Duke Oursler – He Shot More Than Birds
Duke Oursler has a brand new album He Shot More Than Birds produced by Mike Himebaugh and Duke Oursler. This album is ten songs of a country rock – heartland rock hybrid, with raw insights of life in the backroad towns and out on the rural plains, and the degrees of honor (or defeat) that you find in these forgotten American small towns.
“Bootstraps” was the early release, and is set up as a thigh-slapping style country style. “I gotta pick myself up, I gotta get back on track, I gotta pull so damn hard that I bust my bootstrap,” and some breakdown “doh doh doh’s” add to the charm.
“West Kansas Plains” is an easy tempo number as it recounts the adventures of Shylah (the barrel racing gal) along the way describing the windy, barren and inhospitable plains and longing to work things out.
“Blame It All On Me” is a dark, low end rocker, telling the story of getting pulled over by the cops – “it’s gonna be what it’s gonna be … I wanna go home.” Get out your dancing boots for this one.
“The Mill” doesn’t hold back in its account of an account of struggles and regret in a depressed mill town, among the deaths and the dirt under your nails, and “I don’t know if I’ll survive the Americana dream.” “Set Me Free,” another early release, picks up a bouncier more upbeat outlook, with what sounds like some accordion tones, to the price tag on the American dream.
Overall this is a gritty look at lives sometimes spent stuck in places where it’s hard to dream bigger anymore.
Musicians on the album are Duke Oursler on vocals and acoustic guitar; James Beihn on lead and acoustic guitars; Chad Dunn on drums and percussion; Marty Williamson and Taylor King on lead guitars; Bruce Day and Al Wetzel on bass; Lane Hawkins and Anne Harris on fiddle; Tanner Taylor and Dan McMahon on keys;
and Bruce Day, Mike Himebaugh, Al Wetzel, and Kelly Steward on vocals.
You can find more details on Duke’s website here: http://www.dukeoursler.com/ and the music is here:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dukeoursler/he-shot-more-than-birds-2
The album was engineered by Jon Locker, Paul Krogh, and Dan McMahon; and mixed by Mike Himebaugh, Dan McMahon, Lyndon Hughs, and Mark Capps.
