A few years ago, before Pistol Annies released their album ‘Interstate Gospel’, fans received postcards in the mail giving them clues about song titles and lyrics. Fans loved it so much that Miranda decided to repeat the treat with both analogue and digital postcards sent out this week – each one with the title of a new song and announcing her new album title as ‘Postcards from Texas’.
On her last album ‘Palomino’ (which really should have been called ‘Tourist’) Miranda was restless, re-recording songs from her Marfa Tapes album, hopping from place to place in search of a new direction. Not long after that album she parted ways with her record company of twenty years, heading off even further into the unknown.
This week’s postcard delivery indicated that the destination for the next stage in her career would be somewhere familiar – her home state of Texas. She wrote on the back of each postcard the following message:
‘On my last album I was traveling. On my newest album, each song is a letter from home.’
Here’s what we know about the album so far!
The Album Takes Miranda Back to Her Roots
The title of ‘Postcards from Texas’ is confirmed, with this stamped on the back of each postcard and also featured on its own separate postcard. We do know that Miranda headed back to her home state to record for the first time since the beginning of her career.
The beautifully designed Americana artwork of the postcards creates a fun, throwback country and western aesthetic which will hopefully be reflected in the music too.
The main album cover is a relaxed looking picture of herself on a farm, showing off some serious turquoise jewellery and an impressively huge cowboy hat.
Expect the Album in the Autumn
Miranda has announced today that the album will be released on 13th September! You can hear ‘Alimony’ now and hopefully at least another couple of songs will be released before the final date.
Miranda is Back Behind the Production Desk, With a Little Help From Her Friend
The first single off the album was produced by Miranda herself, alongside Jon Randall, continuing the production collaboration from Palomino (minus Luke Dick). They recorded the album in Texas and the rest of the album is also self-produced with Randall.
Signing to a label based in New York and launching her own imprint out of Texas also suggests she’s less concerned with the sound of the album fitting into the Nashville machine and the demands of country radio this time around.
These Song Titles Sound Like Classics Already
Here’s the official track list!:
- Armadillo (Aaron Raitiere, Jon Decious, Park Twomey)
- Dammit Randy (Miranda Lambert, Brendan McLoughlin, Jon Randall)
- Looking Back on Luckenbach (Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby)
- Santa Fe feat. Parker McCollum (Miranda Lambert, Jesse Frasure, Jessie Jo Dillon, Dean Dillon)
- January Heart (Brent Cobb, Neil Medley)
- Wranglers (Audra Mae, Evan McKeever, Ryan Carpenter)
- Run (Miranda Lambert)
- Alimony (Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally)
- I Hate Love Songs (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
- No Man’s Land (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick)
- Bitch On The Sauce (Miranda Lambert, Jaren Johnston)
- Way Too Good At Breaking My Heart (Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Jesse Frasure, Jenee Fleenor)
- Wildfire (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
- Living On The Run (David Allen Coe, Jimmy L. Howard)
See the postcards below with the gorgeous retro Americana artwork giving us a little hint at the theme of each one. I personally can’t wait to hear ‘Bitch on the Sauce (Just Drunk)’ and ‘No Man’s Land’ in particular!
Expect a Variety of Songwriters
In the interview with Variety, Miranda said ‘It was important to me on this record to cut some outside songs. I love so many songwriters in this town…and there’s so many great songs laying around.’ The first single off the record, ‘Wranglers’, was written by Ryan Carpenter, Evan McKeever and Audra Mae (who also wrote Little Red Wagon). Other hidden gem Nashville songwriters featured include Brent Cobb on ‘January Heart’.
‘Dammit Randy’ was written with producer and usual collaborator Randall but also gave her husband his first songwriting credit (what he contributed is yet to be revealed!)
I was hopeful that ‘Looking Back from Luckenbach’ could be a cover of this old Whitney Rose song, as it refers to postcards and guitars and Whitney Rose is one of the most underrated songwriters out there in Americana music but this turns out to not be the case!
I noticed in the comments on Instagram that Natalie Hemby asked for a postcard from Luckenbach and it turns out this song is in fact a collaboration with Hemby, who has had a co-write on every solo album since ‘Revolution’. Update: Hemby also has a credit on ‘Alimony’ alongside Shame McAnally.
From my random Googling of these song titles I found a David Allen Coe song called ‘Living on the Run’ which could be another potential choice of cover, as it certainly would fit the outlaw vibe of the record although it’s about murdering a woman so if it is this song she might flip the genders! Update: it’s confirmed to be this song!
I’m always interested in what artists can write solo as well so it would be nice to see if there are any tracks she has composed alone. Update: looks like ‘Run’ will be a solo write.
Fun Miranda is Back!
From what we can hear of the three songs so far we have a humorous and fun vibe suggesting Miranda is relishing her new found freedom. ‘Wranglers’ is more than a little tongue in cheek, the title of ‘Dammit Randy’ is hilarious in itself before you even hear the witty fuck-you lyrics, and from this live preview ‘Alimony’ is downright hilarious, in a typical Pistol Annies style.
Even though the album may also contain some feisty revenge songs (like Wranglers) and heart wrenching ballads, I absolutely love her witty songs like Tequila Does, Geraldene, Gravity is a Bitch, White Liar etc so I’m hopeful for more of this mood overall.
Really though I’m just excited and grateful to have new music and it’s just so nice to have her back and sounding like she’s enjoying herself.
More information will be added to this post when the official details are announced.
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