Prolific Troubadour Benjamin Tod Taps Into A Classic Country Sound On Latest Record ‘Shooting Star’

Love songs, train songs, sad songs... What more could you ask for in a country music album? Prolific troubadour Benjamin Tod covers all the bases on his latest record Shooting Star , both lyrically and sonically, and manages to do so in a manner that pays homage to country music's rich history. That's by design, though. From the get-go, Shooting Star was intended to be a honky-tonk style record in which each song draws direct inspiration from a specific era in country music. Tod provided some brief commentary on the different production styles throughout the record: "The original idea for this album was for each song to be places in a different production period in country music history. Obviously, there's no way to cover everything so my preference shines through. A tune goes as far back as the mid-'50s and spans up to the early '70s." As far as the songwriting and subject matter goes, anyone who is familiar with Tod knows that he his one of the most passionate and authentic songwriters in the business. A recovering addict who spent many years drifting across the county, hopping trains, and busking on street corners, Tod has lived everything he sings about, and thanks to his wife Ashley Mae, this includes the love songs, too. Painstakingly somber at times when considering the past, yet cautiously optimistic for a better and sober future, the emotion with which Tod writes is evident in his music, and the vivid lyricism, for better or for worse, makes you feel for a second as if you've lived all of these moments right beside him. This ability to rope the listener in and make them feel something so powerful just speaks to Tod's talents as a songwriter that are evident in each track on Shooting Star . “People evolve and change. You’re growing as a person. If you want to get healthier, you have to start intentionally behaving like a healthy person. You have to look around you and adapt to those things—if you don’t change your identity, it’s hard to change yourself. Right now, I’m very excited for the future and very thankful,” Tod says. “I’ve worked incredibly hard and made changes in my life — I’m becoming the person I’ve longed to become for years.” Comprised of 10 tracks in total, Tod released the first single "I Ain't The Man" back in July, and continued to release a new single each month with "Satisfied With Your Love" coming next in August. As one would expect with such a high profile album, the hype surrounding the project noticeably increased with each single release, and Tod teamed up with cosmic country powerhouse Sierra Ferrell on his third single "One Last Time" in September. In my opinion, though, the best song on the record is the fast-paced, outlaw train tune "Mary Could You" that was released as the fourth and final single a couple of weeks back. Tod, who has also released an album this year with his band Lost Dog Street Band, spoke to how the record came together. “I wanted to prove to myself and the industry that I could write an elite country record with ease. If I didn’t accomplish that goal, I sure as hell came closer than anyone on pop country radio either way." Tod spent the earlier days of his career busking on Lower Broadway, a formidable experience for him, no doubt, but perhaps one he didn't appreciate at the time: "Looking back now, I see how much those experiences shaped and influenced me. I certainly took it for granted most of my life, but now that I’m on the ‘backside of thirty’ I can feel the Honky Tonk deep down in my blood.” Well, I sure think he achieved his goals on this one and then some. But you be the judge of that for yourself - Checkout out a few standout tracks from Benjamin Tod's brand new record Shooting Star. "I Ain't The Man" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4i7QuOm3Rs "Back Toward the Blue" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO57knLBmwY "Mary Could You" "Behind a fellow on the way to Pocatello on a westbound passenger train Buyin' my time drinkin' red wine, waitin' for the signal to change And there's gold and hooch hidden in the caboose And when the damn thing stops I'm ready to shoot" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqkdya0YUwU "Tramp Like Me" "Another day on the railroad babe Put a guitar picker in his grave Cold boxcar and cheap warm beer I can sing you anything that you want to hear" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IalR0finS4Q "One Last Time" ft. Sierra Ferrell "I can't be defeated as long as I'm needed I live for the light in your eyes I'm a fo0l for the darkness and a fiend for the light Could you blame me one last time" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_vxXgdq8KY And if you liked what you heard here, make sure to catch Benjamin Tod out there on the road performing these songs this fall. October 18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre October 19 – Cheyenne, WY – The Lincoln October 21 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM October 22 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma October 23 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House October 25 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox October 26 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Concert House October 27 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall October 29 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel October 31 – San Luis Obispo, CA – The Fremont Theater November 1 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre November 2 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Solana Beach November 3 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater November 6 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot November 8 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall November 9 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge November 10 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall