Earlier this week, Whiskey Myers teased a new single with a cryptic social media post. We were just left to wonder which song from Tornillo we would get today. In the comments of the post, WM promised that whatever was coming today would be worth the wait. After hearing “Antioch” I feel like “worth the wait” is the understatement of the century.
“Antioch” has everything we could want from a new Whiskey Myers single. In an interview with Outsider, Cody Cannon said that the band wanted to work in more horns on the new album. “Antioch” delivers that. Additionally, the bluesy rocker features some great gospel-style backing vocals. More than anything, though, this track showcases Cannon’s songwriting prowess.
Whiskey Myers Tells a Story of Vengeance in the New Single
Whiskey Myers blends several genres of music into their unique style and this single is a great example of that. “Antioch” delivers some rock & roll guitar, gospel backing vocals, and the writing style of a country music story song. Think, “A Boy Named Sue,” but darker and much more serious.
In the new single, Whiskey Myers tells the story of a young man who grew up in an abusive home. More specifically, the protagonist of the song grew up watching his father abuse his mom. As a result, he grew up hating his father and swore he would do something about it as soon as he could. “I hate him so much even though I bear his name. / I can’t take him right now but one day that’s gonna change / When I get grown.”
The bulk of the rest of the song is the story of that young man’s life. He gets into some trouble with the law. Instead of doing time for stealing cars, he joins the Army and goes to war. Even in the desert, revenge stays at the forefront of his mind. “I’m getting stronger, I’m getting mean / I’m learning about killing, I’m learning about me / I’m learning to survive out here in the sand / I’m thinking about Mama, I’m thinking about recompense.”
A Great End to a Killer Story
Whiskey Myers doesn’t include a verse about the recompense in the new single. However, the final verse sees the narrator in prison. That, combined with a minor alteration in the chorus leads us to believe that he came home from deployment and dealt with his father.
Cody Cannon added an interesting detail to that verse. In the opening lines, he sings, “They got me in Coffield. / I’m locked up tight. / Guess I had a little blood lust from the Fallujah nights.” The H.H. Coffield Unit is a men’s prison near Tennessee Colony, Texas which is just down the road from Palestine, Texas which is home for the guys in Whiskey Myers.
The new Whiskey Myers album, Tornillo drops July 29th. You can preorder the album now on vinyl, CD, and cassette on the band’s website.
