Today, Acoustic Nation and Guitar World bring you the exclusive premiere of “Suckerpunch,” a new song by former Dwight Yoakam multi-instrumentalist Brian Whelan.
After a critically acclaimed debut, Decider, Whelan made the decision to transform from a sideman into the frontman and head out solo.
His sophomore album, Sugarland, will be released March 25. Sugarland boldly throws Whelan's hat into a ring crowded with the likes of John Fullbright, Sturgill Simpson, Mike Stinson and Jason Isbell.
Co-produced by fellow Yoakam-ite and current drummer Mitch Marine, alongside Lee Pardini (bass, keyboards, vocals), Whelan, a music school graduate from USC, plays almost anything with keys or strings—steel guitar, accordion, piano. It’s as a sideman that Whelan has nearly always found his way, accompanying such artists as Eugene Edwards, Scot Bruce, the Broken West, Apex Manor, Randy Weeks, Mike Stinson, Tony Gilkyson, Kiss, Chuck Berry, Jim Lauderdale and most recently, Yoakam.
On Sugarland, his skills are put to the test as he employs a series of various musical instruments on these crisp, streamlined, mostly mid-tempo, pop rock tunes. This is the Whelan style of music that goes straight to the heart recalling the heyday of great radio.
The beautifully sad track “Suckerpunch” is heavy with vulnerability and regret—“My good intentions won’t make me a saint”—while he warns, “I’ve got a sick sense of humor and I’m sure you know / I’m a sucker puncher when I get this low.” The fatalistic “bombs away, bombs away” chorus is pure California country rock of the highest order.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
