While
Todd Snider
is best known as a witty and insightful songwriter, in 2013 he gathered together a handful of friends who are also gifted musicians and let some of his favorite songwriters do the talking for a change.
Hard Working Americans
is a new band that features
Snider
on vocals and guitar, along with guitarist
Neal Casal
(of
the Chris Robinson Brotherhood
), bassist
Dave Schools
(from
Widespread Panic
), keyboardist
Chad Staehly
(
Great American Taxi
), and drummer
Duane Trucks
King Lincoln
). For their self-titled debut album,
picked 11 cover tunes which deal with the hard truths of life among the working class, some recent compositions, and other, older songs that have remained relevant with the passage of time. Songs include "Welfare Music," "Blackland Farmer," "Mr. President, Have Pity on the Working Man," "Down to the Well," "Wrecking Ball," and six others. ~ Mark Deming