Well Worn Soles
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Well Worn Soles

Homosassa, FL | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE

Homosassa, FL | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2014
Duo Country Folk

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"Well Worn Soles"

Well Worn Soles

“Well Worn Soles”

Sounds like: Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, James Taylor and Carly Simon

Release date: August 4

Even if Emerson Wells-Barrett and Chelsea Dix-Kessler hadn’t met in a bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University, it’s easy to believe that fate would have brought them together. The vocals of the two musical prodigies — who accompany themselves on a host of instrumentation, including fiddle, guitar and mandolin — combine to create an audio tapestry that readily puts one in mind of some of country’s most beloved duos, including Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty or even James Taylor and Carly Simon.

Let’s put it this way: If Hank Williams Sr. or Woody Guthrie had female duo partners, they likely would have sounded like Well Worn Soles.

That’s especially evident on the evocative “White Paper Lines,” a universal story of love lost with lyrics like “The hole that you left/makes me feel less than half of the person/that I was before/And I wonder if memories are holding me back/From feeling whole once more.” - Nancy Dunham


"GoodSongs: Well Worn Soles"

GoodSongs: Well Worn Soles

Posted on August 2, 2015

I get a lot of music to (hopefully) review. Most of it is good. Some of it is great. Every now and then a record matches up perfectly with my musical DNA. Like the one I received recently from Well Worn Soles. This record is wonderful from the first listen. It sounds like what I want to hear when sitting on the porch at the farm. It sounds like music I’d love to hear live. It sounds like life. Real, authentic, natural. When I read their bio, I began to understand why .

They met while enrolled in the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University and quickly recognized that there was something special about the two of them together.

Yes, there is. Emerson Wells-Barrett and Chelsea Dix-Kessler make some amazing music. I could share just about any of the 11 songs on their forthcoming record, “Country/Folk by Well Worn Soles,” which is scheduled for release on August 4, 2015, and you’d love it. But when someone writes and sings “We were something, me and you. Two happy spiders, all tangled up in our web,” well, that’s the one I have to pick.

Big Red Fire – Well Worn Soles

There’s a lot more to love on this record. Chelsea plays a beautiful fiddle and Emerson plays a mean mandolin, among other instruments. There’s traditional country, there’s bluegrass arrangements, there’s honky-tonk, and there’s even the right amount of humor (humor on a record is like whiskey; a little is good, too much makes my head hurt). They remind me of so many of my favorite bands. Freakwater, The Be Good Tanyas, The Everybodyfields (the benchmark for Tennessee duos), etc.

When this record comes out, buy it, stream it, heck, steal it if you have to (not really). If you like well written, well-played rural American music, you’ll love this record.

I do, and I do.

Keep up with Well Worn Soles via their website, Facebook, and Instagram. - Kent Newsome


"Quote from Buddy & Julie Miller"

"A batch of fresh songs with a dark twist and some fine duet singing - Well Worn soles are come comfortable listening."
-Buddy & Julie Miller -


"Quote from Gurf Morlix"

"Well Worn Soles write, sing and play with consummate charm. I wish I'da had that much goin' on when I wuz their age."
-Gurf Morlix -


"WELL WORN SOLES - COUNTRY/FOLK"

WELL WORN SOLES – COUNTRY / FOLK
**translation below**
Emerson Wells-Barrett en Chelsea Dix-Kessler zijn twee muzikanten uit Nashville, Tennessee die elkaar door hun interesse voor country- en Americana-muziek hebben gevonden en samen eigen nummers wilden componeren en opnemen onder de groepsnaam ‘Well Worn Soles’.

Met het album “Country / Folk” brengt het duo een debuutalbum op de markt met elf tracks waarbij Chelsea op fiddle speelt en Emerson op akoestische gitaar, mandoline en drums. Zingen doen ze allebei, als leadzanger of samen in close harmony.

Bij dergelijke ‘man-vrouw’-duo’s worden in de pers al snel vergelijkingen gemaakt met andere country-duo’s zoals Gram Parsons en Emmylou Harris, George Jones en Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash en June Carter of Buddy en Julie Miller, maar zover zouden wij toch (nog) niet willen gaan als we het hebben over ‘Well Worn Soles’.

