T. Hardy Morris with special guest The Howdies

In February 2020, T. Hardy Morris had it all figured out. He was busy putting thefinishing touches on songs that would serve as the follow up to 2018’s Dude, theObscure. He spent the previous few years on the road supporting that release and thisgroup of songs felt like a logical jump forward for the singer-songwriter. With 13 songsdemoed, sussed out and ready to go, Morris was excited to get his band together torehearse the songs before hunkering down in the studio to record.Then the pandemic hit.Sequestered at his Athens-area home with his family, Morris, like most everyone else inthe past year, mulled over what was truly important to him and in response, theacclaimed singer-songwriter decided to write. And write. And write, before crafting anentirely new set of songs that would end up comprising an entirely new album.For the first time in his career, Morris took a micro approach to his songwriting with along look directly inwards. Captivated by the sobering realities of the pandemic, hecomposed one of the most personal works yet. Titled The Digital Age of Rome, Morristackles the well-worn anxieties of the past year as pandemic and political divisionsravaged America. The Digital Age of Rome isn’t just the album’s title, it serves as thecenterpiece thematically and sonically to Morris’ message; Technology doesn'tnecessarily equal progress.As usual, Morris drew from his experience as the frontman for woozy psych rockersDead Confederate to his work in the indie supergroup Diamond Rugs (with members ofDeer Tick, Los Lobos, and Black Lips). Here, Morris continues his long-timecollaboration with producer Adam Landry. The duo's fruitful creative partnershipincludes work on both Diamond Rugs records and all four of Morris' solo efforts.Enlisting a star-studded group of musicians including Drive-By Truckers drummer BradMorgan, singer-songwriter Faye Webster and many others, Morris recorded the albumin late 2020 in a deserted Athens, Ga., once again under the watchful eye of Landry.As is his wont, Morris pulled no punches with his mesmerizing lyrics and his hazy brandof rock. Admittedly not his most uplifting album, The Digital Age of Rome is a necessarydiary for an uncomfortable time that continues to unfold. The title track explores thepleasures and pitfalls of modern technology and social media, while asking the toughquestion of is it worth it? “First World Problems,” a term that folks have passively usedin the past to dismiss what be looked upon as a luxury problem, came to life in thesummer of 2020. With its biting lyrics, the singer-songwriter examined the extremepolarization that even the most mundane issues can divide people who refuse tounderstand one another.That doesn’t mean the entire album was full of doom and gloom. “Love Takes,” a tunethat ruminates on the meaning of true love. Meanwhile, “DirtRocker” is a nostalgic odethat name checks Morris’ beloved 1985 Chevy Silverado that was stolen, whilethoughtfully intertwining its stark symbolism with a person recognizing the need towalk away from their old self in order to move forward.Morris is the rare songwriter who has the ability to chide and reflect on what he seeswithout being preachy. The Digital Age of Rome is more direct than he’s ever been, but,in the times we live in, it's an album that he needed to make in order to express hisdismay at the current state of the world.As he prepares to move forward when the time allows a return to normalcy, Morris can’thelp but look back at the year that was. As pandemic continues to rage as does theongoing movement to bring basic rights to all people, the singer-songwriter preparedone of his boldest records yet. Unapologetic and brutally honest, T. Hardy Morris doeswhat he does best: tell a story through his filtered lens. While The Digital Age of Romemay be a record that uniquely arrives at a strange time, its themes of angst, anguish andconcern are elements that strike the core of the human experience

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The Pink Stones deliver a full serving of Peach State picked country-rock from Athens, Georgia with the release of their debut album, Introducing… The Pink Stones, via the New West Records imprint Normaltown Records. Mixing elements of classic cosmic country, raucous rock’n’roll and fresh humor and heartaches, The Pink Stones are authoring a new chapter in the annals of Cosmic American Music.