Quality Americana

A partial reflection through broken glass sparks our curiosity. An electric guitar melody loops as we wait for the introduction to Craig Marshall’s latest release “Break Some Rules.”

“Make the wind stop blowing and the rain go up, act like we’ve had enough. That’s you and me, remember when? We can turn back time, it’s not so tough. Let’s don’t pretend. It’s time to break some rules again.”

Supporting local artists

Marshall started out in Syracuse, New York, and has been a figurehead and cheerleader in the songwriter, country and jazz scene in Austin, Texas since the early 1990s. Marshall dove into Texas swing and country with the Delta Rays and his jazz and big band group The Lucky Strikes still performs today.

Marshall described the single as a “return to earlier, reckless, youthful days when you weren’t concerned about as many societal contentions.” It has a carefree theme and train beat that keeps your feet tapping. “People either love it or they don’t get it,” Marshall said with a laugh. “Most people love it. Most people like the switch up in the two grooves.” It’s the perfect song to look back on your summer memories as we get through the winter season.

Digital release

The EP also marks a change for the modern era as the tracks are exclusively available online. For the past three years vinyl has outperformed the sales of compact discs which leaves a big question as to how artists should release their work in 2023. While fans are showing more interest in owning a record, the production costs are much greater for the artist and it’s a gamble to try and recuperate those fees. Marshall considered the idea of making a cassette, however the hardware to use them is becoming scarce.

“Break Some Rules” was produced, mixed, and mastered by Lars Göransson at Sounds Outrageous Studio, Austin, Texas. The cover art was designed by Jon Prophet.  

“It’s got to be fearless,” Marshall said about his latest work. It’s the perfect song to wrap up a wonderful year of music in the Americana scene. Let’s all go out and “Break Some Rules.”

More information about Craig Marshall can be found here.

Follow Quality Americana for your Song of the Day.