Dallas Burrow has mined his itinerant life for a wealth of found stories and real-life characters. But these days, the Texas troubadour has a family to worry about.
“I’ve spent much of my life traveling around the country and around the world in search of freedom and new adventures,” he says. “Ramblin’ is in my blood. Nowadays, the difference is that I also have something to come home to. It’s the best of both worlds.”
A road anthem with a domesticated heart, “Modern Day Vagabond” feeds off that tension between the urge to keep moving and the comforts of home. The title track to Burrow’s new LP is also the first song he wrote after picking up a mandolin he’d bought from Bryan Duckworth, longtime fiddle player and childhood friend of Lone Star icon Robert Earl Keen. Prior to Duckworth’s retirement, Burrow frequented his friend’s beloved violin shop in New Braunfels, the Hill Country town they both call home. And when he finally sat down with his new purchase, “Modern Day Vagabond” came pouring out.
“It’s sort of a declaration—or kind of a mantra, I guess,” says Burrow.
Modern Day Vagabond (40 Below) was recorded not far from New Braunfels at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley with producers Adam Odor and Mike McClure and an array of Texas talent. Guests include Susan Gibson on harmonies, Katie Shore on fiddle, Colin Brooks on dobro and steel guitar, Kullen Fox on accordion and Daniel Davis on piano.
“Modern Day Vagabond” features all those names and a few more, even bringing Keen into the mix with the line “the road goes on and on.” A subtle salute to REK’s most well-known song, “The Road Goes On Forever,” it’s also a message of hope.
“We all have a light inside of us, and we’re meant to shine,” says Burrow. “It’s a message meant to transcend all cultural barriers, sprinkled with a little reminder to myself that I’m not done running the roads yet.”
We’re proud to premiere Dallas Burrow’s “Modern Day Vagabond.”
—Hobart Rowland
See Dallas Burrow live.
