The Grahams

Husband and wife duo The Grahams are tireless modern ramblers, having explored the Mississippi River for their 2013 debut, Riverman’s Daughter, and now the romance of the American rail system on their new album, Glory Bound.

The collection, which was released May 19, was inspired by Nashville and Brooklyn residents Alyssa and Doug Graham’s experience riding the rails. It extends to a live album and documentary called Rattle the Hocks, which were produced and directed by North Mississippi All-Stars leader Cody Dickinson.

Glory Bound’s title track is a propulsive number about the inevitable mistakes one makes in life, and the lessons that come about as a result of them. It builds quickly from a steady kick drum beat and acoustic guitar to explode into full-throated harmonies between Alyssa and Doug. The song’s breakneck rhythm perfectly mirrors the momentum of trains both literal and metaphorical. The video, shot in dusty Pioneertown, Calif., puts Alyssa and Doug in a rusted-out train car, where they are joined by a group of people dancing with abandon.


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“‘Glory Bound’ is the eternal ambivalence, in the deepest sense of being pulled in two opposite directions at once, of knowing better and f***ing up again anyway, and also of both lamenting and cherishing past f***ups, all of which can still add up to some kind of momentum heading somewhere,” said the duo in a release. “Like the rhythm and syncopation of a train gloriously riding the rails in its youth or the dark secrets haunting an abandoned train in the desert, the music is there if you just listen and it will ultimately inform the path you choose. We wanted to capture the life and sounds of a train both in its retirement and in its heyday. Director Rohit Karn Batra helped us to do just that in Pioneertown. The ghosts of the train and the people who rode it endure in this small glimpse of nostalgia.”

See the “Glory Bound” video below, and catch The Grahams performing and screening Rattle the Hocks everywhere this summer. -

The Grahams (from the album Glory Bound) - Glory Bound is geared to a specific segment of the population. The most recent album from The Grahams uses it title track to set the bar. The message waits for the chorus as it spends time in the opening laundry listing things that ‘I wish I hadn’t done when I was young’. The mistakes become rungs on the ladder that lead to being “Glory Bound”, giving your grip extra strength with the affirmation, ‘sometimes I need to put the hammer down’. The song opens Glory Bound and the album watches its characters proudly walk with an over-the-shoulder told-you-so for “Gambling Girl”, and sees memories fall to childhood, and the dreams that desire to find the nearest exit and hit the road with “The Spinner”.
Glory Bound fills diary pages in song for every soul that has set itself free. The Grahams each back the stories with harmonies, while Alyssa takes the lead vocal with the fervor of a pied piper preacher as husband Doug fills in with gentle slide work on his resonator guitar. They become every song as a couple, much like they have done for their entire lives. Alyssa was seven years old when she became friends with nine year old Doug, becoming a couple in their teens, then marrying. At some point, The Grahams on the mailbox landed on the marquee.
Glory Bound was produced by Wes Sharon (John Fullbright, Parker Millsap) at his 115 Recording studio in Norman, Oklahoma. The songs have the call of freedom in their lyrics though they equally give a healthy pat on the back for the right choices being made in early years. The Grahams wrote Glory Bound while riding train rails, the project becoming the subject of the Cody Dickinson directed documentary, Rattle the Hocks.
If you are looking for a song on Glory Bound to make you feel worse about your day…move along. The album keeps life going on after death with the cry ‘never, never let your heart grow old’ (“The Wild One”), moves between imaginary lines and visible culture clashes (“Borderland”), and heads to Missouri in a hurry to avoid a broken heart over a chicken scratch riff (“Kansas City”). The Grahams are never far away from waving the banner of the road though they change the mood of their songs like the scenery flying by outside a southbound boxcar. “Lay Me Down” starts as a prayer, becoming a Rock Roots rhythm-banner waving towards the barricades of conformity as it ‘trades my wedding dress for a night of tenderness’, and “Griggstown” calls it quits and heads for a red door, taking a moment to fire off ‘I mighta been your girl once, but you’re never gonna be my man’. The Grahams play for the army of folks who have made choices. The outcome is not as important as trying. Glory Bound is a light burning bright for taking chances and listening to the voices in your head. Those voices may be timid or loud, though the one thing they will have in common is singing along with The Grahams as they exit Glory Bound with “Promised Land”, teasing ‘come on join me if you dare’ and giving a redemption guarantee in a community chorus of ‘sing a little louder, hold on to my hand’.
Listen and buy the music of The Grahams from AMAZON or iTunes
- See more at: http://thealternateroot.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3433:theg-gb&catid=208:what-s-trending&Itemid=268#sthash.C9dpKgj5.dpuf - The Alternate Root

