(MPG) Thirty Tigers has unveiled "Roofer's Blues" and "Black Crows" from Luke Bell's forthcoming album The King Is Back, a 28-song collection compiling all of the unreleased recordings that would have made up his sophomore album.
Tracked between November 2013 and August 2016, these two new songs, along with the entire collection that will be released on November 7 via Thirty Tigers, capture Bell in his artistic prime, spinning stories about blue-collar workers, heartbroken ramblers and the personal struggles that bind us together.
"Roofer's Blues," one of a few of Bell's "work songs," tracks his early travels from a stint in Austin, TX to New Orleans, where he spent time working as a roofer to make ends meet and found a community of musicians who taught him to play the harmonica. "Black Crows" pulls back the curtain on the songwriter himself, describing what may be his early struggles with mental health as he sings: "Black crows around my heart / Black crows around my brain / Gray black clouds on the wing / Circles round my eyes ... Lord, I may never be the same."
About "Roofer's Blues," Bell's mother Carol reflects, "Luke moved to New Orleans when he left Austin in 2012 or '13, and while he taught himself to play the harmonica and learned from his new musician friends, he worked as a roofer to pay the bills. Luke's dad had worked in the construction business before Luke was born, and we always had a shop in our garage. Between his dad's carpentry skills and his time on the family ranch, Luke was comfortable with tools and with hard work in the hot sun. This song, and his other songs about working people, are a reminder that Luke valued America's working class, he saw himself as a part of that segment of America, and these are the people he was writing his songs for. If you are a roofer and you love this song, Luke would consider that the highest compliment."
On "Black Crows": "When we were going through Luke's previously unreleased music and putting the album together, 'Black Crows' often came up as a favorite. This haunting song with a driving beat might be a song that hints at Luke's mental illness and the paranoia of psychosis. However, it could also be a song about the gamble a Cody, Wyoming, ranch hand was taking by trying his luck in the music business, and his realization that good luck and a little magic, as much as talent and hard work, would be needed if he was going to survive."
The two new songs follow the album's title track "The King Is Back," that was released alongside an official video assembled by Western AF's Mike Vanata featuring footage of Luke and his best friend, his dog Bill, at the historic TE Ranch west of Cody, Wyoming where Luke lived and worked during his musical off-seasons.
"Luke grew up as a multi-generational rancher in Wyoming, and his music was a product of that lifestyle," says Stephen Daly, who played guitar in Luke's band and produced The King Is Back's final tracks at his home studio in Nashville. "He was a wild man from the West, and he made country music through that lens. If you told him what to do, he'd do the opposite. If you tried to rein him in, he'd push away. He always did what he wanted to do."
Three years ago, the Wyoming-born singer/songwriter tragically passed away at age 32, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most promising new voices in country music. Arriving several years after his passing, The King Is Back keeps his spirit alive. Produced by Andrija Tokic, the album was assembled by Luke's mother Carol along with manager Brian Buchanan, with assistance from his sister Jane Bell and Tiffany Buchanan, plus Stephen Daly and Justin Frances.
Luke Bell was raised in Cody, Wyoming, and would independently release two albums before signing with Thirty Tigers for his self-titled national debut. The album was acclaimed by publications such as Rolling Stone, The Fader, NPR Music, and NPR's national newsmagazine program Weekend Edition, ultimately leading to tour dates supporting his heroes Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam.
At the height of his success, Bell tragically lost his father to cancer in 2015 and began struggling with severe mental illness, which made it increasingly difficult to play shows and continue living in Nashville. Bell was ultimately diagnosed as bipolar, and spent the following years tirelessly grappling with his illness, leading to hospitalizations and even a stint in jail. On August 26, 2022, Luke was found dead in Tucson, Arizona, after going missing.
All proceeds from the album release will support The Luke Bell Memorial Affordable Counseling Program, a non-profit organization founded by Carol and Jane Bell that supports Big Horn Basin residents by providing vouchers for up to ten sessions with a therapist of the individual's choice.
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