LINDI ORTEGA AND JACK BARKSDALE PARTNER FOR TWO TOM WAITS COVERS

ACCLAIMED AMERICANA MUSICIANS LINDI ORTEGA AND JACK BARKSDALE DELIVER TWO FASCINATING TOM WAITS CLASSICS, “HOW’S IT GONNA END” AND “YESTERDAY IS HERE”, EACH WITH THEIR OWN VIDEO 

WATCH / SHARE “HOW’S IT GONNA END” HERE
WATCH / SHARE “YESTERDAY IS HERE” HERE

BUY / STREAM “HOW’S IT GONNA END” & “YESTERDAY IS HERE” HERE

“I honestly think I can't be friends with people who don't like Tom Waits.” – Lindi Ortega

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"Why Tom Waits? The better question is 'Why not Tom Waits?',” states Jack Barksdale. “His songs are really fun to cover, and you can’t really play them like Tom Waits does, so you’re pretty much forced to make them your own.” Listen to their charming renditions of Tom Waits’ memorable tunes, “How’s It Gonna End” and “Yesterday Is Here”, and it’s hard to believe that Lindi Ortega and Jack Barksdale haven’t been performing together for years.  

Ortega, a celebrated roots noir artist, and Barksdale, a roots music wunderkind, met up for this unique collaboration through their mutual friend, Grammy Award nominated multi-instrumentalist/producer Mike Meadows (Willie Nelson, Shawn Colvin, Hayes Carll). When Meadows brought Jack in to play some slide on Lindi’s upcoming record, as she describes it, “Mike noticed a similar thread of commonality in our mutual love of the same artists and the dark subject matter of our songs,” leading her and Meadows to the idea that she and Barksdale should cover Tom Waits tunes together. She picked “How’s It Gonna End” because “it’s super eerie and creepy, and so am I,” quipped Ortega. Barksdale went with one of his favorite Waits numbers, “Yesterday Is Here”, which he felt paired well with Ortega’s selection.

Ortega and Barksdale’s shared love for Tom Waits music arose somewhat serendipitously. Ortega recalls how, years ago, she was randomly given a tape of Waits’ Mule Variations and was knocked out by how amazing the album’s songs were. “I find his words and music transport me to a place that feels like I've been there before, and it’s haunted,” she elaborates. “It feels like a myriad of ghosts are drunk, dancing in the ache of non-existence.” Watching Waits’ Austin City Limits performance on YouTube one night was Barksdale’s introduction to Waits, and he has been listening to him ever since. “Discovering each album is like discovering a new artist; every time, it feels just as magical,” he shares. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from Tom Waits is that art doesn’t have to be pretty or perfect to be beautiful.”

The videos created for each song wonderfully reflect the mood that Ortega and Barksdale create in their performances. The pair will be announcing a run of co-headlining dates soon. 

WATCH / SHARE “HOW’S IT GONNA END” HERE
WATCH / SHARE “YESTERDAY IS HERE” HERE

BUY / STREAM “HOW’S IT GONNA END” & “YESTERDAY IS HERE” HERE


MORE ABOUT LINDI ORTEGA
The Canadian singer/songwriter burst upon the Americana scene in the early 2010s with the release of JUNO Award nominated Little Red Boots and its follow-up, Cigarettes & Truckstops, which earned her Canadian Country Music Associations Awards. Described by Rolling Stone Country as “impossible to ignore,” Ortega’s eclectic twangy sound continued to earn her accolades for the releases to follow, Tin Star and Faded Gloryville. Her last full-length album, Liberty, was characterized by BBC News as “a musical movie noir” and heralded by the NY Times as having “ample echoes of Enno Morricone, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.” After taking some time away from music, 2024 is shaping to be a big year for Ortega. In the spring she released a duet tune with folk singer Tennyson King, and Ortega has been working with Mike Meadows on an upcoming album to be released in the fall leading up to her return to Americana Fest.

