Shinyribs new single, "Simply Belong to You," is Out Today
Hardcharger and Blue Élan Records are proud to announce the newest addition to a growing roster, the Austin-based swamp-pop, soul band, Shinyribs. First single, “Simply Belong to You” is out today with the full album, Transit Damage, slated for release on July 14, 2023. You can follow this link to listen to the new single now.“Simply Belong To You” is the gateway into the latest Shinyribs installment that seems like a happy-go-lucky, rolling swamp paean to monogamy on the surface, until you hear the lyrical payoff: “In a world opposed to simply belonging/I simply belong to you.” It’s a deeper meditation on the forces that can tear a relationship apart. Reflecting on how the song came about, frontman Kevin Russell states that he wanted to dig deeper into the more romantic and introspective side of his songwriting. “It’s a very personal song. …I probably never would have put it on a record, because it’s just too personal. I’m not a confessional kinda writer.”
Just who is Shinyribs? It’s a sprawling nine, sometimes 10-piece cast, but ultimately it is the funky brainchild of Kevin Russell, who grew up in Beaumont, TX and Shreveport, LA, the cradle of the swamp pop and bayou R&B sounds that drip off his fingers like honey and hot sauce nowadays. Think gulf coast meets Muscle Shoals with strong pop-song structures. The evolution of Shinyribs came about when Kevin began playing a solo residency under that moniker - after an incident involving Russell buying a homeless woman a plate of ribs in a Houston club in the mid-2000s. “I was already a lover of New Orleans R&B from the ‘40s and ‘50s,” says Russell. “That music is some of my favorite music ever. Suddenly I realized I could play that style with these horns.”
Transit Damage was produced by Grammy winner Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Raul Malo, Deer Tick, Greensky Bluegrass), who helped shape the record and pushed Kevin to reach beyond the party band specs. Culled from 30 to 40 songs Russell sent to him, spanning unrecorded works from across his career, to newer songs, the album encompasses a deeper and more meaningful collection of songs. The band’s celebratory bayou funk/R&B/soul sounds are leavened with Russell’s most personal songwriting yet, while still retaining the Shinyribs trademark need to get up and dance.
The ninth installment into the Shinyribs cannon, and first for the Jesse Dayton led Hardcharger imprint, the two artists bonded over their shared hometown of Beaumont, TX and their love for a special Texas-bred sound. Shinyribs are renowned for their dynamic live show and have crossed the country playing to sold out venues, often with Kevin sporting a cape that lights up, and wearing his fancy dance shoes. Coming on the heels of several killer performances at this year’s SXSW, Kevin and crew are getting ready to hit the road with many dates throughout the Spring and Summer.