Empire State

Greg Copeland's music is rooted in the tradition of songs that tell complicated stories in the fewest possible words. Everything counts in these songs. Not a bad golden rule.

His 1982 debut, "Revenge Will Come", was produced by Jackson Browne. His 2nd album, "Diana And James", appeared in 2008 and triggered a collection of songs that began with his 3rd album, "The Tango Bar" in 2020, and now culminates in "Empire State", set for release on September 6th, 2024.

Copeland’s comfortable, yet candid, way with words, raw emotion, and strength of character, coupled with the intricate nuances of these musical compositions, allow him to shed light on difficult circumstances. Those familiar with "Revenge Will Come" will know that Copeland says what he is thinking, no subject is taboo.

A sense of urgency is felt throughout this entire collection of new songs. It opens with “Boon Time” on a seemingly quiet note, before quickly becoming a wake up call with the lyrics, “gunshot ringtone, honey what do we do now?”. It could be the opening scene of a movie, foreshadowing violence in the future of what Copeland calls “our rude political awakening”.

“We The Gathered” could legitimately be called both a straight up hymn and a soundtrack for a Cormac McCarthy story. Fittingly, “4:59:59” is about a man who has learned how to dig himself out of his own nasty little ditch.

In the 4th track, "Coyotes", recorded by Copeland in his backyard literally speak for themselves, setting the scene for the title track, “Empire State”, to close out the EP: "It's just baby talk, and baby steps, until it comes down to the Silvertone, and your fingertips. Everybody's got their own little jukebox, this is mine”.

Both "Empire State" and "The Tango Bar" were produced by Tyler Chester and feature longtime comrade, and producer of Copeland’s 2008 release, Greg Leisz on guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, and mandocello. All songs written by Greg Copeland, mixed by Tyler Chester at Paperchaser Studio, mastered by Eric Boulanger at The Bakery, and published by Nel Mezzo Music (ASCAP) under the labels Franklin & Highland Recordings in the US, and Hemifrån and Paraply Records for Europe.

Copeland grew up in Orange County, California, and has been a friend of Jackson Browne since the 1960s. With Browne, he co-wrote “The Fairest of the Seasons”, later recorded by Nico, and co-wrote Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's st big single, “Buy For Me The Rain”, with their mutual friend Steve Noonan during those early days. 1st released on "Revenge Will Come", the song "El Salvador" was recorded by Joan Baez in 1989, and the title track "Revenge Will Come" was covered by David Lindley.