PORTER HOWELL OF LITTLE TEXAS ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGER-SONGWRITER ALBUM, "THIS TOWN WAS", AVAILABLE NOV. 11

'An ode to the ever-changing ways of Nashville … [Howell’s] weathered voice [is] a perfect foil for the song’s nostalgic lyrics.'

-Billboard

'Sung in a yearning voice of nostalgia and regret, this is essential listening.'

- MusicRow

Porter Howell, frontman, lead guitarist, principal songwriter and a founding member of multi-Grammy-nominated ’90s country vocal band, Little Texas, is announcing the release of his debut side project as a singer-songwriter, This Town Was, available Nov. 11. Pre-order is available now via ONErpm HERE. Howell will perform at an album release party at 6pm CT Tuesday, Nov. 15 at The Local in Nashville.

After 30 years in the business, it took a pandemic and the ensuing forced downtime from touring to compel Howell to compile this 10-track album of mostly self-penned songs. The title track and accompanying music video were released in April and garnered favorable reviews from Billboard and MusicRow.

“This album was recorded in my basement studio as honestly as possible,” Howell says. “No production tricks necessary—guitars, steel guitar, bass, drums and keys were all tracked with players in the room, the old school way.”

So maybe it’s no surprise that one of the more (humorously) self-reflective album tracks is fittingly titled “Old School”: So, say that I’m old school/Nothin’ but an old fool/That I’m behind the times, afraid to change/Cause in all honesty/I came about it honestly/A pretty cool old fool made me this way.”

In contrast, an ode to that “old fool,” the mesmeric “I Thought About You Today,” will bring more than a tear to your eye as Howell sings about his father: “I thought about you today/It’s funny how that happens/Think of some old thing we’d say/And I swear I hear you laughing/And I fight back a tear cause life without you here/Is still a little strange.” “I only wish I’d finished this project before he passed away, as I believe it would have been his favorite,” Howell says wistfully, noting that the album reflects his dad’s influence on his musical tastes.

Similarly nostalgic, anyone who knows Nashville’s history will be drawn to the authenticity of Howell’s heartfelt lyrics on the title track as he soulfully sings about how the town he grew up in professionally has changed so much. “This Town was/Two one-way streets where dreams could find a way to fly…If you look real close, you can almost see a vague outline…It’s where lonely voices dared to bare their hearts and souls/And if you listen close enough, you’ll hear the ghosts ….”

Other songs on the album metaphorically reflect the unpredictability of life (“Church of the Uncertain” and “Lucky to Be Alive”) and love (“Kinda Gone by Then,” “The Way You Were Back Then,” “Who Might Disagree”).

“It’s almost strange to feel this vulnerable by putting something out in the world that is so personal. I just hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

"This Town Was" Track List:

1. “This Town Was” (Porter Howell)

2. “Old School” (Porter Howell)

3. “Church of Uncertain” (Porter Howell)

4. “Lucky to Be Alive” (Porter Howell)

5. “I Thought About You Today” (Porter Howell)

6. “The Way You Were Back Then” (Jay Knowles, Porter Howell, Adam Wright)

7. “My Baby” (Porter Howell)

8. “Kind of Gone by Then” (Porter Howell)

9. “Who Might Disagree” (Porter Howell)

10. “What It’s All About” (Lisa Brokop, Porter Howell, Paul Jefferson)

All songs produced by Ian Stewart

"This Town Was": Album Players

Mike Borque (pedal steel guitar)

Becca Bradley (cello)

Karli Chayne (background vocals)

Mike Clairborne (bass guitar)

Rachel Crick (fiddle)

Porter Howell (acoustic guitar, lead guitar, baritone guitar, 6-string banjo, 12-string guitar, resonator guitar, slide guitar)

Reed Pittman (keys)

John Riffe (drums, percussions, background vocals)

Paul Jefferson (background vocals)

PORTER HOWELL RELEASES SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR UPCOMING SIDE PROJECT, "THIS TOWN WAS"

Billboard.com calls title track “an ode to the ever-changing ways of Nashville” and Howell’s voice “a perfect foil” for the song’s nostalgic lyrics

"This Town Was" official video directed by Michelle Goble and track available everywhere HERE

When the pandemic brought gigging to a halt, Little Texas founding member Porter Howell finally had a chance to reflect on 30 years in the business. And once he started writing down those thoughts, he realized he had a lot to say, and those words eventually turned into songs.

“I probably wrote 40 songs by myself in 2020 alone,” Howell acknowledges. “Initially I was saving them for other people,” he explains, either with a co-writer in mind to help finish them or for a particular artist to record. But with some encouragement from his longtime partner and family, Howell slowly started making demos, “and I came to realize there was a personal angle to this particular group of songs.” That particular group of songs became This Town Was, Howell’s first side project as a singer/songwriter. In a review for Billboard.com, Jessica Nicholson tabbed the title track “an ode to the ever-changing ways of Nashville” and Howell’s voice “a perfect foil” for the song’s nostalgic lyrics. The video and single have just been released ahead of the 10-track album. Anyone who knows Nashville’s history will be drawn to the authenticity of the heartfelt lyrics as Howell soulfully sings about how the town he grew up in professionally has changed so much.

“This song came from driving around Nashville and realizing it just doesn’t look—or feel—the same…it’s a different vibe” now that the city has become a major tourist attraction, Howell notes. “It’s like that sleepy fishing village that becomes everybody’s favorite vacation spot” and tends to lose its character in the process.

“This Town was/Two one-way streets where dreams could find a way to fly…If you look real close, you can almost see a vague outline…It’s where lonely voices dared to bare their hearts and souls/And if you listen close enough, you’ll hear the ghosts…

To the newbies, Howell advises, “I’m sure there’s a fire that still burns/In every hopeful waiting their turn/I can only hope they care to learn,” while cautioning the developers who “build and build until it’s hard to find/Where this town was.”

Howell has helped distinguish country music through his lyrics and trademark guitar work for more than three decades. As lead guitarist and songwriter of the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated vocal band Little Texas, he developed a signature slide guitar style that defined the sound of a band that carved its niche by writing and performing its own music. For the past 15 years, Howell has added lead vocalist to his band duties.

Currently, Howell splits his time between the road and the writing room. Recognized among Nashville’s elite songwriters, he co-wrote several of Little Texas’ biggest hits, including “Kick a Little,” First Time for Everything,” “My Love,” “What Might Have Been” and “God Blessed Texas.” As a result, Howell received the CMA Triple Play Award, which honors country music’s greatest storytellers, for penning three No. 1 singles in a 12-month period. For more information, visit www.porterhowell.com and www.littletexasonline.com.