Off the Beaten Path: Vol. 3 - Zac Brown Band

Off the Beaten Path
Written By Matt Williams
 
 

Growing up in the greater Detroit area, country music was not a huge part of my upbringing; most of what I remember hearing on local radio was the brand of country that leads to a lot of oversimplified stereotypes about the genre being about nothing more than dogs, blue jeans, and pickup trucks.

  • When I moved to Georgia, I was almost immediately given a crash course in country music in the form of a road trip to the Bayou Country Superfest at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Brooks & Dunn all performed that year.

It’s hard to go a day in Georgia without hearing Chicken Fried belting out from some store, restaurant, or backyard BBQ. The song is practically synonymous with summer in Georgia and is deeply tied to some of my earliest memories of living here.

  • The Zac Brown Band’s music has a way of sticking to memories. You can replace the stereotypes of dogs & pickup trucks with longing to be on the road (Free), a longing to be reconnected to loved ones (Highway 20 Ride), and a longing for the carefree days of summer (Toes).

  • Part of what distinguishes the ZBB is that they are more than “just another” country band as they draw on influences from rock, bluegrass, reggae, and even EDM.

Musically, their richly layered tracks feature lush harmonies, precision guitar and banjo picking, and Jimmy De Martini’s signature fiddling that somehow communicates everything from levity to despair, matching the range of topics that the band takes on lyrically.

  • This playlist attempts to capture that range. You’ll find collaborations with artists such as Amos Lee and Brandi Carlile alongside live cuts including the comical Sic ‘Em on a Chicken and a rendition of Free blended with Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic. While we’re here, their live album Pass the Jar is worth a listen in full.

  • Even on ZBB’s deeper cuts, you’ll find echoes of those same characteristic emotions, from the summer vibes of Where the Boat Leaves From, to the nostalgic wandering on Oh My Sweet Carolina (originally by Ryan Adams), to the heart-wrenching yearning for a loved one lost on Bittersweet and Lance’s Song — which is a tribute to their drummer, Lance Tilton, who passed away in 2010.

In their own words: “Doing what you love has a high price to pay. Some put on a suit, but he ran the other way. Drums drown out the yuppies, and the ones who couldn't dream; 'Cause the freedom music gave him was worth more than anything.”

Before we go, here are some other resources that should help you on your musical journey:

Happy listening!

On The Beaten Path: well-known tracks that were off limits:

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What is Off the Beaten Path?

Discovering and falling in love with new musical artists is what Fresh Cuts Finds is all about, and Off the Beaten Path is designed to help in that endeavor by spotlighting a particular band we think you’ll really like. Inside, you’ll find a curated playlist, our favorite music video, our favorite live/concert video, and an article about the band (written by people who actually know what they’re talking about). Oh, one more thing. Since most people research a new artist by checking out their Greatest Hits album or scrolling through the most played songs on the band’s Spotify page, our playlist considers them off-limits for inclusion as we figure you already got those covered.

If you have a specific song that you’ve recently discovered or come to love, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at freshcutfinds@gmail.com. We’re planning to roll out more content and a new playlist series in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Matt Williams
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Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 5 - June '20
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Unearthed Vol. 11 - June '20