Welcome to Playlists, a series where we turn over the reigns to artists to curate the next big playlist
Sadness is the connective tissue of the human existence. Contentment and glee are important, too, but it is pain, heartache and loss that remind us we are truly alive, shells walking this earth in search of hope, love and freedom. “In lieu of any flowers, try to give your love away,” prompts Kellen of Troy, formerly fiddle player of Apache Relay, on the titular cut to his solo debut album, Posthumous Release. That urgency and suffering is engraved throughout the record (but more on that later), a common characteristic of much of Americana, folk and country music.
Debuting exclusively on B-Sides & Badlands, Kellen Wenrich compiles a collection of his favorite sad songs by good friends, or at the very least, fellow artists with whom he’s shared stages. He unearths a standout cut by Ray Price, alongside emotional renderings by Brent Cobb, Jenny Lewis, The Devil Makes Three, Dawes and The Wild Feathers, among many others.
Kellen of Troy’s Posthumous Release drops February 16 on Allura Sound.