Minneapolis,
MN Singer/songwriter Martin Zellar's country-tinged
portraits of life, love, and regret have resonated with listeners for over 25
years. Zellar, who first appeared on the Minneapolis music scene as the lead
singer and songwriter of the alt-country pioneering Gear Daddies, is now back
with his first studio album of new material in ten years. The album, Roosters
Crow, is set for release on February 7, 2012 via Owen Lee Recordings, and
Zellar, who now lives in Central Mexico with his family, will return to the
U.S. for a nationwide tour in support of the new release.
Roosters Crow is a long-overdue album that will coincide with the 25th
anniversary of the debut release of the Gear Daddies, who released two albums
on Polygram Records before amicably parting ways in 1992. Recorded at the Zone Studio in Dripping Springs, Texas by engineer/producer Pat
Manske (The Flatlanders, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keene), Roosters Crow features
along with Zellar’s long-time band, The Hardways (bass guitarist Nick Ciola and
drummer Scott Wenum) a long list of respected and incredibly talented
Austin, Texas-based musicians, including Kelly Willis, Lloyd Maines, Kevin
McKinney (Soul Hat), Bukka Allen (Bodeans), Chojo Jacques, Brian Standefer
(Alejandro Escovedo), Billy Bright (Peter Rowan), Michael Ramos (John
Mellencamp), and Terri Hendrix.
Roosters Crow, which is the follow-up to 2002's Scattered, is perhaps Zellars
most introspective effort to date, delving deep into his personal experiences -
good and bad - over the last decade. Letting go of my more personal songs has always been hard for me, said Zellar.
Sending some of these songs out into the world was especially difficult. But If you look through a sampling of Zellars press materials over the past 25
years, it won't take long to notice how often phrases like "under-
appreciated" and "underrated" show up. It's not something Zellar
has given a lot of thought to; instead, he has continued to move forward and
reliably deliver what his fans have come to expect from him over the years:
quality songwriting and heartfelt performances.
"I always hope for the best when I release a new CD," says Zellar,
"but mostly I hope it gets heard."
