Above: “Life is a Railroad” single artwork
THE STORM WINDOWS
— AMERICANA DUO —
RELEASE LEAD SINGLE
“LIFE IS A RAILROAD”
FROM DEBUT SELF-TITLED ALBUM
OUT FEBRUARY 25
NASHVILLE, TN (January 21, 2022) — Named after a John Prine lyric, The Storm Windows — a New York-based Americana duo — have released “Life is a Railroad,” the lead single from their debut self-titled album that’s slated for release on Friday, February 25. Americana Highways recently commented that “The Storm Windows’ music merges a cathartic element and a soothing element, with shuffley rhythms and a lyrical reminder of the analogy between a railroad line and life itself.”
Fronted by Rob and Don Mathews, their debut offering, The Storm Windows, encompasses original sonics as well as renditions of “should-be-classics” throughout. “Life is a Railroad” accurately sets up the ambiance and tone of the 10-track album, as it is an ode to the road less traveled. The track perfectly articulates the bohemian spirit in this slap-happy sonic, accompanied with a lightsome melody. The standout lyric —“here in this moment where the past and future collide, let’s ride” — furnishes the level of optimism of what one should possess in life, and the overall message of “Life is a Railroad.”
Watch the “Life is a Railroad” lyric video here.
“Philosophers and other deep thinkers frequently come up with analogies to explain to the rest of us the ‘bigger picture’ of what’s really going on out there…maybe the song is about that. Or maybe it’s just a song about a train, and trying to enjoy the ride,” demystify the Mathews brothers.
Above: Rob and Don Mathews; The Storm Windows
After taking a hiatus from their Greenwich Village residency at The Back Fence and frequent gigs around New York City due to other personal and professional responsibilities, “the lure of the 3:00 a.m. Friday night’s late set at The Back Fence remained, like a fish hook caught on the lower lip, and slowly reeled us back in,” admit the Mathews brothers.
The Storm Windows “surveys the American landscape, like a cross-country adventure (including up through Canada) in a VW bus,” they explain. Rob currently resides in London for part of the year in which he can view the American experience — for better or for worse — through an objective lens. “The songs chosen for this debut album are mostly focused on the opportunity of the ongoing experiment, rather than its challenges, which we’ve saved for the second album,” discloses Rob.
The Mathews brothers conclude that “on one level the album is just a bunch of songs we like to listen to and perform, and half of which we wrote.” But it’s also a travelogue: part road trip; part nostalgia for something lost; part optimism for something coming. Not in any order. We hope people tune into that.”
The Storm Windows Track Listing:
“Life is a Railroad”
“Time to Start Building a Boat”
“The Telling Takes Me Home”
“Northwest Passage”
“Love is Like a Spy”
“The Wayward Wind”
“Hey Step-Sister”
“Bells of Norwich”
“I Am Part Wind”
“A Sailor’s Prayer”
Above: ‘The Storm Windows’ album artwork
