One evening back in January of 2015, I took a flyer on seeing a show in the downstairs portion of Music Box Supper Club. The show was billed as “Margo & The Pricetags” and featured just Margo Price on acoustic guitar and her husband Jeremy Ivey playing bass who hail from Nashville.  They were traveling the Midwest performing songs as a duo, some newly written compositions, without their usual backing band. I was instantly drawn to their music and kept them on my radar awaiting an eventual Lp release.

Fast forward to March of this year, Margo Price releases Midwest Farmer’s Daughter and it causes the biggest stir in Americana and Country Western music circles.  Released on Third Man Records owned by Jack White, Price and Ivery are backed by The Pricetags comprised of Jamie Davis (electric guitar), Dillon Napier (drums), Micah Hulscher (keyboards), Kristen Weber (fiddle/harmonies), Luke Schneider (pedal steel), and a bushel full of string players.  Recorded at the legendary Sun Studios, the album has that lush traditional sound that echoed out of Music City in the 1970’s.  A lifetime of hardships from her family loosing the farm in Illinois to selling her ring and car to record this album gushes within her lyrics of preservation.  From the opening track “Hands Of Time” which was recently nominated for Song Of The Year by the Americana Music Association, radio singles that are part of SXM Outlaw Country’s rotation include the anthem “Tennessee Song”, the sweet vocals on “How The Mighty Have Fallen”, and the whiskey flavored toe tapper “Hurtin’ (On The Bottle). “Four Years of Chances” will remind you of Jessi Colter and my personal favorite the gorgeous “Since You Put Me Down” will have you singing along.

Photo by Angelina Castillo for Third man Records

Not only is Price AMA’s New Emerging Artist winner, but hands down the best album of the year award bestowed by this writer.