For the last two decades, GRAMMY-winning quintet The SteelDrivers have had a pretty simple process of whittling down songs to record for their new albums: Do we all like them? Do they have that SteelDrivers sound? With their new single, “Booze and Cigarettes”—the latest from Outrun, the band’s upcoming album on the legendary Sun Records—the choice was a no-brainer. Like most SteelDrivers songs, there’s a good time layer to their Bluegrass Americana styling with a slight tinge of something deeper at play. But make no mistake, it’s a catchy number that will be stuck in listeners' heads well after the first listen.
“I stop by right around 5 almost every day / I work close by and this little dive keeps calling out my name,” sings SteelDrivers guitarist Matt Dame to set the scene. “I can’t say I’m a regular, I ain’t quite there yet / I’m just here for the booze and cigarettes.” The walking bass line and chugging mandolin wind their way around a bluesy arrangement. Fiddle and banjo dance over the top leading into the song’s chorus, putting a little dark spin on the dive bar aesthetic: “The booze goes down easy / And the smoke calms my nerves / It’s like nobody sees me / Sitting here all alone getting just what I deserve.” “I wrote this one about seven or eight years ago with Verlon Thompson,” says SteelDrivers fiddler, Tammy Rogers. “That’s the great thing about songs…they don’t have an expiration date!”
“Booze and Cigarettes” is the latest single from Outrun, which is due out on May 23rd. Outrun features the classic, blues-infused bluegrass sound the band has been known for for two decades now, freewheeling and fun, rich with stories and singalongs alike. Beyond the ever-evolving musical nature of The SteelDrivers, this seamless ebb and flow between intricate bluegrass and the hardscrabble blues, another key element of Outrun is this underlying tribute to late founding member Mike Henderson. And though Henderson passed away in 2023, his memory and presence is still profoundly felt by the group, onstage and in the studio.
Fans can stream or purchase “Booze and Cigarettes” today at this link, check out The SteelDrivers’ previously-released singles, “Outrun” and “The River Knows,” at their respective links, and pre-order or pre-save Outrun ahead of its May release on Sun Records right here.
In addition to rolling out their new album, The SteelDrivers are celebrating quite the milestone this year with The SteelDrivers 20th Anniversary Tour. “Tough times never last, but tough people do,” says SteelDrivers bassist, Mark Fleming. “To be celebrating our 20th anniversary, still touring and releasing a new project on Sun Records, is proof of the SteelDrivers' resilient personnel and catalog of original material we have produced.” “We have been planning and looking forward to this 20th anniversary tour for about a year and half,” adds Rogers. “Time sure flies by when you’re doing what you love. We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this achievement and share some new music with all our Steelheads!”
A full list of tour dates can be found below or at thesteeldrivers.com.
Catch the SteelDrivers on their 20th Anniversary Tour:
May 8 - Tyler, TX - Stanley’s BBQ
May 9 - Ft. Worth, TX - Billy Bob’s
May 10 - New Braunfels, TX - Gruene Hall
May 15 - Bloomington, IL - Bloomington PAC
May 16 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note
May 17 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads
May 25 - Cumberland, MD - DelFest
May 30 - Pelham, TN - The Caverns
May 31 - Pelham, TN - The Caverns
June 1 - Pelham, TN - The Caverns
June 14 - Lexington, KY - Festival of the Bluegrass
June 21 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
June 22 - Winchester, CA - Balloon and Wine Festival
June 28 - Owensboro, KY - ROMP
July 4 - Garrettsville, OH - Grassfire Festival
July 9 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile
July 10 - Portland, OR - Topaz Farm
July 11 - Bellingham, WA - Tune In Festival
July 25 - Grass Valley, CA - Center for the Arts
July 26 - Reno, NV - Robert Z Hawkins Ampitheatre
August 8 - Homer, NY - Center for the Arts
August 9 - Clayton, NY - Clayton Opera House
August 10 - Schenectady, NY - Music Haven Central Park
August 15 - Manchester, VT - Green Mtn Bluegrass and Roots Festival
August 16 - Mason, NH - The Range
August 22 - Bellvue, CO - Mishawaka Amphitheatre
August 23 - Bellvue, CO - Mishawaka Amphitheatre
August 24 - Boulder, CO - eTown Hall
August 30 - Piketon, OH - SamJam
September 4 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
September 5 - Pontiac, MI - Flagstar Strand Theatre
September 6 - Shipshewana, IN - Blue Gat Theatre
September 19 - Lexington, KY - Lexington Opera House
September 20 - Lexington, KY - Lexington Opera House
October 3 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
October 4 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
October 17 - Manteo, NC - OBX Bluegrass Festival
October 18 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere
October 19 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere
October 22 - Park City, UT - Egyptian Theatre
October 23 - Park City, UT - Egyptian Theatre
October 24 - Park City, UT - Egyptian Theatre
October 25 - Park City, UT - Egyptian Theatre
