Runner of the Woods

As we prep for the imminent release of our second full length album, “New in Town”, we are launching new music, a single, as a warning shot.

The landscape for music promotion evolves every six months, so this is an opportunity to reacquaint myself with the process. I remember the basics (bang your head against the wall.) But new music is always cause for celebration. My only rule going forward is to enjoy the ride.

“Le 6 Octobre”, a melancholy reverie of my years in Montreal, is sung entirely in French — but don’t worry! A video with English lyrics will accompany the release, which takes place on October 6th. You can follow along as I tell the story.

We recorded it during the same session as “Acadiana Girls”, and the pairing now makes perfect sense. Years ago, I moved from New Orleans to Montreal. In my mind, I was trading one old French town for another, but it was a shock to go from sweaty south Louisiana, with its party atmosphere, to a snowy, more reserved cosmopolitan city. The chorus asks, “Who are these people who love the fall?” It’s not that I don’t enjoy it myself, but the season has the whiff of losing something wonderful — summertime.

And Montreal fall was glorious until it wasn’t. Mix early sunsets and gray skies with snowstorms and heartbreak, and you get a grim Northern stew. It wasn’t the red beans & rice I left behind, but I persevered — thrived, really. I made some of my best friends ever. The picture above is of my street, and…that’s exactly how it was. I can close my eyes and hear the squeak of my boots as I walked the streets of the Plateau.

The band, Beau Dommage, captured vibe of this neighborhood in their song, “Montreal” (“The sky is low, the earth is gray. The river is dirty”). It sounds better in French, of course. Their sound was a vibey 70’s Quebecois Fleetwood Mac. That may not sell it well, but the recordings themselves are sublime (all early EMI Records).

I return my old neighborhood almost yearly, and the ghosts are around every corner.

Take one last look at that photo. That’s exactly how it was.

We’re thrilled to be doing a Cajun Night residency at Skinny Dennis in Nashville, TN!

Our new album, “New in Town”, is being shipped to the vinyl pressing plant. It’s a fantastic feeling.

Finally, this website is currently receiving a long-overdue overhaul. Pardon our dust. More soon!

Join us on Thursday, March 26th at 9 pm as we make our Skinny Dennis debut and welcome Jean Bertrand & the 99 Playboys — all the way from Lafayette, Louisiana! Bertrand is a founding member of 4-time Grammy nominees, the Pine Leaf Boys.

Together, they’re gonna blow the roof off of the place!

LET’S GO!

Join us on Tuesday, February 17th for a Mardi Gras celebration at East Side Bowl as part of Honky-Tonk Tuesday! It’s Nashville’s best night of music and dancing.

We’re working on the artwork for the new album and working on a release date. And some tour dates.

More soon!

It’s always an honor to play Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, and the greatest joy is performing original songs to a crowd that whisper-quiet. Our show this Sunday, November 9th at 6 pm is sold out (there are a still a few walk-up tickets available.)

Our new album is done! Fully mixed, and mastered. The long march of artwork, ordering vinyl, and plotting the release now begins. Watch for “New in Town” in 2026.

Good things are coming.

Runner of the Woods is thrilled to announce its debut as an official showcasing artist at AMERICANAFEST 2025! We’ll be at the 5 Spot in East Nashville’s 5 Points, in the heart of the action. 6 pm sharp!

We’re gonna bring it!

BAM! We’re on the road! This week, Thurs July 31 – Sat, Aug 2, catch Runner of the Woods LIVE at Mile of Music Fest in Appleton, WI.

The dream team includes Stephen Daly on guitar, Dan Seymour on bass, Lawrence Nemenz on drums, and yours truly on guitar and Cajun accordion. With special guests on fiddle.

The new record is mastered. We came to slay.

Join us for the 7th annual Bands & Boil this Saturday, June 7th at the Groove Record Shop in East Nashville. Sponsored by our generous partners, East Nashville Beer Works and Vida Wakeman, Realtor.

FREE CRAWFISH, FREE BEER, and great live music by: Adrian + Meredith, The Mudbug Stompers, Griffin McMahon, Steve Daly & the Cumberland Sliders, and Runner of the Woods.

It’s Nashville’s only free, family-friendly event. Come eat, drink, and dance!

Here’s a montage video (“sizzle reel”) of our Mardi Gras show at Honky-Tonk Tuesday. Thanks to the Cowpokes for having us. What a blast! I say this all the time – but maybe not enough – It’s a thrill to play with such fantastic musicians. And it’s great fun to do it all for a packed dancefloor.

Nashville is a special place. You can dig up your most obscure Cajun covers or original songs (with all their unexpected chord changes) and there is never a shortage of players who effortlessly bring it all together.

For a frontman, it’s like taking a seat in a brand new BMW, turning the key, and burning rubber as you peel out of the lot.  

In other news, Bands & Boil 2025 will June 7th! More soon.