Jesse Aycock – Sadder Than a Sunset

Today, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based musician Jesse Aycock shares the video and single, “Sadder Than a Sunset,” from his upcoming self-titled album, out April 16th on Horton Records.

Of the 13 tracks on the album, “Sadder Than a Sunset” felt the most cosmic. Sometimes songs feel like they come from another place in time. This is one of those songs to me. It kinda wrote itself.

All of these images started flooding in, and it was just a matter of getting them down on paper. I was feeling some heavy things at the time, and this song seems to capture that in a way.

Jesse Aycock

Jesse Aycock is the third full-length solo album from the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has played with Elizabeth Cook, the Secret Sisters, John Moreland, Scott Hirsch, and Kenny Roby. And he was of course a member of the Hard Working Americans, the folk-meets-jam phenomenon of Todd Snider, Dave Schools, Duane Trucks, Chad Staehly, and Jesse’s dearly missed friend Neal Casal, whom this album is dedicated to.

Naturally, the deeply personal album has a thread of melancholy woven through it, but more energetic numbers thoughtfully sequenced throughout work to balance the pace of the album and allow for more light-hearted moments of optimism between the more somber moments. And incredible instrumentalism and backing vocals from contributing musicians Paddy Ryan, Aaron Boehler, Lauren Barth, Jason Crosby, John Fullbright, Allison Moorer, co-producer and engineer Jason Weinheimer, and of course from Aycock himself mean that although the listen may tug at those heartstrings and at times induce tears, each song shines with ear-impressing brilliance.

“Making this record was healing, difficult and beautiful. I’d been through a challenging year, filled with loss and heartbreak. When everything around you seems to fall apart, you have to lean into something,” Jesse says. “Music has always been that for me. Recording these songs helped ground me.”

“Sadder Than A Sunset” was engineered and mixed by Jason Weinheimer at Fellowship Hall Sound with assistance by Zachariah Reeves. Mastered by Ryan Foster at Foster Mastering.

Pre-order Jesse Aycock on Horton Records.

Press photo: Mary Joyce