Canvasback Music recording artist Briston Maroney has released his new single “Freeway” – available now at all DSPs and streaming services. Produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Angel Olsen), the song is joined by a cinematic official music video shot along the Maine coastline and directed by the Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s longtime visual collaborator, Joey Brodnax – watch HERE.
Today’s release marks the second off Maroney’s forthcoming 2021 debut LP. Released in August, the album’s first single – “Deep Sea Diver” – was met with critical acclaim including from Consequence of Sound (“a freewheeling number”) and Paste, who declared the track “reminiscent of an uplifting roadtrip soundtrack with meaningful lyricism blended beneath the surface.”
Produced by Congleton and co-written with Dan Wilson (Leon Bridges, Adele, The Chicks), “Deep Sea Diver” also arrived with a Brodnax-directed companion video – watch HERE. Upon release, LADYGUNN praised the visual for the way in which it “plays on the surreal serenity of our natural world.” The magazine continued, “In a trippy, aesthetically pleasing, and hypnagogic type way – both Joey Brodnax and Briston capture the beauty of everyday mundanities and make it look incredible.”
“Deep Sea Diver” was the first new release from Briston since his acclaimed third EP Miracle, released at the top of 2020. Produced by Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys), that project was highlighted by tracks “Chattanooga” and “The Garden” – praised as “refreshingly raw” by Consequence of Sound.
This year has also seen the extraordinary resurgence of Maroney’s “Freakin’ Out On the Interstate.” First released via Maroney’s Carnival EP (2018), the song has gained serious traction as of late, garnering more than a million streams a week and bringing the Knoxville-native’s catalog up over 50 million global streams – all prior to the release of his debut album.
In July, Maroney released an acoustic rendition of the track, as well as a full-band performance – both recorded live at Nashville’s Alex the Great recording studio and directed by Brodnax. The song had previously been recorded for a performance for World Café – watch here – live at WXPN Studios in Philadelphia, leading NPR to declare “Briston Maroney is writing powerful rock songs with grit and heart.”
In 2019, Maroney was named to various critics’ year-end “Best Of” lists – including PAPER, Vulture, and Consequence of Sound. Off the back of his sophomore EP Indiana, he rose from playing house shows to sold-out clubs in the US, as well as an international headline tour and slots at marquee festivals including Austin City Limits and Pitchfork Paris.