Kelsey Waldon, Emily Nenni

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Alysse Gafkjen

Kelsey Waldon

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media release: Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Kelsey Waldon will embark on her nationwide “No Regular Dog Tour” this summer; full details can be found at http://www.kelseywaldon.com/tour.

The upcoming performances celebrate Waldon’s highly anticipated new album, No Regular Dog, which will be released August 12 via Oh Boy Records. Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Kelsey Waldon’s new song, “Tall and Mighty,” is out now. Watch/share the official music video HERE.

Produced by Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker) and recorded at Los Angeles’ Dave’s Room Studio, No Regular Dog is rooted in deep self-reflection and features Waldon’s most personal songwriting to date. With these eleven songs, including “Season’s Ending,” a tribute to Waldon’s mentor John Prine, and “Simple as Love,” the first love song she’s written, Waldon solidifies her position as one of music’s most authentic voices—turning the harsh truths of loss, self-doubt and sacrifice into songs that soothe and brighten the soul. Greatly influenced by sounds of the past, the record highlights the immense depth of Waldon’s musicality, mining inspiration from mid-century bluegrass, ‘60s soul and ‘70s country-rock. 

Reflecting on the record, Waldon shares, “I hope that these songs are able to live with people and help make the world a little better, because I think that’s a big part of what my job is. At the end of the day, I’m so thankful for my passion for music because it’s sustained me throughout my whole life, and now I want it to do the same for other people. And if anyone’s struggling, I hope they can recognize the ‘No Regular Dog’ within themselves, and start to see how much they’re really worth.”  

Additionally, Jennings shares, “Kelsey Waldon is a top shelf artist who feels a deep responsibility to country music, the preservation of its history, and the quality of its future. I would say country music is in good hands.” 

In addition to Waldon (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Jennings (piano, organ, synths), No Regular Dog also features Waldon’s touring band—Nate Felty (drums), Alec Newnam (bass) and Brett Resnick (pedal steel), alongside special guests Doug Pettibone (dobro, guitar) and Aubrey Richmond (fiddle), as well as background vocals from Kyshona Armstrong, Mickie Conley, Maureen Murphy and Kristen Rogers.   

No Regular Dog is Waldon’s fourth studio album and the follow up to 2019’s White Noise/ White Lines—her Oh Boy Records debut. Released to overwhelming critical praise, the record landed on several “Best of 2019” lists including NPR Music, Paste, Stereogum, The Fader, The Bitter Southerner and Rolling Stone, who declared, “a stunning album that gave voice to rural folk…while Waldon’s work is often referred to as steeped in the past, it’s actually focused on rewriting perceptions to shape a more vibrant, complete future.” Additionally, NPR Music praised, “she’s undoubtedly proving to be a force. Growing up in a small Kentucky town, Waldon has a lot to say about emotional and personal independence throughout her music” and American Songwriter proclaimed, “her finest, most personal and diverse work yet, one that pushes boundaries yet remains firmly ensconced in the roots folk/country genre she calls home.”

Raised in Monkey’s Eyebrow, KY and now based outside of Nashville, Waldon has performed across the world, including shows with John Prine, Tanya Tucker, Brandy Clark, Jamey Johnson, The Steeldrivers and Tyler Childers in addition to her own extensive headline tours.

Emily Nenni will release On The Ranch November 4th, 2022 via Normaltown/New West Records. The 10-song set was produced by Mike Eli (guitarist for Chris Stapleton) and Alex Lyon and mixed and engineered by Jake Davis at Laughing Heart Studio in Nashville, TN. On The Ranch follows Nenni’s 2017 Hell of a Woman LP as well as I Owe You Nothin’, her collaborative EP with Teddy and the Rough Riders, and 2020’s Long Game EP. The latter’s title track cracked over 1 million streams and earned her critical acclaim with Glide Magazine proclaiming, “Nenni possesses a unique and deeply charismatic vocal charm.” 

The Bay Area born & raised, Nashville-based singer songwriter chronicles her life through delicate songcraft rife with honky-tonk spirit and spiked with just the right amount of soul. In possession of sharp chops shaped by endless sets at Robert’s Western World and the smoky double wide trailer Santa’s Pub in Nashville, she asserts herself as the consummate country storyteller on her label debut. 

Today, The Boot premiered the video for the album’s title track, saying “The video keeps pace with the infectious honky tonk rhythm of the song, thanks in large part to the continuous single-shot of Nenni singing and interacting with several different people.” See the Joshua Shoemaker-directed “On The Ranch” video HERE. 

Following High School, Nenni attended Columbia College with a major in audio engineering. After a year, she dropped out and saved up enough money to move to Nashville — despite not knowing a soul in the city, and eventually linked up with producer and frequent collaborator Mike Eli. She says, “I’d been working at a restaurant for a few months mid 2020, and like a lot of people, I just wanted to run away. I was fortunate to know a Covid-safe place to escape to — Mike’s wife was wrangling at a ranch in Colorado and we relocated with the intention of writing the rest of the record, which we did. It was such a privilege to stay in a house full of wrangling women. Their days started around 5:30am, Mike and I would have breakfast and get to writing on the front porch, which had a beautiful view of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I ended up going back to that ranch to work about 6 months later after I had left my job at the restaurant. The owner needed an extra hand, so I served meals, took care of her kid, and played for guests once a week.” 

Emily Nenni is on tour now with Charley Crocket and has also announced tour dates with Kelsey Waldon and Teddy and the Rough Riders. See all dates below. 

“What I love about country is the songs can be very honest and vulnerable, yet they’re beautiful enough to make you cry,” she notes. “My music is sweet and sad, but I don’t take myself too seriously. It’s old school honky-tonk with a slightly different flavor.” 

Emily Nenni’s On The Ranch will be available across digital platforms, on compact disc, and standard black vinyl. An extremely limited to 150 Smoky Clear Color Vinyl Edition will be available via Vinyl Me, Please. A limited to 800 Tan & Gold Marble Color Vinyl Edition will be available at Independent Retailers and can be pre-ordered NOW via NORMALTOWN/NEW WEST RECORDS.