Danny Hammons, the Birmingham, Alabama-born artist who cut his teeth with the folk-rock outfit Peasants!, has dropped his debut solo EP, “Take The Long Road Home,” and it’s a blast of Americana-tinged rock that feels both timeless and right here, right now. This proves the heartland’s still got plenty of fight left in it.
If you’re hungry for substance with your sonic heft, Hammons is your guy. After years busking street corners and tearing through punk houses across America with his old band, he’s packed a decade of living and experiences into this powerful seven-track offering. Dropped on October 4th, 2024, and produced by Ricky Tate right there in Birmingham, this EP’s the sound of an artist who’s arrived, loaded with killer songs and a band that knows how to bring it.
The EP kicks off with “June Song,” this brief 36-second instrumental that’s like the quiet before everything explodes. Then we crash into “Shooting Stars” and that’s where the record really catches fire. This is Hammons’ rock and roll soul at full volume. The track starts with acoustic textures, then builds into something massive—a total sonic earthquake that shows off his range.
“Back To Colorado” totally flips the script with this banjo-led groove that’s just pure, kick-ass joy. But hey, don’t think that banjo means it’s gonna be soft – this thing rocks with serious momentum, creating a track that’s seductive as hell and expertly put together. It’s one of those songs that makes you wanna roll down the windows and floor it – the perfect highway anthem.
Then you’ve got “Sidewalk Child,” which takes you into darker, more forlorn land. Hammons handles this mood like a total pro, letting the emotion pour out without getting all melodramatic about it. It’s like having a late-night conversation with an old friend, backed by these somber, ringing sounds that really hit home. Right after that comes “Hourglass” – this track brilliantly mashes up sharp, witty songwriting (think Purple Mountains) with that melodic, drifting Wilco vibe. It’s a bold move that totally works, showing Hammons won’t let anyone stick him in a box.
“Oceanside” brings in this cinematic, almost spaghetti-western feel that really opens up the album’s sound before “Hearts and Minds” brings everything to a killer close. This final track is a total rollercoaster – you’re getting flashes of anger, waves of joy, and gut-wrenching grief all mixed together. Hammons isn’t holding anything back here, and that’s what makes it so damn powerful.
A huge part of this record’s powerful sound comes from the crew Hammons assembled. He tracked this thing with the Steel City Jug Slammers – these guys are no joke. They brought everything: banjo, mandolin, ukulele, lap steel, piano, and get this – even a singing saw that’ll give you goosebumps. This isn’t typical coffee shop acoustic stuff, it’s instrumentation that gives these songs serious rock and roll backbone. Ricky Tate‘s behind the board making sure every single note is crystal clear, and Dave Polster mastered it down in Bristol, Tennessee, giving the whole EP this warm sound that’ll make any rock fan grin from ear to ear.
“Take The Long Road Home” is, at its core, all about being on the move. These are road songs, plain and simple. They’re soaked in all those miles Hammons logged busking from one coast to the other. You know the feelings – that itch for adventure, missing home, feeling alone, always wondering what’s over the next hill. Danny Hammons nails it when he calls this “nomadic music for nomadic people.” Dead on. For a first outing, this thing rocks. And you can bet there’s even better stuff waiting down that long, winding road ahead.