The Grahams Release 'Riverman's Daughter' Out Today

The singer-guitarists Alyssa and Doug Graham have been friends since grade school and romantic partners for most of the time since. At the heart of their relationship has always been a penchant for American roots music: The Carter Family, Mississippi John Hurt, The Band, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young. In the summer of 2012, having long lived and played music in New York City (and the nearby Adirondack Mountains), they had an idea: What if they put their city lives on hold and, armed with just guitars and backpacks, traveled the 2,500 miles of highways and byways of the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to Louisiana. So, they did. The result is theMalcolm Burn-produced, Riverman's Daughter, the husband-and-wife duo's first album as The Grahams, out today through CEN/RED Distribution.

You can stream the album and view the premiere of the new video for "Marnie Hawkins" over at Last.fm.

WATCH: "MARNIE HAWKINS" ON LAST.FM

The Grahams will perform songs from the album as they tour the U.S. this summer and fall. See below for confirmed dates; others will be announced soon.

Alyssa and Doug have played together in a variety of musical endeavors, and have performed at downtown New York City clubs such as Joe's Pub, The Living Room and Rockwood Music Hall, as well as nationally and internationally from California to Paris, London, Tokyo, and beyond. They have collaborated on two Alyssa Graham albums, winning considerable critical acclaim. The New York Times has praised her "sumptuous and flexible croon." American Songwriter called her Lock, Stock & Soul (2012) an "immaculately constructed set" and named her Writer of The Week. Marie Claire magazine showcased her as an "Artist You Need To Hear."

More than anything else in the Grahams' body of work to date, Riverman's Daughter is a unified, fully realized concept album. Alyssa and Doug wrote the 12 songs (and one bonus track) that comprise the work-and many others-as they progressed along the Great River Road that parallels the Mississippi. They stopped in various juke joints, exchanging stories and playing music with the locals. At the end of their journey, they holed up in a houseboat in rural Louisiana where the Mississippi spills into the Atchafalaya swamp, and periodically invited friends and musicians onboard to help them hone the material.

The songs that made the album range from '70s country rock ("Carrying The Torch") to spirited folk ("The Piney River") and barn dance playfulness ("Revival Time"). As recording began,The Grahams found a kindred spirit in Malcolm Burn, who suggested they record live to tape, without headphones or isolation-a choice that transposes to the album the naturalness and immediacy that characterized the writing. They recorded in Nashville with mostly simple acoustic accompaniment by Burn (bass, piano, guitar, backing vocals), Bryan Owings (drums, percussion), Phil Madeira (guitar, dobro, lap steel, mando guitar), Colin Linden (banjo, dobro, electric guitar), Steve Fishell (pedal steel, dobro) and Chris Carmichael (strings). The Grammy-nominated North Mississippi Allstars' Luther and Cody Dickinson (guitars and drums, respectively) play on several tracks.

The Grahams Tour Dates

September 4
Tucson, AZ
Plush

September 5
Scottsdale, AZ
Martini Beach

September 6
Santa Monica, CA
McCabe's

September 9
Santa Barbara, CA
Muddy Waters Café

September 10
Los Angeles, CA
Hotel Café

September 11
San Francisco, CA
Hotel Utah

September 12
Portland, OR
Blue Monk

September 16
Seattle, WA
El Corazon Lounge

September 17
Boise, ID
Neurolux

September 18
Salt Lake City, UT
Kilby Court

September 19
Denver, CO
The Walnut Room

September 21
Kansas City, MO
Czar

September 22
Des Moines, IA
Vaudeville Mews

September 23
Minneapolis, MN
The Nether Bar

September 24
Chicago, IL
Township

September 26
Pontiac, MI
The Pike Room

September 27
Cleveland, OH
Rockstar @ Peabody's

September 28
Cincinnati, OH
Arnolds

September 29
Louisville, KY
The New Vintage

September 30
Lexington-Fayette, KY
Willie's Locally Known

October 1
Columbus, OH
Natalie's

October 7
Nashville, TN
The Basement

To post a comment, you must register and login.