It’s been nearly two decades since the cult classic album “Soul Gravy” hit fans right between the eyes for the first time. Originally recorded by Cross Canadian Ragweed, one of the greatest touring bands of all time, the album made its way onto the Billboard Country Albums Chart in 2004 and scored a couple of hit music videos on CMT including the single “Sick And Tired” featuring Lee Ann Womack.
Now, 18 years later, “Soul Gravy” has been revitalized by Cody Canada and The Departed, and feels a bit like a family reunion with a return performance from Lee Ann Womack and some other key folks who helped shape the original album. The first single “Lonely Girl” definitely set the pace going all the way to #1 in Texas where is stayed for 20 weeks. The new single “Again” is getting a repeat performance at radio, a song Canada wrote with longtime comrade Randy Rogers. This new version packs the original brawny punch, but this time Rogers is front and center alongside Canada on vocals. “Randy and I wrote two songs in one night, this is one of them. I am honored to have this song on the radio ‘again’ after 18 years.” https://open.spotify.com/track/46BI7rXThzLKPO6zgahRpQ
“The new ‘Soul Gravy’ is big, bold, and full of wonderful moments that begin with the opening song ‘Again.’ It’s a perfect demonstration of the concept of country-rock, intertwining down-home melodies with dirty, nasty guitars. Gone are the digital guitar sounds and rushed decisions, replaced by new, organic performances with real tube amps and new perspectives on these road-tested songs. It was a great record before but has become more personal and meaningful through this re-examining.” –Rock & Blues Muse
“The original album is a classic and the ’22 record is just as strong and solidifies the legacy of ‘Soul Gravy.’ Give this album a listen and take some time to appreciate the fact that a Red Dirt icon like Cody Canada still takes each release seriously and wants it to be the best it can be, even a record that was released in ’04.” -Raised Rowdy
In June, another sort of family reunion will commence in the form of a tour alongside longtime road-doggin’ friends Micky and Gary Braun of Micky and the Motorcars. The Acoustic Healing Tour will hit several US cities during the full month of June with individual performances from both bands and a full-out family jam to close each night. “All the Braun brothers have been like family since we first met. It’s been at least a decade since we have done a tour. We always want to write, but end up just hanging out very late.” Check out the website for upcoming dates.