Track Premiere: William Russell Wallace “Fire Season”

William Russell Wallace is a rock and roll story teller in the tradition of Tom Waits or Tom Petty.  His latest release is ‘Confidence Man‘ which is something of a concept album dealing as it does with the lives of those living on society’s edges – painting word images of their deeds and delving into their inner motivations.  And all that’s attached to some fine saviour of rock and roll stylings – raw and dirty when it’s needed.  On ‘Fire Season’ we have a protagonist who is always looking for the way out “there’s something beautiful about making an escape – and making it look easy every time.”

William Russell Wallace gave us some background on the song saying: “‘Fire Season’ has had a weird life – it’s existed in several forms for about 5 or 6 years. Different bands tried wildly different versions. I think it was even a waltz at one point? I broke it out again while recording the California portion of this record at Heavy Meadows in Idyllwild, CA. My band kills it on everything they do, but I think on this one more than any other, they truly do the hard work for me. Charlie’s drums are killer, Brett and Amanda do some of my favourite vocals in the background, and Travis swooped in on the guitar and really put a rock ‘n roll bow on the whole thing. Lyrically, I dig that it’s the one song where the narrator’s resignation doesn’t do him in; he questions a lot of things, but in the end, for once, he refuses to take the easy way out. ”