De cd begint met het nummer “We Fell Apart”, een traditioneel klinkende countryrocksong, gevolgd door het uptempo gebrachte “Train Wreck” en het fiddle-walsje “White Paper Lie”, een tearjerker-ballad waarin Chelsea als leadzangeres fungeert. Onze favoriete song op dit album is de typische pedal steel countryballad “Big Red Fire” die door Emerson wordt gezongen en waarop Chelsea schitterende harmony vocals aflevert.

De song “Love In The Air” brengen ze alsof er een gesprek of een discussie tussen een man en een vrouw plaats vindt over de al dan niet aanwezige liefde in een relatie, maar het lijkt niet heel goed af te gaan lopen. Deze plaat werd vrij sober geproduceerd, waardoor de authenticiteit sterker tot uiting kon komen. Het maakt dat we toch met ietwat andere ogen naar liedjes als “Cradle Of Rest”, “Out Of Nowhere” en “Worried” (zie video) kijken.

Als debuutplaat is “Country / Folk” alvast meer dan goed genoeg om eens in de schijnwerpers te worden geplaatst en dit jonge duo ‘Well Worn Soles’ te stimuleren om op de ingeslagen weg verder te gaan. Dat er nog meerdere platen van hen zullen volgen staat dan ook buiten kijf.

(valsam)
www.rootstime.be

**DUTCH TO ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF ABOVE REVIEW**
Emerson Wells-Barrett and Chelsea Dix-Kessler are two young musicians from Nashville, Tennessee, who, united in their mutual love for country and Americana music, decided to make their own songs and to record them under
the name of their band, “Well Worn Soles.” With their “Country/Folk” album, the couple has launched their first 11-track album on the market, with Chelsea playing fiddle and Emerson the acoustic guitar, mandolin and drums. Both of them sing, either a lead singer solo, or together in close harmony. When it comes to such ‘male-female’ duets, the media are very keen to make quick comparison with other country duets, such as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and June Carter or Buddy and Julie Miller; yet, we wouldn’t go that far (for now) when we talk about ‘Well Worn Soles.’ The CD starts with the song “We Fell Apart,” a traditional-sounding country rock song, followed by the up-tempo performance of “Train Wreck” and a fiddle waltz, “White Paper Lie,” a tear-jerker ballad in which we hear Chelsea as lead singer. Our favorite, though, is a typical pedal steel country ballad,
“Big Red Fire,” with the vocals mainly performed by Emerson but with inevitable, wonderfully harmonious passages delivered by Chelsea as a vocal companion. “Love In The Air” sounds like a chat, or a conversation about whether there is love between a man and a woman, or not; yet the final touch in the performance is somehow missing. The production is rather sparing, which is strongly in favor of the authenticity, for it becomes even more emphasized. As
a result of that, we start listening to “Cradle Of Rest,” “Out Of Nowhere” and “Worried” (see video) from a very different perspective. As a debut album, “Country / Folk” is already more than good enough to be placed again in the spotlight and to encourage this young duo "Well Worn Soles" to continue on their chosen path. One thing is certain - when it comes to these two guys, this is just the first in a long line of amazing records we’ll enjoy listening to.
(valsam)
www.rootstime.be - www.rootstime.be


"Blast on the Bay Songwriter's Festival"

Second Place in the Emerging Artist Competition -


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Bio

Chelsea Wells-Barrett a native of Sopchoppy, Fla., and Emerson Wells-Barrett, of Austin, Texas, met while enrolled in the Bluegrass, Country Music, and Old-Time program at East Tennessee State University. There was an obvious connection between the two after the performance of "Big Red Fire," the first song they ever sang together and the second original track on their debut CD, Country/folk.

Singing with each other, their voices weave and twine with grace and humor. Listen and you'll hear echoes of George & Tammy, Johnny & June, and Loretta & Conway. The chemistry between them is audible on first listen, the dynamic of the live performance obvious at first glance, their connection palpable.

Accompanying themselves on a variety of instruments (guitars, fiddle, mandolin), their gifts of natural musicality are instantly apparent. The music references vintage roots, the lyrics speak to age-old themes, but the language Wells-Barrett uses in his writing quickly endears itself to the listener.

Young folks; old souls. Meet Well Worn Soles.

Band Members