Grackles

Austin-based band Grackles is excited to announce their self-titled debut album, featuring 10 songs that blend together country, rock and blues. The album will be released on vinyl and on all streaming services on February 24, 2024. The band is excited to release their first single, “San Antone.” The track, which features blues legend Charlie Musselwhite and Lauren Harris is available to stream at YouTube and on all digital platforms for any playlist shares. 

In October of ‘22, in Arlyn Studio, Austin, Texas a recording session became a band. Drummer Jimmy Paxson was finishing a leg of his world tour with The Chicks at Austin City Limits Festival. Jimmy was in contact with Jason Mozersky, his Grammy award winning guitar player and bandmate from Ben Harper. Jason discussed with Kyle Crusham, producer for Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, getting together to do some recording and lastly songwriter and indie rock musician Noah Lit (Oliver Future, Noah and the MegaFauna) was added to the mix. With the band in place, they looked to Noah, now a restaurateur in Austin, and way, way out of the music business, to write some tunes.

“The band was ready to rock, and they looked at me and said, ok Noah, go write some songs” explains Noah. Never one to back away from a challenge, Noah dug deep into his musical former self, wood-shedded, and pulled 10 songs out of the ether that became Grackles.

The first single "San Antone" tells an alternate history of the town Noah and Jason Mozersky grew up in. Noah Lit on the song: “I wanted to tell a mystical noir story about a San Antonio that only existed in my high school imagination. San Antonio is about the nicest city one could ever hope to visit, but perhaps there’s a dark witchy undertone, Robert Johnson sold his soul to record in the Gunter Hotel downtown off the Riverwalk, what else could be hiding in its candle lit cobblestone alleys? Having Charlie Musselwhite play harmonica on the track is also a dream come true. Charlie has played harmonica on most of my favorite records, and he is truly an unbelievable player.”

The music leans heavily into Noah and Jason’s many years in Austin. Dark blues rhumba with country ballads. Singer songwriter aesthetics meet blazing guitar solos and danceable 12 bar tunes. Hammond B3 drives the vintage guitars, and Beatles-esque 12 string Rickenbackers, while string sections sweep above in Roy Orbison arrangements. Noah leans into a deeper, lower register croon and growl. Part Leonard Coen, part snarling dog, the lyrics flow like shoal creek over limestone. Guest vocals by Kat Edmonson and Lauren Harris, add ethereal chords, and full throated whimsy.

The live band is an eight piece country, rock, blues explosion. Their sold out first show at the iconic Antone’s, downtown Austin brought echoes of old Austin into a new updated package. Like a classic car with a Tesla Engine, Grackles is all that was Austin, through a thoroughly modern lens.