New England Folk and Roots Music Publication

New England Folk and Roots Music Publication

InterviewsMusic Features

Singled Out: Bandits on the Run “Cowboy on the Run”

I’m a sucker for music with a timeless quality. Bandits on the Run’s single “Cowboy on the Run” kicks off with a vocalized wild-west movie, then on a dime it turns into a time I often romanticize about. That Buddy Holly, R&B, doo-wop buoyant brilliance that you can’t help but fall in love with. Smiles creep across your face and your foot incessantly taps to the beat. The breadth of the sound here is huge…with just some percussion and perfectly layered harmonies over just an electric guitar. Its hard to believe this is 3 people in a room with minimal instrumentation.

Get hooked on this trio today, it’ll do you good friends.

Who: Bandits on the Run

From: Brooklyn, NY

Song: “Cowboy on the Run” 

Latest Record: Bandits Live at the Power Station

What About It: “This EP was inspired by the great groups of the 50’s and 60’s, the folks who only needed a few voices and a few instruments to create something sweeping, romantic, and classic. We snuck into NYC’s iconic Power Station and recorded all the tunes in a few short hours–it proved to be the perfect environment to pin down the timeless sound we were going for. For ‘Cowboy on the Run,’ stripping down the instrumentation to simple guitar and percussion allowed the space for our DIY doo-wop vocal arrangements and storytelling to take center stage. It’s a song born of a longing for escape, a song that tries to find beauty in the sunset colors of a lover leaving.”  

Brian Carroll

Brian Carroll is the founder of Red Line Roots. He is a Massachusetts native that got his start as a musician in the very community he now supports.