Charleston band Blue Dogs today premiered their first studio-recorded music since 2004. The new single, “That's How I Knew,” and its companion music video (see below), is the first release off the group’s upcoming album, Big Dreamers, which is set for release on June 3rd.
Produced by guitarist and longtime Blue Dogs fan—and at times, guitar player—Sadler Vaden, Big Dreamers marks a long-awaited comeback for the band.
“I have a history with these guys,” Vaden said. “They used to hire me when I was 18 or 19 years old to play with them. I've always admired their sound, even on their albums before I started playing with them, but this record represents the best part of the Blue Dogs in my mind. It's return to form that also brings out the highlights of their last record. Some things are polished and some things are a little more raw.”
Vaden isn't the only fan of Blue Dogs contributing to Big Dreamers, legendary Texas songwriter Radney Foster sings background vocals on “That's How I Knew,” which he co-wrote with Bobby Houck along with “If Ever,” and dobro master Jerry Douglas joined the band on the bluegrass-inspired “The Road You Don't.”
Fans can pre-0rder Big Dreamers ahead of its June 3rd release via this link. The band will celebrate the release of Big Dreamers with a concert on The Windjammer beach stage on June 3rd. Tickets are still available here.
Founded in 1987, the group is led by songwriters Hank Futch (bass) and Bobby Houck (lead singer, acoustic guitar), who grew up together in Florence. After nearly two decades on the road, the Blue Dogs took an extended break from touring in 2007.
“We're doing this to follow that dream of playing music and sharing our sound with whoever wants to listen,” Futch said. “We've probably been Americana before that became a term. But we didn't feel like we had to be anything other than ourselves to write these songs.”
“We still have something to say,” Houck said. “We can write good songs that we like, knowing other people will like them too. We've got a lot more to do, more places to play, and maybe bigger places to play. Because of this album, we get to live this dream longer than we thought.”
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