Photo Credit: David Simchock

In August, Town Mountain made a landmark decision to end its road endeavors after turning in an astonishing 1,500 live performances. In a note describing the change, the group went so far as to hold space for the unknown, extending: “Who knows what the future holds…” 

Today, the band, known for its ability to bond alt-country unrest with the honky tonk spirit of the Appalachian foothills, has premiered its new live EP with Relix. Titled Live From Drop of Sun, the set was recorded at Drop of Sun Studios in their native Asheville, N.C., and trails the success of Dance Me Down Easy: The Woodstock Sessions EP and the ensemble’s 2022 New West Records debut, Lines in the Levee.

The four-track collection moves with a particular aptitude for worn leather cowboots gliding across the oak-plank floors of a beloved Southern hole-in-the-wall, where beer is cheap and conversation flows like the great Mississippi. There’s an unspoken elegance to each track, intricate stitches that encompass each player’s instrumental forte and ability to interlock and drive a line of music with more parts than just guitar. Here, strings and percussion act like a two-step, fixed to a fiddle and firm beat. 

Live From Drop of Sun opens with “Last Man Standing,” which Barker says, “is a tune based on the life and times of Jerry Lee Lewis. A genius musician and entertainer, but a wildly out-of-control and troubled man behind the scenes who somehow managed to outlast all of his contemporaries in spite of his reckless and dangerous ways.” True to its description, the track moves with passion and vigor, infecting rock with a tinge of boogie-woogie.

“American Family” offers a softer side coming off the driving prowess of “Last Man Standing.” It’s classic by design, with the intent to nod to the pioneer of country-rock and his cosmic edge, like Barker reflects, “When I first thought about this tune, I immediately asked myself, what might Gram Parsons write in this situation? It definitely has a ’70s country/bluegrass fusion vibe.” 

He continues, “I tip my hat to the late great JD Crowe, particularly during the Keith Whitley era. It’s a tune about family.  It was written at a family gathering, the Summer of 2019, in Middle Tennessee.  More specifically, we wrote it one very late night at said family gathering. It definitely contains some autobiographical scenarios. No family is perfect. We all know of struggles with addictions, the law, blind loyalty, foolish pride, and infidelity… to name a few. Family can be beautifully poetic with its imperfections. This song celebrates all families in our great country and beyond.”

“Maid of the Mountain” plucks the heartstrings like an acoustic guitar played fireside for a longtime lover. There’s an intimacy that drives the composition and the lyrics with a keen sense of admiration for what surrounds us and qualifies as home. “This song is a tribute to our home region of Western North Carolina. It’s a reflection on the sentiment of how much things can change at home while you’re out on the road trying to do your job and pursue your dreams,” Barker says. 

“It took on new weight after Helene dismantled and rearranged the landscape and lives of so many in our region. Now for me it’s more of a love song for the hometown and how like the river we find a way to keep moving forward,” the musician comments, alluding to the devastating effects of the 2024 hurricane. 

From reflections on home, the band travels out West on “Arcata Breakdown,” which Barker sets up with the memory, “There was a time in this band when some of us would travel out to California during the harvest for some seasonal work to help support our musical ambitions. This song is about the paranoia that can surround being a stranger in a somewhat sketchy situation.”

Live From Drop of Sun arrives after the band’s final live performance, on October 26, at Ardmore Music Hall. Ruminating on the band’s progression, Barker said, “Town Mountain has always been musically evolving and exploring from the very beginning, with each new album and each new member bringing a host of new sounds and influences to the group. We felt like it was important to give fans a taste of where we ended up with this most recent lineup. Being a live recording, this session definitely captures the energy and emotion, the ‘fire and drive’ of the band’s music.” 

Listen to the four-track Live From Drop of Sun collection below, and save it ahead of Friday’s streaming launch.  

Live From Drop of Sun Track Listing: 

1. Last Man Standing 

2. American Family 

3. Maid of the Mountain 

4. Arcata Breakdown