Hippies & Cowboys - Fork in the Road
by Kevin Wierzbicki
Hippies & Cowboys is a Nashville-based five piece that has a soul-infused Southern rock sound and they've really been ripping it up and building a fan base regionally with their live shows and occasional release of singles. With that under their belts the band is now, with the release of this six-song EP, poised to break big nationally as well. The effort begins with "Midnight Rose," a swinging blues rocker with nods to both swampy Southern rock and classic rock. The song, the band's latest single, is about a femme fatale and singer Aaron Sparling delivers lyrics in a way that will intrigue barroom lotharios and maybe have them casting sideways glances at their own girlfriend. All of that will be forgotten anyway as the sassy cut sends listeners flocking to the dance floor. Elsewhere "Rock All Nite" is a Southern rocker that hints at a fondness for Lynyrd Skynyrd (and classic rockers Aerosmith) while title cut "Fork in the Road" demonstrates how Sparling has pipes that rival those of Steven Tyler. "Goin Gone" is a strutting, harmonica, piano and slide guitar-infused cut that imagines some of the fun (and trouble) that can be found on a rowdy road trip while "Ain't No Good," again very Aerosmith-y, is another song about woman troubles. The EP finishes with "Give it Up," a plea to a particular woman to, well, give it up; with its eerie beginning and eventually, guitar riffs that border on the psychedelic, the song's arrangement is not only memorable but a sure indication of the mental anguish that the love/lust relationship is causing. Hippies & Cowboys will be seeing some literal forks in the road this fall as they embark on a tour that stops in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Detroit and many other major markets through mid-November. They'll also be appearing at the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, TN on Sept. 29, 2024. So fans have lots of chances to see this awesome band that's on a fast track to stardom. Find all tour dates
here.