MORE ABOUT JACK BARKSDALE
The Fort Worth, Texas native may only be in his teens, but he has already impacted the music world. He was only 11 when he recorded his first album, Live From Niles City, and just 14 when he released his first studio album, 2022’s Death of a Hummingbird. NPR has raved that “Jack Barksdale is special,” and American Songwriter proclaimed, “Barksdale has insights and awareness far beyond people twice his age and he’s able to put them into songs that touch listeners.” Barksdale continues to record music at an impressively prolific pace. In 2023, he released a seven-track instrumental EP, Phantom Trails, with Mike Meadows, who also produced Hummingbird. 

LINDI ORTEGA ONLINE
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JACK BARKSDALE ONLINE
WEBSITE

LINDI ORTEGA’S “AMBITIOUS” (ROLLING STONE) INSTRUMENTAL ‘LIBERTY: PIANO SONGBOOK’ AVAILABLE NOW

12-TRACK INSTRUMENTAL RECORD FEATURES ROBBIE CROWELL (KESHA, MIDLAND, DEER TICK) ON PIANO

THE LONGEST ROAD TOUR DATES BEGIN FEBRUARY 5

STREAM LIBERTY : PIANO SONGBOOK HERE



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PHOTO CREDIT : Kate Nutt // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

In March 2018, Lindi Ortega debuted a “triumphant” (The Guardian), three-part ‘Liberty’ album, which was a “deeply endearing” (VICE noisey) cinematic exploration of American culture. Now, Lindi Ortega introduces a purely instrumental ‘Liberty: Piano Songbook,’ out today, Fri., Jan. 25. 

Armed with vocals that have been compared to artists ranging from Dolly Parton and Lana Del Rey to Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin, Lindi’s signature croon is obviously absent in the music — encouraging the listener to dive into the real, raw emotion of the album itself. 

With the help of ‘Liberty’ (3.30.18) producer Skyler Wilson, Ortega pulls 12 of the original album’s 15 tracks and reimagines them with the help of multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell (Kesha, Midland). While Ortega does play piano, having another musician record 'Liberty: Piano Songbook' allowed her the critical distance to enjoy her songs as a listener, free of the self-critical ear artists typically bring to their own work.

Ortega spent last year sharing bills with Jason Isbell and Asleep at the Wheel, and she'll will kick off a North American tour on Fri. Feb. 5 at Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. For tickets and more info, visit lindiortega.com. 

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LIBERTY: PIANO SONGBOOK TRACKLIST:

1. Afraid of the Dark
2. You Ain’t Foolin’ Me
3. Til My Dyin Day
4. Nothings Impossible
5. The Comeback Kid
6. Darkness Be Gone
7. Forever Blue
8. In The Clear
9. Pablo
10. Lovers In Love
11. Liberty
12. Gracias a la Vida

LINDI ORTEGA ON TOUR: 
Tues., Feb. 5 / Centre in the Square / Kitchener, ON, Canada
Wed., Feb. 6 / Algonquin Commons Theatre / Ottawa, ON, Canada
Thurs., Feb. 7 / New Vision United Church / Hamilton, ON, Canada
Fri., Feb. 8 / London Music Hall / London, ON, Canada 
Sat., Feb. 9 / Phoenix Concert Theatre / Toronto, ON, Canada 

Sat., Feb. 16 / Hopkins Center for the Arts / Hopkins, MN, US
Fri., Mar. 15 / Neptune Theatre / Seattle, WA, US
Sat., Mar. 16 / Alberta Rose Theatre / Portland, OR, US
Sun., Mar. 17 / John G. She’d Institute for the Arts / Eugene, OR, US
Mon., Mar. 18 / Sofia Center for the Arts / Sacramento, CA, US
Tue., Mar. 19 / Freight & Salvage Coffee House / Berkeley, CA, US
Wed., Mar. 20 / HopMonk Tavern / Novato, CA, US
Fri., Apr. 26 - Sun., Apr. 29 / MerleFest 2019 / Wilkesboro, NC, US

LINDI ORTEGA ONLINE
WEBSITE
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
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LINDI ORTEGA ANNOUNCES LIBERTY : PIANO SONGBOOK, SHARES NEW TRACK

LINDI ORTEGA CONTINUES TO EXPLORE DARKNESS AND VULNERABILITIES ON
LIBERTY: PIANO SONGBOOK DUE JANUARY 25

12-TRACK INSTRUMENTAL RECORD FEATURES ROBBIE CROWELL (KESHA, MIDLAND, DEER TICK) ON PIANO

LISTEN AND SHARE “IN THE CLEAR” HERE

LONGEST ROAD TOUR DATES BEGIN FEBRUARY 5

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PHOTO CREDIT : Kate Nutt // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Following a widely acclaimed Liberty, Lindi Ortega returns with an entirely instrumental version of the 12-track “cinematic journey" (NPR Weekend Edition) on January 25 titled Liberty: Piano Songbook.

