Grammy-winner Tim O'Brien and his partner Jan Fabricius will have a new single, "Hungry Heart," out this Friday, May 2 on their own Howdy Skies Records. The song, the second single from their new album, Paper Flowers, out June 6 on Howdy Skies Records, is premiering at Bluegrass Today, who write that "'Hungry Heart' reaches back to an earlier time, before modern communications technology allowed us to stay in such close proximity, at least in digital fashion."

O'Brien says that the duet is dedicated to hard working mothers everywhere. 'Hungry Heart' paints the picture of a family seated around the kitchen table, sharing a long-distance call from dad in the days long before speaker phones, let alone cell phones," he says. "You can almost see the curly cable stretching from the wall, as the receiver passes from mom to sister, and sister to brother. Conjuring the lonesome feeling of a father calling in from wherever he earns a living for his wife and children, the track features shared lead vocals and close harmony.”

PRE-SAVE "HUNGRY HEART" HERE

PRE-ORDER/ PRE-SAVE PAPER FLOWERS HERE

Paper Flowers is O'Brien's first true collaboration and duo album with Fabricius, with folk great Tom Paxton co-writing 12 of the album's 15 original songs. It was recorded at Cowboy Arms in Nashville with Tim on guitar and vocal and Jan on mandolin and vocal, along with longtime collaborators Mike Bub (bass), Mike Rojas (accordion), Justin Moses (resophonic guitar), and Larry Atamanuik (drums).

"Jan and I started weekly co-writing sessions with Tom in the spring of 2023 and 12 of songs on our album come from those Wednesday afternoon Zooms. It's our first real collaborative project, and a narrative of Jan’s and my life together runs through the record, from courtship to growing old together, with a road trip, the Armadillo, and a granddaughter’s wedding in between."

While Tim O’Brien might operate a bit under music business radar, but he’s been an essential part of the fabric of the folk, bluegrass, Americana, and songwriter scenes for the past 50 years. Since his emergence as singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter with the iconic 1980’s bluegrass group Hot Rize, the West Virginia native has continued down a diverse and constantly evolving musical pathway. In the process he’s written songs for people like Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks, released rootsy classics like Red on Blonde and The Crossing and earned a few Grammy awards. He was recently tapped to join Steve Martin and Alison Brown for a new single, "5 Days Out, Two Days Back."

"The album is just wonderful! I am proud to be a part of it. All I want is to carry on with this. Yodel on!" —Tom Paxton

"I’m mighty excited for Tim O’Brien’s beautiful, introspective new record “Paper Flowers”. Along with partner Jan Fabricius, Tim weaves an even more heartfelt song cyclethan usual, full of soulful balladry and thoughtful notions of love, loss, and learning. Run out, get you a copy, and crank up one of the prettiest sounding new records to come out of Nashville this year." — Ketch Secor, Old Crow Medicine Show

TOUR DATES:

5/14  The Station Inn - Nashville TN

5/15  Historic Old San Ysidro Church – Corrales, NM

5/16   San Miguel Mission - Santa Fe NM

5/17   Tico Time Bluegrass Festival – Aztec, NM

5/18   Tico Time Bluegrass Festival – Aztec, NM

5/25   DelFest - Cumberland MD

 5/29  Pilgrim Church - Bozeman MT

5/30   Long Staff House - Missoula MT

6/11   The Station Inn - Nashville TN

6/20   Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Telluride CO

6/21   Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Telluride CO

8/14   Tin Pan - Richmond VA

8/15   The Barns at Rose Hill - Berryville VA

8/16   Philadelphia Folk Festival - Harleysville PA

4/28   Rams Head On Stage – Annapolis, MD

8/23   Kansas State Fiddling & Picking Championship – Lawrence KS

8/24   Kansas State Fiddling & Picking Championship – Lawrence KS

8/28   Atwood Music Hall - Madison WI

8/29   The Parkway Theatre - Minneapolis MN

8/30   Jackpine Jamboree - Birnamwood WI

8/31   Jackpine Jamboree - Birnamwood WI

 9/17  The Station Inn - Nashville TN

9/20   Frostburg MD - FSU Appalchian Festival

9/26   Washington’s Foco - Fort Collins CO

9/27   Swallow Hill/Daniels Hall - Denver CO

9/28   Swallow Hill/Daniels Hall - Denver CO

10/3   Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco CA

10/4   Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco CA

10/5   Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco CA

10/11 CaveFest at The Caverns - Pelham TN