Full Review

Chamomile and Whiskey, Red Clay Heart Review

Chamomile and Whiskey is a duo that decided the taste of the combo Chamomile and Whiskey perfectly embodied their music—thus, Chamomile and Whiskey were born. Marie Borgman and Koda Kerl are the founders of the deep-roots-rock outfit Chamomile and Whiskey. The native musicians of Nelson County, Virginia, soon added members Drew Kimball on guitar, Stuart Gunter on drums, and Marsh Mahon on bass. Chamomile and Whisky have built a catalog on their ability to define life’s ups and downs into lyrics without ever being too earnest, too heavy, or too light. With a sound that combines roots, rock, and Americana music with stomping rhythms, catchy melodies, and solid musicianship to support it all. On October 30, 2020, Chamomile and Whiskey will release their third LP, Red Clay Heart.

Bottom Line: Red Clay Heart is nine selections that present the next chapter for Chamomile and Whisky. Produced by Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), Red Clay Heart opens with the album’s first single, “Way Back.” Gunter lays down a rollicking backbeat with a steady bass line by Mahon. The harmonized guitars add energy as the rich country twanged vocals of Kerl deliver an anthem of Americana rebellion. Borgman adds her supportive violin to give a depth of color. The single is accompanied by a video filmed in the band’s favorite Charlottesville bar, The Whiskey Jar. Kerl says, “I guess this one comes from being in a small-town scene for a long time and thinking about how much I used to care about things that don’t matter so much to me anymore.” Kerl speaks about “Way Back.” “I felt it would be a good song for our new lineup… more electric guitar, slightly tongue in cheek, and a little “f*** it.” “Alright” shows the tender side of Chamomile and Whisky. The lyrics are straight to the point, the chorus is, “It’s gonna be alright. Or maybe it won’t. You carry on; you make it through. Unless you don’t.” “Another Wake” and “Heartbreak (Luke’s Song)” is inspired by tremendous loss. “Another Wake” was inspired by the tragic events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. “I wrote this song just a few days after August 12, 2017, when a bunch of nazi’s and white supremacists came to town, and one of them drove a car into a crowd full of peaceful protesters…some of them close friends of ours”, says Kerl. “Multiple people were hurt, and Heather Heyer was killed. It was an unbelievably tragic few days for us, Marie’s sweet cousin Nicole had passed away, and our friend Ro had died. I was walking back from Ro’s wake on August 13, and downtown Charlottesville felt like a war zone. It was the second wake I’d been to there in a short time. I remember thinking that there is nothing more universal or human than the pain of losing loved ones. I wondered if the small-minded, awful people that had come to Charlottesville could ever see that and what might have caused them to live such sad and ignorant lives.” With powerful emotions channeled into the song’s lyrics and haunting melody, “Another Wake” will stay with you. The result is Red Clay Heart is an album of real emotions brought to life in a roots-rock Americana manner that only Chamomile and Whiskey can deliver, smooth with a bite that will make you feel warm inside. That’s the short of it!