Dave Alvin’s New Book
Dave Alvin’s “New Highway: Selected Lyrics, Poems, Prose, Essays, Eulogies and Blues“
Collection, due September 20, from BMG Books
Celebrated singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin brings his renowned story-telling skills to a new level.
This new anthology of the writing of the Grammy-winner is a companion piece to Alvin’s considerable musical output and presents a vast cross section of his work.
New Highway includes:
- a selection of Alvin’s poetry
- excerpts of his moving prose, newspaper articles and essays on artists including Frank Zappa, Bo Diddley and Ray Charles (a piece which earned him a Grammy nomination)
- tributes to friends and influences such as Nanci Griffith and Merle Haggard
- a long-lost interview with Buck Owens
- several of his album notes and
- a curated representation of his lyrics.
The book, due on September 20th, is published by BMG, which also administers Alvin’s music copyrights.
“Working with Dave Alvin is a thrill. His song ‘The Man in the Bed’ is one of the most well-written songs I’ve ever heard, and that’s just one of many of his compositions that make my jaw drop. It’s no surprise that his gifts as a lyricist also extend to poetry, essays, and album notes. We began working on this project long before the pandemic, so to see it come to fruition is so gratifying. The man is a national treasure.”
Scott B. Bomar, the Senior Director of BMG Books
“Since my checkered college days studying poetry at Long Beach State University in the ‘70s, I’ve always tried to combine my love of music with my love of writing. That’s why I eventually became a songwriter, I guess. It’s a real honor and kick that BMG Books asked me to put together a book of my lyrics, my poems, and essays. I kind of feel like I finally graduated from college.”
Dave Alvin
New Highway follows Dave’s previous collections Nana, Big Joe & the Fourth of July and Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You: Selected Poems & Writings: 1979-1995. The book is available for pre-order now at Amazon or wherever books are sold.
ABOUT DAVE ALVIN:
Grammy® Award-winning artist, musician, songwriter, poet, and roots music pioneer Dave Alvin launched his professional career when he and his brother Phil founded the Downey, California-based group The Blasters. Blending rockabilly and R&B, Dave became the band’s primary songwriter, penning classics such as “Marie, Marie,” “American Music,” “Border Radio,” “Jubilee Train,” “Little Honey,” “Dark Night,” and “Long White Cadillac,” which later became a Top 40 country hit for Dwight Yoakam. After a brief stint as a member of the band X, Dave launched a solo career and continued to craft critically acclaimed songs that defy genre, including “Fourth of July,” “Haley’s Comet,” “Dry River,” “King of California,” “Abilene,” “Ashgrove,” “Harlan County Line,” “Johnny Ace is Dead,” and “Downey to Lubbock,” a collaboration with Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Dave’s songs have been covered by Los Lobos, Little Milton, Buckwheat Zydeco, Shakin’ Stevens, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, and others. Additionally, his music has been featured on TV soundtracks such as Justified and The Sopranos.
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Dave Alvin’s New Book
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