For The Sound of Muscle Shoals, Mike Farris’s first album since 2018’s Silver & Stone, he made the pilgrimage that many legendary soul artists have undertaken before him: crossing the O’Neal Bridge over the Tennessee River and arriving at the heart of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, straight to the iconic Fame Studios.
This journey birthed a powerful fusion of his musical influences and life experiences, recorded in a place that holds personal significance for him. He collaborated with members of the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and other studio veterans from the region, including Clayton Ivey (keys), Will McFarlane, Kelvin Holly, and Wes Sheffield (guitars), Jimbo Hart (bass), and Justin Holder (drums).
Produced by award-winning Rodney Hall, son of legendary producer Rick Hall, the album’s 11 tracks meld gospel and rock, faith and fire, and showcase what Rolling Stone Country calls his “supersized voice.” Farris is an artist highly regarded by his peers, a celebrated musician with a string of accolades, including a GRAMMY, Americana Association, and Dove Music award. With six solo albums since 2001, Farris is also known as a founding member of the ‘90s rock group The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies.
In “Heavy on the Humble,” premiering exclusively on American Blues Scene, we get a glimpse into the soul of an artist who has embraced both the old and new with equal reverence. The song was born in the moment of a backstage conversation at Leiper’s Fork during Fork Fest, a conversation centered around Farris’s black 1968 Silvertone 1446 guitar. Ted Siegel of the Deltaz declared as he took stock of old things in his possession: “I guess I’m just heavy on the humble.”
This simple phrase unlocked a floodgate of inspiration for Farris, leading to the creation of a chorus that resonates with authenticity and reflection. In an instant, he found himself pondering the weight of life’s little things that often go unnoticed but sculpt our identities. “And for several minutes, I was in my own head trying to sort out what he had just snatched out the ether,” Farris shares with us.
Farris explains, “We started working on the song on the spot, then I went home and eventually reached out to one of my oldest friends in life (Nick Govrik from Trigger Hippy), and we finished the song.” The collaboration with an old friend with whom he shares a deep musical bond, took the song from its humble backstage origins to full fruition. “It’s another song that probably would never have been born if not for Honeysuckle Blue, which opened the door to the more Charlie Daniels Band country-rock side of inspirational aspects of my life.”
From the black 1968 Silvertone guitar that served as the conversation catalyst to the old shoes and truck that Ted Siegel reflected on, “Heavy on the Humble” reminds us of life’s quiet, enduring beauty – with all its wear and tear. The song evokes echoes of nostalgia, with strong melodies and an unmistakable groove that draws on the artist’s country roots.
MIKE FARRIS Sings The Soul of Christmas:
Thu, DEC 5 Buford, GA – Sylvia Beard Theatre
Sun, DEC 8 Newberry, SC – Newberry Opera House
Fri, DEC 13 Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
Sat, DEC 14 Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
Thu, DEC 19 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
2025 tour dates to be announced soon
