterson Hood says of his latest single:

“The Forks of Cypress a real place, a few miles just north of my hometown of Florence, Alabama. A former plantation house, once owned by a cousin of Andrew Jackson, it was struck by a ‘lightning cluster’ in 1966 – when I was two – and exploded into flames, burning to the ground in under five minutes. All that was left were these huge columns, in a rectangle on top of the hill overlooking the meadow. It was right by a very creepy rickety one lane bridge that the locals called Ghost Bridge. I drove past this (and crossed the scary bridge) every week of my childhood on my way to my Great Uncle’s house (where I spent every weekend). Later, as a teenager, kids would drive dates out to Ghost Bridge and tell ghost stories and make out. The bridge was torn down about a decade ago.

 

“I wrote the song as pure fiction, inspired by those great story songs that Bobbie Gentry did, an ‘Ode to Billie Joe,’ etc., where she implies a story without really telling it. In my head, I heard Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) singing it with me and was blessed that she was willing to do so. She’s one of my very favorite artists, and such a lovely person.

 

“The song was fleshed out wonderfully by Phil and Brad Cook (who played keyboards, dobro and bass on it), Dan Hunt on drums, and then Kevin Morby put the cherry on top with a stunning lead part. 

 

“Whipped cream and cherry.”

You can watch the video for "The Forks of Cypress" below. Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams is due out February 21 on ATO Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Patterson Hood, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below and include a March 18 show at Arts at the Armory in Somerville.

MARCH

18 – Somerville, MA – Arts at the Armory *

19 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Made *

21 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater *

22 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis *

23 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis *

25 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *

26 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West *

28 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn *

29 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl *

30 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Indy *

 

APRIL

1 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music *

2 – Evanston, IL – SPACE *

4 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway *

5 – Louisville, KY – The Whirling Tiger *

30 – New Orleans, LA – Chickie Wah Wah

 

MAY

2 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern †

3 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern †

24 – Charleston, SC – Spoleto Festival USA ^

 

* w/ Special Guest Lydia Loveless

† Patterson Hood Solo

^ w/ Special Guest MJ Lenderman