DEBUT ALBUM, SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN, OUT NOW VIA EASY EYE SOUND/ WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE
ALBUM FEATURES ALISON KRAUSS, ASHLEY MCBRYDE, DAN AUERBACH, AND THE EASY EYE SOUND
“Southern Gentleman, is a real head-turner indeed, its five tracks possessing a poetic gentility that recalls some of the most pleasing aspects of music Roy Orbison and Don Gibson made during the ’60s and Don Williams made in the ’70s.”
–NPR Music
“A Nashville newcomer with a timeless voice.”
-Garden & Gun
On the heels of making his debut at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, Dee White announces a thirteen-date headlining tour, his first, throughout April. The twenty-year-old Alabama native, who has previously opened for Allison Krauss, Ashley McBryde, and Alan Jackson, will perform in cities including Roanoke, Chicago, and Knoxville (full dates below). Tickets for all dates are on sale now and available here.
Dee White recently released his debut album, Southern Gentleman, via Dan Auerbach’s label, Easy Eye Sound, and Warner Music Nashville to much acclaim, with NPR Music hailing it’s “exquisite, soaring, plaintive melodies,” and Rolling Stone Country, who also interviewed White, saying he “sings sweetly of small-town life, love and friendships in a way that feels lived-in, with a musical backdrop that’s lush and pretty enough to match his croon. White was also interviewed by The Tennessean, who said the record’s ten songs are “tied together with sharp, organic production and White’s tender croon — which has earned deserved comparisons to Roy Orbison,” and Billboard, who says the newly released album “is catching a lot of ears.” Listen to Southern Gentleman here.
The initial five tracks on the album, Side A, were released early as an introduction to the Slapout, Alabama native who makes classic-minded country music for the modern world, and were debuted as an NPR First Listen. NPR says White “is up to something very different than most others in the swelling ranks of young artists with vintage country tastes” and says the album has a “finesse and a distinctly introspective angle on masculinity, and he applies those qualities in such an exhilarating way that his music is likely to sneak up on listeners and make a lasting impact.”
Southern Gentleman features performances by Alison Krauss, Ashley McBryde, and Dan Auerbach, who co-produced the album alongside David “Fergie” Ferguson. Said Auerbach about working with White: “When Harold Shedd brought Dee to the studio, I knew he must be the real thing. And when he started to sing, what came out was the most original voice I’ve heard in years.” On the record White is also backed by legendary session players Gene Chrisman and Bobby Wood of the Memphis Boys (percussion and keys), guitarist Billy Sanford, keyboard player Pig Robbins, Mickey Raphael (harmonica) and others.
Raised in small-town Alabama, Dee White is a raw, natural songwriter, spinning the sounds and stories of the American South into songs that nod to the past while still chasing down new horizons. It was Harold Shedd — the music mogul responsible for signing Alabama, discovering Shania Twain, and producing Reba McEntire’s first gold record — who encouraged White to pursue music. Impressed with Dee’s unschooled, captivating voice and sharp writing chops, Shedd became an unlikely mentor. With his support, Dee began turning his focus toward songwriting, transforming a hobby into something far more potent.
White spent most of his high school free time on the water in Slapout, Alabama. A competitive fisherman, he visited Lake Jordan every afternoon as a teenager. He’d take along his phone, too, soundtracking those daily fishing trips with the sounds of classic country. Almost by osmosis, the sounds of this timeless music seeped into his head. Dee left college and began making trips to Tennessee, where he found another mentor in Dan Auerbach. Together, the two co-wrote a number of songs, often teaming up with additional song-writers in town. Alison Krauss, whom White has opened for on numerous occasions, found a kindred spirit in the 20 year-old Dee, whose unforced vibrato and effortless tone floored her.
Dee White Tour Dates
Apr 03 /// Grey Eagle /// Asheville, NC*
Apr 04 /// The Spot On Kirk /// Roanoke, VA
Apr 05 /// The Southern Café And Music Hall /// Charlottesville, VA
Apr 06 /// Neighborhood Theatre /// Charlotte, NC
Apr 07 /// Motorco Music Hall /// Durham, NC
Apr 11 /// Carol’s Pub /// Chicago, IL
Apr 12 /// Lo-Fi Lounge /// Indianapolis, IN
Apr 13 /// Thompson House /// Newport, KY
Apr 23 /// Eddie’s Attic /// Decatur, GA
Apr 24 /// Muddy Creek Cafe & Music Hall /// Winston-Salem, NC
Apr 25 /// Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria /// Knoxville, TN
Apr 26 /// Tangled String Studio/Lowe Mill /// Huntsville, AL
*w/ The Wild Feathers
Southern Gentleman Track Listing
1. Wherever You Go
2. Rose Of Alabam
3. Bucket Of Bolts
4. Crazy Man
5. Tell The World I Do
6. Ol’ Muddy River
7. Road That Goes Both Ways
8. Way Down
9. Oh No
10. Under Your Skin