“I didn’t feel like I was quite done with Liberty,” Ortega says. “I didn’t want to write a full sequel, but it needed something else. This seemed like a logical next step to take.”

LISTEN AND SHARE “IN THE CLEAR” HERE

In March 2018, Ortega released Liberty, a record that draws on the epic work of Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone, who became one of Ortega’s musical obsessions during the writing and recording of Liberty. She enlisted Nashville producer Skylar Wilson (Joshua Hedley, Justin Townes Earle, Rayland Baxter) when she discovered their shared passion for Quentin Tarantino movies.

Following the release, Ortega and Wilson developed the concept for the Liberty: Piano Songbook with multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell (Kesha, Midland, Deer Tick), who had previously played with Ortega, recording the solo arrangements at Creative Workshops in Nashville. The fresh versions of these songs transform them, moving away from the spaghetti-Western production while maintaining a cinematic tone that musically complements the lyrical themes of Liberty.

“I created Liberty for people going through a struggle,” says Ortega, who wrote the songs out of her own vulnerabilities, including self-image issues. “I wanted to extend that with the Liberty: Piano Songbook, and I hope it adds an extra soothing element.”

While Ortega does play piano, having another musician record Liberty: Piano Songbook allowed her the critical distance to enjoy her songs as a listener, free of the self-critical ear artists typically bring to their own work.

“I find myself appreciating the melodies,” she says. “I can pay attention to them when I’m not having to pay attention to what my voice is like or how I’m singing.”

Ortega staged a North American and European headlining tour in 2018, and also toured with Jason Isbell and Asleep at the Wheel. In August, she released Liberty: Parkhill Sessions, recorded at the Parkhill Studios in Calgary, Alberta. The EP featured stripped-down versions of three Liberty songs — “The Comeback Kid”, “Forever Blue”, and “Lovers in Love”, recast as a duet with Corb Lund.

In February, Ortega will hit the road in Canada with Terra Lightfoot, Begonia, and a wide range of special guests for The Longest Road Tour. Full tour dates can be found below. For tickets and more information, visit lindiortega.com/tour

PRAISE FOR LIBERTY

"a reflection of American culture" - NPR All Songs Considered

"a triumphant curio" - The Guardian

"high-plains drama" - Pitchfork

"deeply endearing" - VICE NOISEY

"Impossible to ignore" - Rolling Stone Country


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DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

LIBERTY: PIANO SONGBOOK TRACKLIST
1. Afraid of the Dark
2. You Ain’t Foolin’ Me
3. Til My Dyin Day
4. Nothings Impossible
5. The Comeback Kid
6. Darkness Be Gone
7. Forever Blue
8. In The Clear
9. Pablo
10. Lovers In Love
11. Liberty
12. Gracias a la Vida

LINDI ORTEGA ON TOUR:
Feb. 5 / Centre in the Square / Kitchener, ON
Feb. 6 / Algonquin Commons Theatre / Ottawa, ON
Feb. 7 / New Vision United Church / Hamilton, ON
Feb. 8 / London Music Hall / London, ON
Feb. 9 / Phoenix Concert Theatre / Toronto, ON
Feb. 16 / Hopkins Center for the Arts / Hopkins, MN
Mar. 15 / Neptune Theatre / Seattle, WA
Mar. 16 / Alberta Rose Theatre / Portland, OR
Mar. 17 / John G. She’d Institute for the Arts / Eugene, OR
Mar. 18 / Sofia Center for the Arts / Sacramento, CA
Mar. 19 / Freight & Salvage Coffee House / Berkeley, CA
Mar. 20 / HopMonk Tavern / Novato, CA
Apr. 26 - Sun., Apr. 29 / MerleFest 2019 / Wilkesboro, NC

LINDI ORTEGA ONLINE
WEBSITE
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM