On May 18, Low Cut Connie will release Dirty Pictures (Part 2) via Contender Records. For their fifth and most fully-realized album to date, the band travelled from their home turf of South Philadelphia to the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN where they cut their critically-acclaimed 2017 release Dirty Pictures (Part 1).
Of new single 'Beverly', frontman Adam Weiner tells Billboard "When we're on the road we stay in really low-rent motels, and I meet a lot of people living there for the week, month or year, and you hear such amazingly crazy stories. "Some are very sad, and what I found intriguing about this character is her existence is entirely isolated and really day-to-day, but she maintains this spirit, this inspiration, this glamour that she carries with her.” "When I wrote the song I could feel an air of sadness and resilience swarming around this Beverly character," explains Weiner. "She is fundamentally alone, but she moves through life like a remote and undiscovered star. I've known many of these strong sexy women who stitch a life together with so few resources. I could feel her in my bones in this song, and it was a joy to try to conjure her up in the video."
While Dirty Pictures (Part 1)'s grimey take on American life found the band digging deeper into the dirt, Part 2 finds them climbing out with their most mature, emotional and cathartic record to date. Piano-pounding frontman / songwriter Adam Weiner explains the ragged but hopeful characters that live on the new record this way: "If you spend a lot of time in divey bars, Waffle House counters, and Burger Kings you'll meet some really mixed-up beautiful people. Those are the people that end up in my songs."
Ever present on Part 2 is Adam Weiner's $100 junker piano named Shondra: the ragged-but-right backbone for Low Cut Connie's boogie strain of rock n roll. Guitarists James Everhart and Will Donnelly weave soulful and scuzzy guitars over drummer Larry "Smooth-Head" Scotton and bassist Lucas Rinz's ace rhythm section. The band has also fleshed out their lineup with longtime Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings singer Saundra Williams. "When I play with these guys, I feel at home. It’s natural. And the love they have for their fans, that love comes back to them. It's incredible to be a part of," explains Williams.
Over the past 7 years and a now annual 100 shows a year, the band has grown their cult following to include fans like President Barack Obama, who included their song "Boozophilia" on his summer Spotify summer playlist and invited Weiner to the White House. Last year, Sir Elton John made the band a staple on his Beats 1 radio show Rocket Hour and invited Weiner on the show for an interview where they discussed the importance of naming your piano and the legacy of piano-based rock n roll.
The band has just announced their first major tour of 2018 and return to the UK this May for shows in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Low Cut Connie will play the following UK dates in May:
May 9 - Edinburgh, The Voodoo Rooms May 10 - Manchester, Night People May 12 - London, The Garage
In May of 2017, Low Cut Connie released Dirty Pictures (part 1) which was included on Fresh Air's Top 10 Albums of 2017 (as chosen by music critic Ken Tucker), Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Albums of 2017, Classic Rock Magazine’s Top 20 Albums of The Year, Glide Magazine’s Top 20 Albums of The Year, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Best 10 albums from Philadelphians in 2017, and music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine’s Best Albums of 2017.
Dirty Pictures (Part 2) tracklist: 1) All These Kids Are Way Too High 2) Beverly 3) Oh Suzanne 4) Every Time You Turn Around 5) Hollywood 6) One More Time 7) Master Tapes 8) Please Do Not Come Home 9) Desegregation 10) Hey! Little Child
