| Photos: David TannerGuitarist, singer and songwriter Mary Cutrufellohas signed to Hygh Tension Records and is marking the announcement with a free download of “(Don’t Think of Me On) Sunday,” the first taste of her forthcoming six-song EP, No One to Lie To. Fans can download the track by joining her mailing list at [DOWNLOAD LINK].The partnership marks Cutrufello’s first label release since her 1998 Mercury Records album, When the Night Is Through, and opens a new chapter for an artist whose music brings together country storytelling, rock ’n’ roll guitar and soulful, lived-in vocals.“I’m excited to have a team on my side again!” Cutrufello says. “There’s so much more you can get done with a good team.”With its funky, slinky groove and wry sense of humor, “(Don’t Think of Me On) Sunday” offers a perspective that doesn’t often get its own country song: life without children, especially when everyone else seems to be busy with theirs. The song began as an onstage riff, both musically and lyrically.“At my age, almost all my friends have kids—or sometimes grandkids! I don’t, and both things are fine,” Cutrufello explains. “I just wanted to take a moment to represent those among us who are left to amuse ourselves when our friends are, um, out of pocket.”The forthcoming No One to Lie To finds Cutrufello reconnecting with her country side while examining choices, independence, loneliness and the consequences that follow people home.“This is a record about choices,” she says. “I guess that’s been true of all my records, but as you get older, the choices get starker. You may not have time to undo it if you choose unwisely.”Produced by Greg Schutte, in his fifth collaboration with Cutrufello, the EP features her vocals and guitars alongside fiddle, electric mandolin and backing vocals from longtime friend Cody Braun of Reckless Kelly. Cutrufello handles all guitar duties, including a return to the baritone guitar she played in Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s band in 1996.The six songs range from the Texas country shuffle of “Crazy All Over Again” to the brooding waltz of the title track to the quietly evocative rendition of Chris Wall’s “Rodeo Wind.” Closing track “Return to the River” reaches back even further: Cutrufello wrote it at thirteen as the finale to a homemade rock opera recorded on cassette in her bedroom.Throughout the EP, she gives her characters room to reveal themselves, even when their decisions are difficult to defend.“It’s about letting voices speak,” Cutrufello says. “There are some folks here with some heavy things to say. I feel like I need to give them their space.”Raised in Connecticut and educated at Yale, Cutrufello moved to Texas in 1991, immersing herself in the state’s honky-tonk and roots-rock scene. Now based in St. Paul, Minnesota, she has built a devoted following through decades of touring, with national appearances including The Tonight Showand Austin City Limits.Additional singles and the release date for No One to Lie To will be announced soon.Download “(Don’t Think of Me On) Sunday” HERE.Website: marycutrufello.comNo One to Lie To Track ListingCrazy All Over Again(Another Day) Down on DreamsNo One to Lie To(Don’t Think of Me On) SundayRodeo WindReturn to the RiverFollow Mary Cutrufello:FacebookInstagramSpotify |
