Front Country, ‘If Something Breaks’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Up-and-coming "rootspop" five-piece Front Country are premiering their new song "If Something Breaks" exclusively for readers of The Boot.

"If Something Breaks" blends Front Country lead singer Melody Walker's distinctively smoky timbre with bluegrass-inspired instrumentation to produce a sound that is irresistibly listenable and relatable. Walker describes the song as "[a] song about cars [that's] really above love," one that's "about realistic expectations of love and long-term relationships."

"As a person of the road, who spends over half of my waking hours in a van every day, that landscape becomes the backdrop to the songwriting process ...," Walker tells The Boot. "I love to write behind the wheel, when everyone else is on their headphones or asleep, and there's just a constant flow of the world going by outside; it really lets my mind wander and puts me in a flow state, while being just distracted enough by the task of driving to not be too judgmental or analytical about what I'm writing in my head."

The lyrics to "If Something Breaks" are universal, though: They could apply to a relationship or, more literally, a band trying to make it out on the road.

"Baby, come on, let's go / If something breaks, we'll fix it on the road and fight about it on the way home," sings Walker in the chorus of "If Something Breaks." "We run hot, and we run cold / It ain't perfect, Lord knows / But if something breaks, we can fix it on the road."

Comprised of Walker, mandolin player Adam Roszkiewicz, guitarist Jacob Groopman, violin player Leif Karlstrom and bassist Jeremy Darrow, Front Country are rapidly becoming one of the hottest new acts in Americana. Since settling down with its current lineup in 2013, the band has toured extensively across the United States, including stops at North Carolina's MerleFest and New York's Gray Fox Festival.

"The idea of playing parts and making sounds that aren't necessarily associated with your instrument plays a big role in this song," Roszkiewicz shares. "This kind of arranging turns the process on its head a little because, instead of adapting the song to work on these acoustic instruments, we are adapting our playing styles to serve the song. For me, that's one of the most exciting things about Front Country: We are always challenging ourselves to use the instruments in new ways to lift up the music that we love."

"If Something Breaks" will appear on Front Country's forthcoming full-length album, titled Other Love Songs. The record is due out on April 7 and available for pre-order via Front Country's official website.

Listen to Front Country, "If Something Breaks":

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