“I wanted to prove to myself and the industry that I could write an elite country record with ease,” says songwriter, Nashville native, and Lost Dog Street Band frontman, Benjamin Tod of his new album, Shooting Star; a 10-song LP that harkens back to the golden era of country music.
“If I didn’t accomplish that goal, I sure as hell came closer than anyone on pop country radio either way.” After years of busking on the sidewalks of Music City’s infamous Lower Broadway, the music that surrounded Tod as he was cutting his teeth has pulled the folk singer back toward the country music scene that he once rebelled against. “Looking back now, I see how much those experiences shaped and influenced me. I certainly took it for granted most of my life, but now that I’m on the ‘backside of thirty’ I can feel the Honky Tonk deep down in my blood.”
But Shooting Star isn’t just a “prove it” album for Tod, the self-proclaimed “Proprietor of Misery.” This new album reflects its creator’s transcending into a life of gratitude, patience, and stability. “People evolve and change. You’re growing as a person,” Tod says. “If you want to get healthier, you have to start intentionally behaving like a healthy person.
You have to look around you and adapt to those things—if you don’t change your identity, it’s hard to change yourself.” In reflection of the long, arduous road to where he firmly stands today, Tod acknowledges his whirlwind, volatile past. But, the troubadour does so with pure intent, pushing headlong into this unwritten chapter of possibility and purpose. “Right now, I’m very excited for the future and very thankful,” Tod says. “I’ve worked incredibly hard and made changes in my life — I’m becoming the person I’ve longed to become for years.”
Fans can now stream or purchase Shooting Star in its entirety at this link and purchase a physical copy on CD or vinyl right here. Tod, along with the entire Lost Dog Street Band are currently on the road continuing their nationwide Shooting Star tour covering both his solo and band catalogs. Tour dates—including four new December dates concluding in Nashville—can be found below and at benjamintodmusic.com.