The Grahams
Glory Bound/Rattle The Hocks
Album Reviews | June 5th, 2015
Artist: The Grahams
Album: Glory Bound / Rattle The Hocks
Label: Giant The Dog Music
Release Date: 05/18/2015
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Rather unexpectedly, a fairly simple concept resulted in three major projects. Following their 2013 debut, Riverman’s Daughter, husband and wife team, Alyssa and Doug Graham, decided to ride the rails to form the theme for their next album as folk duo The Grahams. Along the way, they planned to visit seven to ten producers in their journey throughout the summer of 2014; a trip that fortuitously ended in Memphis. There they reunited with Cody Dickinson, who played on their debut. Cody liked the concept of fusing roots music with railroad history and as Alyssa explained, “Cody’s idea was to do a film. He had some success with Take Me to the River and wanted to do something in the vein of field recordings (like Alan Lomax, Doug added) in a guerrilla style where we ended up recording in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. We had no idea we’d be recording in Sun Studios, Royal Studios, and even on that iconic train line, The City of New Orleans. The short documentary, titled Rattle the Hocks, will be released at the same time as the album(s) and will really give you a good idea of who we are.”

Alyssa went on to explain that while the live recording, Rattle the Hocks, preceded the studio album, Glory Bound, they had met with that album’s eventual producer, Wes Sharon, earlier that summer in Sharon’s studio in Norman, OK. Alyssa and Doug sad, “Wes has this really basic studio in a strip mall, not something you’d be immediately attracted to, but Wes is an encyclopedia of music and especially of sounds. Little did we know he’d round up such great players as John Fullbright and the Turnpike Troubadours but we knew all along that he was the one to produce the studio record. He has no interest in live recordings so it worked out really well.”

While their debut was a very good recording, one that also featured such roots luminaries as Cody and Luther Dickinson, Colin Linden, Bryan Owings, Phil Madeira, and producer Malcom Burn, these two albums (which feature many of the same songs with different musicians backing them and have equally impressive casts) have a captivating energy that takes The Grahams to a higher level. When I complimented Alyssa on the incredible enthusiasm in her vocals, she responded this way: “My parents were hippies. They had a whole room of vinyl so I listened to lots of stuff. I used to let it all hang out, kind of like Janis Joplin. Then I went to music school and later tried to forget everything I learned.” Guitarist and harmonizer, Doug, added, “In music school she learned how to sing softly. Now she has it all.”

The Grahams have known each other since childhood when Alyssa was seven and Doug was nine; Alyssa’s brother and Doug played together in high school bands. Asked if they always knew they’d be making music together, Doug responded, “At her sweet 16 party Alyssa surprised us by not only singing but playing the guitar too. She has somehow kept that a secret but from that moment on, the future was clear.” The couple hails from the New York suburbs but relocated to Nashville to record their first album. Given their travels across these projects, they haven’t seen much of Nashville recently.

You’ll notice the name, Bryan McCann, in the song credits. The couple explained that Bryan is a lifelong friend, who, interestingly enough, is not in the music business but is a college professor. Commenting on the songwriting process, Alyssa and Doug explained, “It’s the only time we ever argue. Seriously, though, in terms of the process Alyssa will often get a melody and some chorus lines, we’ll send it to Bryan and he’ll fill in the lyrics. Then it goes back and forth until we’re all happy with it.”

