LA-based John Surge and The Haymakers deliver another compelling tune, full of urgent rhythms and atmospheric guitar. The single is a re-imagining of the 1979 John Stewart hit ‘Gold’, brought up to date and transformed into an Americana anthem with added pedal steel from Tommy Detamore, fiddle from Jess Meador and Dave Bernal’s harmonica. Surge’s dynamic vocal performance is lifted by harmonies from Brennen Leigh, sung on the original by Steve Nicks, bringing another layer to an absorbing song. While it’s a familiar track, Surge and the band very much make it their own. ‘Gold’ is accompanied by a well produced video, directed, filmed and edited by Taylor Hungerford, Silverspark Printworks; the well-shot visual helps to tell the story of the challenges artists face in the music industry.
The single appears on the brand new EP ‘Maybe You don’t Know Me’, produced by Tommy Detamore in Floresville, Texas. The follow-up to the well-received 2023 album ‘Almost Time’, which reached number 32 on the Americana Music Association radio chart, promises to give a flavour of the energetic live shows Surge delivers with his band The Haymakers. Surge says of the new material: “‘Maybe You Don’t Know Me’ is five shots, some straight up and some on the rocks. These five songs represent a real cross section of the music we make.” You can expect a blend of forceful alt-country and calmer moments of gentle country-folk. Enjoy.
