Nothing warms the heart quite like seeing the words, “new music from Larry Sparks” pop up on your screen. And this new album announced today will indeed be special, as it’s a celebration of Larry’s 50 years in the music business, New Moon Over My Shoulder, due July 19 on Rebel Records.
This will be the first new studio project from Sparks in five years, and to celebrate, Rebel has shared a debut single today, along with a video interview to whet your appetite until the record drops in July.
On the video, we find Larry reminiscing a bit about his five decades in bluegrass, from when he was a young man emulating the music of Carter Stanley, through his time with Ralph, and his decision to go out on his own. Over that time, it is doubtful that there has been a more distinctive or evocative voice in bluegrass, and more than a single generation of artists has been reared on that sound.
Picking up on that theme of creating an image with a song, Sparks says that the song he has chosen for the single had just that impact on him.
“The song Take Me Back To West Virginia was pitched to me by Daniel Crabtree, a very fine songwriter out of Nashville, Tennessee. I saw a picture in the words and knew right away it was a real true life story. I could envision every line in the song and knew it would fit my style of singing. It was a picture that needed to be painted.”
Long time Larry Sparks fans know he prefers things in the older ways, and that is just how New Moon Over My Shoulder will be distributed. Upon its July 19 release, it will be available on physical CD, either directly from Larry at a show or on his website, or from online resellers such as County Sales or Amazon. It will also be offered from the Rebel Records web site.
Then in July of 2020, it will be released digitally to the various streaming and download services.
Radio programmers can access the single now at AirPlay Direct.