“After we recorded Riverman’s Daughter, we were listening to a lot of Woody Guthrie,” Alyssa stated, “The song “Farmer Labor Train” kept sticking in our minds, so we wanted to write a song about trains. We wrote “Glory Bound”, then decided that we really wanted to ride the trains in honor of Guthrie, Lead Belly and other old folk legends who used the train system to bring voices together. We had to go to Oklahoma, obviously, because Woody was our mentor”. Doug said, “We say in the film, and it’s really true we’re not trying to re-create anything, we’re trying to let the echoes ring in our ears”.

Not to recount every track, but to offer a brief commentary on a few of them, here’s what I heard from Alyssa and Doug. “Gambling Girl” is their version of Dehlia coming back. “Blow Wind Blow” is about memory and history but with a haunting quality. “Kansas City” is inspired by an awesome train stop, Folk Alliance, and lots of cool places to gig. “Mama” is for Doug’s mom and was one of the first songs written, of which the live version on Rattle and Hocks is especially touching, featuring just Alyssa and Doug recording in Sun Studios. “Borderland” is about the dichotomy of the virtually crime-free El Paso versus the dangerous Juarez, across the river in Mexico. I don’t want to spoil your discoveries. Dig into their catchy, honest songs yourself to feel the vibrant energy.

You’ll also notice that while Sharon brought together some stellar musicians for the studio effort, Cody Dickinson enlisted some of the best Memphis musicians for the live album and film. His brother Luther, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Duwayne Burnside, Sharde Thomas, The Norman Sisters, and Lester Snell, among others, provide support as well. Doug says, “As a guitarist I can’t believe how blessed I am to be playing with these people. I’m learning all the time”. Alyssa adds, “We play music and we love playing music and we love meeting people who want to play music”. That love comes through resoundingly in these recordings. All three projects were released on May 19th.

-Jim Hynes - Elmore Magazine

Doug and Alyssa Graham were once high school sweethearts, but now they’re the rootsy husband-and-wife duo known as The Grahams. In 2015 they released Glory Bound, an album concieved and created during a train-hopping adventure that took The Grahams all across the country in search of a communal, off-the-grid musical experience.

During their travels, the duo began recording some special songs in that communal spirit with producer David Garza that didn’t make the album’s initial cut, and on March 25 six of those will become bonus tracks on a deluxe edition re-release of Glory Bound. The bonus tracks include freewheeling collaborations with Americana stars like John Fullbright and the Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale—and, on the remixed title track, roots-music darlings Sean and Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek).

Nash Country Weekly has the exclusive premiere of the new and improved version of “Glory Bound,” and Alyssa Graham was kind enough to fill us in on the story behind the quick-tempoed two-stepper, which has the feel of a train roaring down the tracks.

“Our dear friend and artist/producer David Garza is one of our greatest inspirations,” Alyssa says. “At a time in our life when we thought about calling it quits, Garza reminded us what we love about music and restored our faith in community and art. He reminded us, ‘The best music is shared music. It’s not show-offy music.’

“On our train travels last year we stopped in El Paso to visit David and the famed Sonic Ranch Studio, where he often records,” she explains. “We got drunk and recorded a bunch of demos pre-Glory Bound and we said, ‘Someday, after the studio album is made, we’re gonna come back and finish these songs with Garza and do ’em the Garza way, loose and communal.’ Last September—four months after the release of Glory Bound—we decided it was time.

“David is always full of unexpected and really beautiful surprises, so he invited some ‘rockstar’ friends along for the ride, including Sara and Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek and The Watkins Family Hour,” she goes on. “They both joined in alternating verses with us on ‘Glory Bound’ while everyone picked and fiddled with the propulsion of a geared-up, whining engine. Because Doug and I grew up together, we have a bond and a connection both musically and personally that transcends all mundane means of communication. Being siblings, Sara and Sean Watkins share an equally unique and powerful connection and it’s evident in their sound. Every note they sing and play together has a sense of ease and freedom. Getting the opportunity to play with them on this deluxe recording was incredible! We were standing with mouths wide open when we heard them sing ‘Glory Bound.’ They gave the song such a fresh and new perspective, we just kept saying to Garza, ‘Turn them up, turn them up!’” - Country Weekly

The postman has been good to me this year with lots of packages filled with love of the musical variety. Due to some forks in the road in my personal life, the backlog of music has been staggering not only to consider reviewing, but just finding the time to give them a few spins on the CD player. One particular delivery included two new releases from The Grahams called Glory Bound and Rattle The Hocks caught my ear, but was placed into the on-deck circle. When I caught wind of the Nashville based duo heading to Cleveland to play the intimate Beachland Ballroom & Tavern sandwiched between guitar wizards Charlie Parr and our own Roger Hoover, it made for the perfect time to revisit an old friend.

