Acclaimed producer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist / luthier Richie Owens leads his band, The Farm Bureau through a high octane  workout on the new In Farm We Trust release.

Blending various musical influences drawn from a deep well of rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, country, bluegrass, blues and pop, In Farm We Trust flows together seamlessly.

“My music combines a variety of traditional and contemporary elements, whether it’s folk or roots or rock ‘n’ roll,” he notes. “It can encompass a pretty broad spectrum. Some may see it as falling
under the umbrella of Americana, but in my case, it’s all mined from a very specific southern sensibility.”

In Farm We Trust shows Owens’ ability to distill these influences, whether its his revved take on the traditional tune “Rye Whiskey,”  the emphatic stomp of “Indian Blues” or the reverberating rocker
“Mountain Girl,” a song which might be mistaken for a Tom Petty tune. Other tracks prove equally infectious, from the dark swampy groove of “Why Can’t I Leave” to the reverberating refrain of “Life on the Farm” as well as the assured embrace of “Give Me Strength.” Given that diverse appeal, it’s little surprise that one of Richie’s earlier songs, “Ain’t Going Back Again,” was tapped for the film “The Boys Are Back” in 2009.

Nashville’s leading newspaper, The Tennessean, named him one of the city’s top ten guitar gods, no small accomplishment considering the multitude of musicians who call that city home. Yet, his skills don’t stop there. Equally adept on guitar, slide, mandolin, bass and harp, he’s played alongside Dolly Parton (he produced her 1998 album Hungry Again), Doug Stone, Jason & the Scorchers and Byron Berline. No wonder then that after a performance at the Greek Theater as part of Dolly’s back-up band, The L.A. Times singled him out by noting “Richie Owens… provided some positively chilling dobro work.”  Richie’s harp playing is evident on Dolly’s latest album, Better Day, and he can also be seen in her concert DVD Live From London, recorded in 2009 at London’s O2 Arena. As an engineer, he’s worked on albums with the Georgia Satellites, Vince Gill, Steve Forbert, Michael Stipe, Social Distortion, the Bangles, and Suzy Boguss as well as an upcoming effort by the Kentucky Headhunters.

 

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