Rett Smith Shares Jessica Lea Mayfield Duet 'Cabin Song'

10-20-2023

(devious planet) Rett Smith is pleased to share his new single, "Cabin Song," a haunting duet with Jessica Lea Mayfield from his highly anticipated album, due March 1st via Imperial/Republic. The new L.P. will be Smith's fifth self-written album release since the 2020 pandemic, following the acclaimed Giving Up on Quitting (2020), What the Walls Cannot See (2021), Americana Drugs (2022) and A Nightly Consequence (2023).

The Texas-born singer-songwriter brings a dark, Americana Noir vibe to life on his new, self-produced single. "Cabin Song asks: what's left when someone has taken the ultimate escape? What does one do when they can feel the energy of what used to truly exist, but they can no longer touch?

Sonically, I wanted to mimic the extreme contrasts these feelings conjure up. Bringing everything down to a whisper while the story develops, then climbing to an all-out assault of distortion through the final thoughts."

The self-produced track features Jessica Lea Mayfield (Dan Auerbach, The Avett Brothers) on contributing vocals, Chris Barber on drums, Michael Rinne on bass, Rett on lead guitar and accompanying vocals, and mixed by Peter Labberton (St. Vincent, Parquet Courts, Weyes Blood).

Texan musicians are on the rise, and Rett Smith is a standout among them. With an unapologetic sombre sound one can only describe as rock 'n' roll, the star chronicles his music as 'rooted in the past', and having 'extreme versions of truth' in his lyrical storytelling. After stints on both coasts, as well as Nashville, a return to Texas and roots in the city of Austin brought new life to Smith's moody sounds. 'The goal is to sing about really heavy stories and emotions in a way that still brings people in,' he says.

There has been no shortage of praise for Rett's music. The Austin Chronicle described his sound as a "dark and brooding platter that sounds like Nick Cave raised on Texas songwriters." American Songwriter felt the music "shows Rett's gentler, more vulnerable side... [and] has a certain confessional intimacy". No Depression wrote, "There isn't a minute out of the few that we have that feels wasted... Rather, this is a self-contained rock with just enough grit to make it roll". Holler concluded that Rett has "his finger on the pulse of the darkest edge of Americana and his psyche."

Currently on tour in Australia, Smith will soon be announcing 2024 tour dates.