LISTEN: Bones Owens’ “Bring Me Back”

Nashville’s Bones Owens released his Eighteen Wheeler EP today via Thirty Tigers along with the focus track “Bring Me Back.” The swampily ominous EP standout hangs on an imploring vocal and insistent piano and percussion, slowly slinking into the consciousness and making camp.

“Bring Me Back” follows the Eighteen Wheeler title track. Eighteen Wheeler finds Owens in an earnest place with his melody-driven Americana more cinematic and evocative than ever. The EP marks a sonic shift that hints at Owens’ sophomore full-length, due in Summer 2024.

“This EP came out of my need to look backward in order to move forward,” says Bones of Eighteen Wheeler. “It has hints of my early EPs but is also a bridge to the full-length on the way in 2024.”

Owens is an old soul with a poet’s pen and his chameleon-like approach has not only shaped his music but also paved the way for diverse collaborations, spanning from artists such as Yelawolf, Mikky Ekko, and Jelly Roll, to appearing on tours with Kaleo, Koe Wetzel, and Whiskey Myers. A pair of self-released solo EPs and a relentless tour schedule attracted the attention of Thirty Tigers, who released Bones’ eponymous debut album in 2021.

While a departure from the more raucous, made-for-the-stage stylings of his self-titled, debut LP, through lines of sincere storytelling, authentic Delta blues, and evocative lyricism still permeate Eighteen Wheeler. Echoes of Owens’ early folk-driven EPs are clearly present and his many years as a working Nashville musician linger, yet this decidedly delicate and vulnerable six-song record is his most heartfelt and distinctive to date.

Owens also announced a six-show run of dates in March 2024 including a stop at the Basement In Nashville on March 6th.