On July 10th, Nashville, Tennessee's Runner of the Woods will release their debut album Thirsty Valley. For front man Nick Beaudoing, its release means the light at the end of the tunnel.
2014 was spent in the shadow of a serious family illness. Beaudoing's mother was in a coma in his hometown of Dallas, Texas, and her condition was dire enough to require him to leave his wife and child behind for weeks at a time. Between visits to Texas, he would return to Nashville and stay busy in the studio, where he occupied his mind with the writing and recording of Thirsty Valley.
Due to his mother's illness, completing the album meant recording at night, after first working at his day job and then checking in with his family. This cycle was punctuated with periodic trips back to Dallas to care for his mother, whose condition only gradually began to improve. Just when it seemed that his schedule couldn’t get any more hectic, he received the welcome news that he and his wife would be expecting another baby.
“The past year was trying, but in a few short months the difficulties gave way to good things: my mother made a near-full recovery. I had another son. And now I have a record with a new band that I’m really proud of. It turns out I was right to be hopeful.”
The album was recorded at the Toy Box Studio in Nashville, TN and Russell Street Recording where he enlisted guitar slinger Josh Kaufman (Josh Ritter, Dawn Landes) to give the songs a spaced out, dreamy quality. He also recruited pedal steel guitarist Jonathan Gregg (the Doc Marshalls), whose ferocity on the instrument has become a key component Runner of the Woods’ sound.
Beaudoing previously led NYC’s Cajun honky-tonkers the Doc Marshalls. Over the course of three releases, the band evolved from Bakersfield-style shuffles and Acadian barnburners to jagged, glimmering folk. Thirsty Valley actually began as the band’s fourth record. This new musical direction, combined with his relocation to Nashville a few years earlier, lead Beaudoing away from the Doc Marshalls and start Runner of the Woods.
Runner of the Woods will support Thirsty Valley with spring and summer tours.
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Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