Originally hailing from Manhattan, Alyssa Altschul Graham and husband Doug Graham grew up childhood sweethearts thanks to one of Alyssa’s older brothers playing on Doug’s little league team. Although they made their way to Music City three years ago, the couple has been literally living out of their car since the release of Riverman’s Daughter in 2013. The debut album was written from experiences traveling Great River Road that parallels the Mississippi River and living on a houseboat in the Atchafalaya swamp. For their next project, they decided to ride the train rails to the great plains of America in search of a producer along with the roots music fabric which inspired folk singer Bob Dylan. The locomotive pulled into Oklahoma, the home of Woody Guthrie and Wes Sharon. The twelve tracks cut for Glory Bound feature original songs written by the Grahams and longtime collaborator Bryan McCann. With big chops, the petite Alyssa on acoustic guitar is spotlighted on lead vocals having a blend of rock, blues, and country. Doug fills in the harmonies along with some nice lead guitar and Dobro work. A few special guests including Byron Berline, Ryan Engleman, Camille Harp, and John Fullbright lend their musical talents to the recordings. - No Depression

Doug and Alyssa Graham were once high school sweethearts, but now they’re the rootsy husband-and-wife duo known as The Grahams. In 2015 they released Glory Bound, an album concieved and created during a train-hopping adventure that took The Grahams all across the country in search of a communal, off-the-grid musical experience.

During their travels, the duo began recording some special songs in that communal spirit with producer David Garza that didn’t make the album’s initial cut, and on March 25 six of those will become bonus tracks on a deluxe edition re-release of Glory Bound. The bonus tracks include freewheeling collaborations with Americana stars like John Fullbright and the Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale—and, on the remixed title track, roots-music darlings Sean and Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek).


Buy on iTunes
Nash Country Weekly has the exclusive premiere of the new and improved version of “Glory Bound,” and Alyssa Graham was kind enough to fill us in on the story behind the quick-tempoed two-stepper, which has the feel of a train roaring down the tracks.

“Our dear friend and artist/producer David Garza is one of our greatest inspirations,” Alyssa says. “At a time in our life when we thought about calling it quits, Garza reminded us what we love about music and restored our faith in community and art. He reminded us, ‘The best music is shared music. It’s not show-offy music.’

“On our train travels last year we stopped in El Paso to visit David and the famed Sonic Ranch Studio, where he often records,” she explains. “We got drunk and recorded a bunch of demos pre-Glory Bound and we said, ‘Someday, after the studio album is made, we’re gonna come back and finish these songs with Garza and do ’em the Garza way, loose and communal.’ Last September—four months after the release of Glory Bound—we decided it was time.

“David is always full of unexpected and really beautiful surprises, so he invited some ‘rockstar’ friends along for the ride, including Sara and Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek and The Watkins Family Hour,” she goes on. “They both joined in alternating verses with us on ‘Glory Bound’ while everyone picked and fiddled with the propulsion of a geared-up, whining engine. Because Doug and I grew up together, we have a bond and a connection both musically and personally that transcends all mundane means of communication. Being siblings, Sara and Sean Watkins share an equally unique and powerful connection and it’s evident in their sound. Every note they sing and play together has a sense of ease and freedom. Getting the opportunity to play with them on this deluxe recording was incredible! We were standing with mouths wide open when we heard them sing ‘Glory Bound.’ They gave the song such a fresh and new perspective, we just kept saying to Garza, ‘Turn them up, turn them up!’” - Country Weekly