Bobbo Byrnes celebrates female singer-songwriters in his latest single and video Queen Of The Party — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
“The musician road is a hard row to hoe, but it is so much harder if you are female, and I wanted to honour them from a fan perspective,” the California roots artist says. “I even put a tip of the hat to a couple friends that put on shows in L.A., Austin, Nashville, and are just as important as the musicians.”
Byrnes’ show of support for his female contemporaries and counterparts isn’t just talk — it was inspired by an incident when he literally helped keep another artist on her feet. “We were … at a bar in Los Angeles when I saw the person next to me trip and start falling,” he recalls. “I caught her and stood her upright. She thanked me and was on her way. It was then I realized I had just caught Lucinda Williams in my arms.”
That brush with multi-Grammy greatness led him to think about all the talented and inspiring women he knows and admires. Co-written with his former GypsyMechanics bandmate Morgan Keating, Queen Of The Party features some key female contributors including Byrnes’ wife Tracy (The Fallen Stars) on bass and backing vocals, Jennifer Moraca (The Odd Birds) on backing vocals, and Georgiana Hennessey on violin. Rounding out the recording lineup are Jeremy Long on pedal steel and Matt Froehlich on drums.
Featuring Byrnes strumming and singing in front of some of L.A.’s most storied music clubs like The Troubadour and Whiskey A Go Go, locked up tight under pandemic lockdown, the nostalgic and slightly bittersweet video for Queen Of The Party also includes footage of female musicians he knows. “I called my friend Tawny Ellis and had her direct this video,” Byrnes recalls. “Then I reached out to a bunch of my female musician friends and got 17 of them to contribute videos to make this song and video even more special.”
Queen Of The Party is the lead track and second single from Byrnes’ fourth album SeaGreenNumber5, and follows up the recently released Chasing Rock and Roll. Acclaim has been notable and widespread for the album, with reviewers placing him in the same sonic space with Jason Isbell, Whiskeytown, Paul Westerberg of The Replacements and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.
Watch Queen Of The Party above, hear more from Bobbo Byrnes below, and keep up with him on his website, Facebook and Instagram.
