NYC alt-indie rock band Yella Belly has been hard at work over the past several months creating more fresh, rootsy Texas grit to recharge our ears and minds. SoundThread Music Blog is excited to premiere "The Long Haul" and "Mean ol' Mama," two new tracks that comprise the band's second installment of its AA-side single release series. The new singles come on the heels of Yella Belly's impressive 2019 debut release of "Bad Dog/Last Days," which the band recorded and rush released right before hitting the road with Johnny Marr (The Smiths) on his Call The Comet 2019 U.S. Tour.
Since their debut, the Yella Belly band lineup has expanded a bit over the past year from a trio to quintet, and presently consists of singer/guitarist William Thompson, bassist Connor Jones, drummer Jake Hiebert, guitarist Jack McLoughlin, and keyboardist Steve Vannelli. Over the past nine months, following the Johnny Marr support, the band has toured and gone on to share stages with Black Joe Lewis, Love Fame Tragedy (The Wombats), Eighty Ninety, and sold out their first headliner set in hometown NYC.
In the two "sides" that comprise the new single, we once again experience two different musical vibes from Yella Belly. Lead single "The Long Haul" vibrantly belts out edgy, alt-indie rock with William's raw, rebellious vocals that summon Bob Dylan. Think NYC post-punk meets rootsy, psychedelic country on a lonesome Texas back road. This is a stellar tune that's meant to be cranked up and heard. To ease you away from the charged vibe of "The Long Haul," the band transitions to some no nonsense, stripped down honky-tonk in the twangy, acoustic ballad that is "Mean ol' Mama." This charming track features impressive fingerstyle guitar, hand-clapping, tambourine and banjo, and adorned with the classic, subtle crackles of a well-played vinyl record.
The band recorded and produced this new batch of songs themselves, opting out of the previous producer/studio approach. They tracked all over New York on their own terms, eventually winding up in the Catskill Mountains where they mixed everything down with Eli Crews at his upstate studio.
For more information about Yella Belly, visit their official website, follow on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and find their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Apple Music.
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