John Moreland’s “Sallisaw Blue” Is The Perfect Anthem For Hitting The Road This Summer

Oklahoma singer John Moreland truly arrived in 2015 with his genre-pushing third album High on Tulsa Heat — check out that album's standout, "American Flags in Black & White" for a sampling of his depth. Now, Moreland is set to return with Big Bad Luv on May 5. "Sallisaw Blue," a foot-stomping track where the new album gets its title from is premiering on The FADER today. In an email to The FADER, Moreland explained how the song came together on the road and the little industrial elements buried in the track's background.

"I think this one was just inspired by a year of touring alone," he said. "Long drives, no sleep, almost no human contact for about 22 hours out of every day. I was feeling pretty wrecked from it. This was the only song on the record that wasn't recorded in Little Rock, we recorded this one in a bar in Tulsa, before business hours. There was a plumber there, fixing something, clanking on pipes, maybe you can hear it if you listen closely."

Thumbnail courtesy of John Moreland