Crescent City by Loose Cattle

“Crescent City,” the new single from New Orleans’ Loose Cattle, is a fiddler-driven reading of Americana icon Lucinda Williams' classic tune. Their rendition features special guests Louis Michot of Grammy winners Lost Bayou Ramblers as one of those fiddlers and Drive By Truckers’ Jay Gonzalez on organ and was recorded on the banks of the Vermilion River at famed Dockside Studios, produced by John Agnello (Son Volt, Dinosaur Jr., Waxahatchee, Horse Girl). “Crescent City” was spontaneously tracked during sessions for the band's second studio album, which is expected late summer/fall 2023. This track is being released as a stand-alone single on April /21 on Low Heat Records as a digital download and on streaming platforms in celebration of Loose Cattle’s first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, May 4.

"It was kind of a Louisiana love-at-first-sight story,” says Kimberly Kaye, co-leader of Loose Cattle with Michael Cerveris, and lead singer on “Crescent City.” "Michael had known Lucinda for a while through Lu's tour manager, his fellow native West Virginian, Travis Stephens. When we came to town for an unofficial Louisiana Americana showcase during last year's Americana Music Fest in Nashville Lu invited us to stay at her place, with typical Southern hospitality.”

“We bonded right away, talking about parents, writing, and her childhood in Louisiana," says Cerveris, "It seemed natural for us to invite her to sit in on our Vinyl Tap set. And despite being scheduled to head out on her own tour later that day, she said she'd love to come out and make music with her Louisiana people. We all decided ‘Crescent City’ would be the perfect song especially since we'd brought Cajun fiddler Louis Michot with us filling in for our regular fiddle player, Rurik Nunan.”

"We kept it a surprise ‘til Lu came up onstage, and then the tiny room exploded with joy, appreciation and most of all, love for Lucinda," says Kim. "We carried that feeling back home to New Orleans," continues Michael, “and then into Dockside when we started recording our second album. One day, when Louis stopped by to deliver andouille sausage and boudin balls as a local treat for the out-of-towners (more of that Southern hospitality), we decided to try and recapture a little of the magic of that day in Nashville, this time with two fiddlers, just for Lu."

Loose Cattle are inheritors of the progressive politics and compassionate humanity of folk and country truth-tellers past and present, some of whom have become friends: both Lucinda Williams and Patterson Hood guest on their debut for the mighty Southern indie Single Lock
Records. The album ably takes on these weird American times with tenderness, rigor, empathy, and guitars.

loosecattleband.com