Jordan Lee King - By and By (2024) Hi-Res

Singer/songwriter Jordan Lee King, October 11. Jordan comes from the hills of Eastern Kentucky, and his songs are a reflection of his upbringing in Bell County, Kentucky and the hardships he has witnessed.

“I want people who aren’t from this area to have a glimpse of what life is like here for a significant amount of people. And for those that are from Appalachia, I want them to be able to feel pride. Reality here is often harsh, but at its best, it’s beautiful.”

If you have been paying attention, then you know there is something in the water in Appalachia. You can throw a rock in any direction in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and Ohio and hit a talented songwriter it seems. As high as the bar is for musicians in the region, some outshine the others. Hailing from Middlesboro, KY, Jordan Lee King is one of those rising to the top of the heap. King is set to release his sophomore album, By and By, Friday, February 16th. Recorded, produced, engineered and mixed by J Tom Hnatow, and mastered by Mystery Room Mastering, By and By finds King accompanied by a who’s who of Appalachian musicians. In addition to King on vocals and guitar, By and By features Aaron Smith (backing vocals, fiddle, mandolin) (Brother Smith, Nic Jamerson and the Morning Jays, Britt Taylor), Andy White (drums, broom), J Tom Hnatow (bass, pedal steel, banjo, dobro, guitar, piano) (John R Miller) and Lucas Wayne (vocals).

By and By paints an apt picture of the Southeastern Kentucky that King grew up in, the joy, as well as the poverty, drugs, and desperation. By and By opens with “Laundry on the Line” which paints a scene that is straight out of my early adulthood in Southeastern Kentucky, “Well, I used to come home late, stumbling right on in the door, waking up my momma, passing out right on the floor.” King’s mom sounds cut from the same cloth as my father… the later I came home, the earlier I got woke up the next morning and put to work on the family farm. “My mom would pick me up and get me into bed, take the boots off of my feet and the hat right off my head. She would wake me in the morning, on the fridge she’d leave a note, said you better put a check by everything that I’ve wrote.” King’s mom’s list included folding the “Laundry off the Line” and ended with “When you’re hauling off the trash, take that drinking with you too”.

A few tracks further down, we find the song, “Cars and Refrigerators,” which King released as a single leading up to the album release. “Cars and Refrigerators” is the song that made me a Jordan Lee King fan. It’s a pull no punches look at the harsh realities of what life in Southeastern Kentucky looks like on a regular basis. “Daddy’s out working but he’ll be home later. At the yard, he’s scrapping cars and refrigerators. Well, he’s cashing in on some copper wire, says he found it up in Redbird after a trailer fire. Now I ain’t saying that stealing’s alright, but it’s some folks do whatever they can to survive, tryin’ to find away ahead when you’re left behind.” “Cars and Refrigerators” aptly paints the poverty-stricken in the region’s daily struggles. How King paints such a bleak picture with an equally beautiful song speaks to his songwriting abilities. “Now I ain’t saying it’s fine to smoke your life away but to say he’s addicted by choice is a bold thing to say. How strong can something be to make you steal from your kin?” King asks after he pines about his mother’s fears of his brother, “Worry and fear run through momma’s head, like if he ends up in prison or someone finds him dead.” “Cars and Refrigerators” paints scenes that are familiar in small poverty-stricken towns across Appalachia. King’s voice draws you in on this one, but it is the lyrics that will hold you spellbound.

‘Silas Barton’ departs from the sounds of the songs on the album in front of it. A rambling bluegrass tinged romp telling the story of an outlaw couple on the run. This one rambles in the vein of Garcia/Grisman’s “Little Sadie” spinning a tale of Silas Barton and his darling, Millie Ann on the run after “They slapped a bounty on our hands, it’s worth five grand.”

Closing out the album is the title track, “By and By,” which features something else found prominently in Southeastern Kentucky alongside the drugs, poverty and despair, there’s always a healthy dose of religion. “There’s a house with my name on it, somewhere in the by and by. There’s a lot of music playing with my friends all through the night. And when I get there, they’ll be waiting to comfort these anxious eyes. Then were going to have us a big ole party in my home in the by and by.” The harmonies on this one are worth the price of the album. And like Tyler Childers, King has a list of what he expects/ wants his heaven to include: “When you’re fixin’ up my heaven, please make sure you get it right! I won’t ask but a few small favors for my own sweet paradise. Can I have a creek for fishing and oh, a garden I can tend? And a mind that’s chemically balanced and a heart I don’t have to mend?”