After sharing “First Rains of May,” the stunning initial preview of his forthcoming album Cowboy Cake, rising Canadian alt-country singer/songwriter Joe Ray McDonald today makes another powerful statement with his new single “Rodeo Son.”
As with its predecessor, “Rodeo Son” showcases McDonald’s distinctive voice and recording approach, which could be best described as a homage to classic ’70s outlaw country artists in melding melody and top-notch musicianship with darkly evocative lyrics.
McDonald says, “‘Rodeo Son’ came out of thinking on a high plains drifter, Clint Eastwood type of character, roaming around doing his thing. The more I got to thinking on it and fleshing it out, I realized I was writing about my dad and my brother.”
Based in the Ottawa Valley near Canada’s capital city, McDonald has been turning heads since “First Rains of May” began drawing comparisons to the work of Townes Van Zandt and Tyler Childers. Moreover, McDonald’s flat-picking guitar skills and overall production aesthetic on the song set the bar high for the rest of Cowboy Cake, a standard that “Rodeo Son” lives up to, if not exceeds.
As with all of Cowboy Cake, McDonald meticulously constructed the track at his home studio with bassist Chris Pond and drummer Jose Garcia, before sending it to Nashville where Colter Wall band member Patrick Lyons overdubbed pedal steel and dobro. Further overdubs of Rhodes piano, harmony vocals, mandolin and fiddle completed the process.
McDonald then spent three months mixing Cowboy Cake himself, a choice stemming from a passion to learn all aspects of his craft, as well as a passion to hit all the right emotional notes, much like his favourite film directors Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone. “I am always trying to be a better songwriter, guitarist and human being,” Joe Ray says. “I really believe that who you are as a person has a huge impact on how you develop on your instrument and as a writer.”
Like flowers on a finely tailored cowboy shirt, Joe Ray McDonald’s music adds beautiful details to a durable form, raising country music songwriting to a higher artistic level. And the fact that he does it so effortlessly is perhaps the best reason to believe he will one day be mentioned in the same breath as his heroes and primary inspirations.
Canada has never had a shortage of great singer/songwriters, and as the alt-country genre has evolved, we continue to be at the forefront. Joe Ray McDonald is poised to become the latest to join that elite group of artists.
