Americana Highways brings you this video premiere of Nell & Jim Band’s song “By Stars and Sunrise” from their brand new album Western Sun. “By Stars and Sunrise” is Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally with bass player Jim Kerwin (David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Yo Yo Ma), drummer/percussionist Alex Aspinall (Chris O’Connell & the Smart Alecks, Silvestre Martinez) and accordionist/keyboard player Rob Reich (Gaucho, Circus Bella).
Western Sun is an album of hope, celebrating the tales of history with bright tones. “By Stars and Sunrise” could very well be an American anthem.
“By Stars and Sunrise” is how immigrants made their way across the country. They had the eastern sun at their back for the daylong journey, they stared at the sunset as day came to a close, using the western sun to navigate as they slowly made their way to the promised land.” – Jim
I listened over and over to Chris’s [Wadsworth, co-writer] melody and read some stories from the southern routes taken through Texas out to California. I imagined a man coming to Texas and marrying a Tejana, then having to leave her and their children. I wrote the chorus first and we lived with that for a while, then I drafted story verses and worked with Jim to tell the tale. – Nell