Lost Highway will release Mescalito, the debut album from Texas singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham. Mescalito contains 14 songs written by Bingham, following in the tradition of some of the great Texas songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt.
Mescalito was produced by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, who also plays on the album. Bingham's music, as well as his live performances have already made fans of acclaimed artists such as Patti Griffin and Texas legends Joe Ely and Terry Allen.
At 25, the bumpy course of Bingham's life has already surpassed that of many twice is age. From his bordertown upbringing to his years on the Southwestern rodeo circuit, Bingham's poignant songs, sung through his whiskey-soaked voice, reflect his experiences and the wisdom he has gained from them. His songs are raw, honest and born out of a genuine soul.
From the opening track "Southside of Heaven" to the bluesy slide of "Bread & Water" to the Mexican-flavored "Boracho Station", Bingham's songs come straight from the heart. His influences blend seamlessly with his own style creating a traditional sound that also sounds fresh and original. Bingham has the unique ability to transport audiences into the center of the place from which they came.
Listen to Mescalito and take part in the journey that is Ryan Bingham."

For some artists, winning an Oscar would represent reaching a pinnacle. For Ryan Bingham, who took home the Academy Award for "The Weary Kind," his hauntingly beautiful theme song for the acclaimed film Crazy Heart, it instead represented a crossroads and a decision about which path to take.

"When there are a lot of people around saying 'look, you have to capitalize on this and do something really commercial,' you might think about it for a second," admits the LA-based singer-songwriter. "But at the end of the day, there's not a chance in hell I could do that. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I couldn't get up in front of people and play a bunch of stuff that didn't mean anything to me."

Bingham puts that philosophy to the test in a big way on Junky Star, his third album on Lost Highway, which was recorded in a matter of days with producer T Bone Burnett, his collaborator on the Crazy Heart soundtrack. The disc delivers a bracing fusion of pensive, gravelly ballads - like "Hallelujah," which is not a Leonard Cohen cover, but his own take on mortality, delivered from the other side of the veil - and raw, rock'n'roll cuts that showcase Bingham's incisive, darkly compelling lyrical bent.

Bingham channels a number of unique spirits over the course of the album, leading with his sensitive side on "The Poet" and kicking out the jams on the Waylon-meets-Keith Richards "All Choked Up Again." Elsewhere, as in songs like "Depression" - a vivid evocation of our current social climate that'd have Woody Guthrie nodding in approval - and the album's poignant title track, Bingham applies his wizened rasp with precise strokes, wringing emotion from every note.

Ryan Bingham has spent most of his life on the road, first on the rough-and-tumble rodeo circuit, then moving from town to town on the equally volatile roadhouse musical circuit. Those travels have given him plenty of material to draw from - and plenty of reason to stop for a moment to dig in his heels and take a stand.

That's exactly what the Texas-bred troubadour does on his second Lost Highway album, Road House Sun, a hardscrabble collection that's at once unblinkingly personal and unapologetically political - the latter a new and bracingly vivid addition to Bingham's palette.

Produced, like its predecessor, by one-time Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, Road House Sun manages to capture a feel that's rootsy without being retro. That has a lot to do with the singer's preternaturally wizened voice - which Bingham laughingly attributes to "Too many nights in the whiskey house" - not to mention Ford's approach behind the board," which Bingham describes as "really old school. Those guitar tones and basslines, Marc knew how to get those down. He wanted to do it the way they used to do it."

Limited Vinyl Edition: 2 LP Set, Gatefold package includes Junky Star lyric book.

Lost Highway will release Mescalito, the debut album from Texas singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham. Mescalito contains 14 songs written by Bingham, following in the tradition of some of the great Texas songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt.
Mescalito was produced by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, who also plays on the album. Bingham's music, as well as his live performances have already made fans of acclaimed artists such as Patti Griffin and Texas legends Joe Ely and Terry Allen.
At 25, the bumpy course of Bingham's life has already surpassed that of many twice is age. From his bordertown upbringing to his years on the Southwestern rodeo circuit, Bingham's poignant songs, sung through his whiskey-soaked voice, reflect his experiences and the wisdom he has gained from them. His songs are raw, honest and born out of a genuine soul.
From the opening track "Southside of Heaven" to the bluesy slide of "Bread & Water" to the Mexican-flavored "Boracho Station", Bingham's songs come straight from the heart. His influences blend seamlessly with his own style creating a traditional sound that also sounds fresh and original. Bingham has the unique ability to transport audiences into the center of the place from which they came.
Listen to Mescalito and take part in the journey that is Ryan Bingham."

Ryan Bingham has spent most of his life on the road, first on the rough-and-tumble rodeo circuit, then moving from town to town on the equally volatile roadhouse musical circuit. Those travels have given him plenty of material to draw from - and plenty of reason to stop for a moment to dig in his heels and take a stand.

That's exactly what the Texas-bred troubadour does on his second Lost Highway album, Road House Sun, a hardscrabble collection that's at once unblinkingly personal and unapologetically political - the latter a new and bracingly vivid addition to Bingham's palette.

Produced, like its predecessor, by one-time Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, Road House Sun manages to capture a feel that's rootsy without being retro. That has a lot to do with the singer's preternaturally wizened voice - which Bingham laughingly attributes to "Too many nights in the whiskey house" - not to mention Ford's approach behind the board," which Bingham describes as "really old school. Those guitar tones and basslines, Marc knew how to get those down. He wanted to do it the way they used to do it."

Lost Highway will release Mescalito, the debut album from Texas singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham. Mescalito contains 14 songs written by Bingham, following in the tradition of some of the great Texas songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt.
Mescalito was produced by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, who also plays on the album. Bingham's music, as well as his live performances have already made fans of acclaimed artists such as Patti Griffin and Texas legends Joe Ely and Terry Allen.
At 25, the bumpy course of Bingham's life has already surpassed that of many twice is age. From his bordertown upbringing to his years on the Southwestern rodeo circuit, Bingham's poignant songs, sung through his whiskey-soaked voice, reflect his experiences and the wisdom he has gained from them. His songs are raw, honest and born out of a genuine soul.
From the opening track "Southside of Heaven" to the bluesy slide of "Bread & Water" to the Mexican-flavored "Boracho Station", Bingham's songs come straight from the heart. His influences blend seamlessly with his own style creating a traditional sound that also sounds fresh and original. Bingham has the unique ability to transport audiences into the center of the place from which they came.
Listen to Mescalito and take part in the journey that is Ryan Bingham."

Ryan Bingham has spent most of his life on the road, first on the rough-and-tumble rodeo circuit, then moving from town to town on the equally volatile roadhouse musical circuit. Those travels have given him plenty of material to draw from - and plenty of reason to stop for a moment to dig in his heels and take a stand.

That's exactly what the Texas-bred troubadour does on his second Lost Highway album, Road House Sun, a hardscrabble collection that's at once unblinkingly personal and unapologetically political - the latter a new and bracingly vivid addition to Bingham's palette.

Produced, like its predecessor, by one-time Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, Road House Sun manages to capture a feel that's rootsy without being retro. That has a lot to do with the singer's preternaturally wizened voice - which Bingham laughingly attributes to "Too many nights in the whiskey house" - not to mention Ford's approach behind the board," which Bingham describes as "really old school. Those guitar tones and basslines, Marc knew how to get those down. He wanted to do it the way they used to do it."