Singer-songwriter Cris Jacobs recently released his latest album, One Of These Days, on April 26th with The Infamous Stringdusters as his backing band and Jerry Douglas in the studio producing it all. The album features guest spots from Sam Bush, Lee Ann Womack, Lindsay Lou, the McCrary Sisters, Ashby Frank, and bluegrass wunderkind Billy Strings. Jacobs has released a video for “Poor Davey” featuring Billy Strings which provides an in-studio vantage point of the ensemble at work.
The spirited track is based on actual events. It tells the dark tale of a young man named Davey who grew up in a house where years earlier a teenager murdered his family. Davey’s father also had a sordid past with a criminal record. Jacobs asks, “Did the old man or the ghosts play a part in what poor Davey had done…” after the protagonist commits a murder and steals a car to evade arrest. A heart-pounding, wild chase ensues with police cars and choppers on his tail for a long while before the tragic story comes to its conclusion with Davey eventually being apprehended.
After a long songwriting drought and dealing with major bouts of depression, anxiety, and self-doubt, Jacobs found his way again through meditation, spending quality time with his family, medication, and being present to piece together his best album to date. Discussing his new and improved songwriting process, Jacobs explained to Relix, “I’d listen to a steady diet of Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, Ola Belle Reed, Dock Boggs, Muddy Waters, Lead Belly, Merle Travis, Buell Kazee, Bukka White, field hollers, and work songs. I’d meditate, pick for a while, start singing and writing. I wasn’t trying to sound like the masters, but by staying tethered to that world—and having a simple anchor—I was able to transcend my ego and insecurities, tapping into that well that had been out of reach. In a few months, I had an album’s worth of songs—some stories, some confessionals, some blues, some barn-burners. I had finally gotten out of my own way and fended off that goddamn grim reaper of self-doubt and done the work. And I actually enjoyed doing it for a change.”
Cris Jacobs — “Poor Davey” (ft. Billy Strings) [Official Video]
Jacobs is currently on tour supporting One Of These Days with a steady run of shows across the country. The album is available via Spotify and Cris Jacobs’ website. Check out his tour dates below.
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