Happy New Year! I spent the last bit of December collecting some truly outstanding new music that I’m eager to introduce to y’all…starting today with Austin’s Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit. One glance at Pace’s striking eyes, vicious visage, and black wide-brimmed hat is all it takes to imagine him as a rugged 19th-century, mixed-morality dime novel protagonist, but really he’s more of a contemporary Southern soul-rock scarecrow.
But don’t be intimidated by appearances! Anchored by his bewitching baritone and stinging six-string techniques, Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit have stayed strong across Austin and beyond for just over a decade now. They’ve got four phenomenal full-lengths out and on streaming for you to peruse through, though the big news for the Gilded Grit in the New Year is a single release show, 10PM this Friday at Saxon Pub.
However, Friday’s all the way at the end of the week, and I know folks are trying to hit the ground running in 2023 (myself included). That’s why, in keeping pace with the passing of a year, Sam and the Gilded Grit have gifted us an early piece of inspiration. Its message essentially champions resilience and courage when faced by darkness, and between production by Chris “Frenchie” Smith, a guitar solo that’d make Jack White’s jaw drop, and an airtight arrangement, “The Light” extends well past “carpe diem”, and instead begs you to “carpe annum” over the next twelve months.