Hayes Carll

KMAG YOYO

Lost Highway's own Hayes Carll will be releasing his new full length album 'KMAG YOYO' (& other American stories) on 14th Feb 2011. The album is his follow up to the critically acclaimed Trouble In Mind and features such live favourites as 'Hard Out Here', 'Another Like You', and 'Grateful For Christmas'.

Hayes Carll hasn't been resting on his laurels since topping critics polls and winning awards for his 2008 album, 'Trouble In Mind'. Instead, he's been on the road nearly non stop with his band 'The Poor Choices' blasting through Honky-Tonks and rock clubs across the U.S. and beyond. Along the way, he's been inspired to write a crop of new tunes that the acclaimed songwriter says are 'A layman's take on country - a snapshot of America in some small way.' The result, the sharply drawn collection KMAG YOYO (& other American stories).

A Military acronym that stands for 'Kiss My Ass Guys, You're On Your Own' the title track is one of a dozen songs that brings to life such rich characters such as its protagonist, a young Army foot soldier in Afghanistan who becomes a Pentagon guinea pig. The scorching guitars of 'KMAG YOYO' equate to musical adrenaline, while the hallucinatory tale of military intrigue unfolds.

Fiery rock, twangy country, pensive folk and even a touch of gospel comprise 'KMAG YOYO's' sonic palette, produced by Brad Jones (also at the helm for 'Trouble In Mind). Rather than enter the studio with a batch of completed material, Carll and his band picked up where they'd left off onstage - jamming on riffs they'd developed on the road. 'I wanted to challenge myself musically' says Carll, 'and see if I could capture that live dynamic. A lot of songs came with the music first, with the music calling the lyrics.' After completing the instrumental tracks with the band, Carll set out to work, his witty wordplay matching the temper of the instrumentation. The honky-tonkin' 'Hard Out Here' with its raucous sing-along chorus, and the full on rocker 'Stomp and Holler' document denizens making the best of the economic downturn, including one frustrated performer in 'Stomp' who claims, 'I'm like James Brown, only white and taller.'