Sam Burchfield is an artist “raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains of South Carolina,” one who came up on folk, blues, gospel, and country and made it his mission to rearrange this amalgam into something fresh. A songwriter with a healthy respect for the tradition of his chosen idiom, he has released the single “Make Change” in anticipation of his forthcoming long player—his sixth to date—Nature Speaks, set for release on October 24 via Cloverdale Records.
This leading single was apparently written “on a joyful night in Pittsburgh, after a rowdy late-night karaoke session.” In the artist’s words, “The call to newness requires us to burn away the dead wood of ourselves and mourn what has to die,” inspiring the meaning behind the song. Furthermore, this track is indirectly influenced by his recent transition to fatherhood and ensuing embrace of domesticity—a man with a healthy respect for tradition indeed, even beyond his musical interests.
“Make Change” is a rolling, open-sounding slow-burner led by Burchfield’s insistent guitar, with electric guitar, drums, and others added by co-producer Ryan Plumley. As the instruments build beneath his threadbare voice, he wails, “I wanna be different / I wanna be new,” reflecting this call to newness. Distant guitars offer sympathetic cries as the song approaches the end of its 4:40 runtime, leaving as steadily as it came, forgoing any sudden peaks or valleys in lieu of a stoic, meditative feel. The dead wood has all but completely burned, and the mourning has begun.
Written by Jacob Simons
