Skip Ewing Releases Empathetic, Healing New Single, “Knots”

It’s a common adage that you never know what the person next to you is going through. What they keep silent may be eating away at them inside, and a helping hand, or even a friendly face, can be exactly what that person needs in that moment to turn things around; a sentiment Skip Ewing captures on his newest single, “Knots.”

Serving as the first release from his forthcoming album, Road to California, “Knots” sees Ewing encouraging kindness and understanding. A somber, acoustic-led melody is married with Ewing’s impassioned vocal, allowing the song’s empathetic message to rise to the forefront and shine.

We chatted with Ewing all about “Knots,” his return to making music, new music on the horizon and more!

Pro Country: Your 2020 album, Wyoming, was your first release of any kind since 2009, and your first release of all original songs since 1997. Why did you feel the time was right to make your return with a new album, and what emotions did you feel in the leadup to its release after that layoff?

Skip Ewing: Although I’d written hits for other artists, over time, I just couldn’t find a way to make a living writing the material my publishing company expected me to write. I couldn’t speak with my own artistic voice. In 2014, I sold everything in Nashville and went on the road to study horsemanship. It was a spiritual journey for me that ultimately led me to my wife, Linda, to a permanent home in Wyoming. Horses taught me a great deal about myself, and my experiences re-aligned my life’s journey. Shortly after we came to Wyoming, I had some time to explore and began composing material that I felt was artistically unique, musically diverse and poetically meaningful. For all intents and purposes, I was finally creating for my own voice: my singing voice, and the voice of my heart and artistry. It gave me the opportunity to create musically and poetically without compromising myself. To speak with my heart to the hearts of those I hoped would listen. To convey images, emotions, dramatic situations, love (the joy and the ache of it), in my own way. I had no idea if I would be successful recording it, but my wife and many of my trusted and influential music industry friends were adamant that I move ahead. So, an end to the hiatus and the beginning of this new chapter.

PC: Wyoming earned well over 1.2 million streams on Spotify alone and was featured on a PBS Concert Special. After so much time between releases, what did it mean to you to be able to tangibly see the success and support the album received?

SE: I really had no idea what would happen. I believed in the songs, and I believed in myself and the people I was working with. The Wyoming album came out in 2020, and the whole COVID pandemic really limited our ability to get it heard. It feels like it’s only just now starting to be discovered. It’s thanks to the visibility from articles like this one that people are discovering it. Thank you for that.

PC: Your new single, “Knots,” serves as the lead release from your forthcoming album, Road to California. Why did you and your team feel that “Knots” was the right song to introduce the project?

SE: We had what we thought was the whole album recorded already. But once I finished writing “Knots,” I thought it might be an important song to include. So we went back into the studio again to record it. I don’t know if it was the “right” song to lead with, but there is a strength in it that moves me. It was something I believed I needed to say.

PC: “Knots” is a song you solo wrote that tackles mental health. Can you take us in your head and in the room and talk about how the song came together?

SE: I had only mentioned the idea for “Knots” to my wife before leaving to play some shows in Texas. I was traveling by myself to meet the band, and just began thinking about how I might best express the metaphor. I had an overnight in Houston, and began working on some musical ideas. But it wasn’t until I went to visit friends in South Carolina that I finally landed on what I felt was the right approach. I worked on it for several days. Walked many miles thinking about it. We’ve all been close to someone (or been the someone) struggling with something internally. It could be something as traumatic as PTSD. It could be something seemingly small that is huge to you for reasons others don’t know. When I wrote, “We’re all just different shades of black and blue,” I was addressing the fact that every one of us struggles to varying degrees, and our suffering can’t be compared by the seeming severity of the cause. Rather, we hurt as humans, all of us, and comparisons don’t change the fact that someone is hurting any more or less than another. To me, there’s also a huge message of positivity in this song. It speaks to the fact that it is possible to heal, to recover from trauma and that there are many of us who genuinely care.

PC: Being that “Knots” covers such heavy subject matter, what do you hope listeners take away from the song’s message?

SE: “Knots” illuminates the chance meeting of two kindred spirits who, in a metaphor of tangled fishing line, strengthen their respective journeys through adversity. The song embraces service, self-efficacy, mental health, positivity, dedication, a reverence for life, and the respect-worthy aspiration to remain faithful to oneself. It’s also about the gravel in all of our shoes; the challenges we face inwardly. It’s about women and children, people we know and see every day; generosity, courage, dedication and commitment to the most loving path. My prayer is that we’ll look more closely, not look away, judge less harshly or not at all, endeavor to understand, be present, and remember to treat ourselves compassionately.

PC: You co-produced “Knots” with Kyle Lehning, who also co-produced Wyoming. What kind of musical kinship do you feel with Kyle in the studio? What helps you work so well together?

SE: I’d only finished a few of the songs that would end up being on the Wyoming album when I had this “knowing” that Kyle Lehning should be a part of it. Once I had enough of the songs for the album written, I called him out of the blue and asked if he’d at least be willing to listen. In his ever-gracious way, he said yes. The first and only time I worked in the studio with Kyle Lehning before that was to play guitar on a song Max D Barnes and I had written titled “If I Didn’t Have You.” They were recording it as a single to release for Randy Travis’ Greatest Hits album. That was in the 90s, so it really was a surprising intuition to have in 2019. In any case, it worked out, and the relationship Kyle and I share now in the studio is exceptional. I have immense respect for him, and we truly enjoy our time working together. He’s brilliant.

PC: What information, if any, can you give about the Road to California album? What can listeners expect to hear?

SE: The upcoming single is “Road Dog.” It’s straight up up-tempo fun, and a total Nashville pick-fest in which the dog is actually singing. If you’re a dog lover, and most especially if a dog is one of your family members, you’ll certainly relate. Our dog Shotgun was the inspiration (named for the seat he prefers to occupy). But it’s about everyone’s canine travel partner. The upcoming Road To California album is a collection of thoughts, images and situations that are meaningful in life. Not necessarily easy or pretty, but meaningful. It’s definitely rife with metaphor.

There’s no specific concept to its design. Although quite a few of the compositions have roads, wrecks, trucks, travel and highways in them, it wasn’t planned that way. It’s as diverse and textured musically as it is lyrically, running the gamut from bluegrass to rock, country to a full-on orchestral solo. There’s a song about a love-scarred barrel racer and her horse, two songs that feature dogs in completely different ways, love lost, love cherished, hearts wrecked, courage, honesty, grit and what we hope are some surprising twists musically and lyrically. It’s definitely diverse and meant to take you on a journey.

PC: Along with the release of Road to California, what do you have planned for the rest of 2023 and into 2024?

SE: “Road Dog” is of course coming out next with another single likely to follow before year’s end. We’ll be touring for Christmas again this year. 2024 holds the promise of the album’s release and the opportunity for Skip Ewing & Horsepower 307 to reach new fans and be on the road even more, whether it’s to California or not.