CQ Corral: Too Sad for the Public – “Old Forty” Feat. Ana Egge
By Christopher Treacy
“Old Forty” is the final single in the run up to the second compilation of material from Too Sad for the Public, a project overseen by Story Sound Records founder Dick Connette, and it features Ana Egge on vocals. A reimagining of a traditional African-American field recording, Egge lends an earthy, evocative vocal to a tale we’re told, “…explores the oddly eloquent expression of ambivalence.” Someone is moving on, or at least they’re expressing their resolve to do so. Are they leaving a lover or are they talking about being ready to die? We’ll never know the writer’s true intent, but that merely underscores the idea of the song’s inherent ambivalence. Egge, meanwhile, inhabits the song brilliantly.
The accompanying video clip, created by Janie Geiser, layers vintage film clips and elements of collage to create something singular, transporting us to a much earlier time in American history. The collage pieces (newspaper clippings, pen and ink drawings, vintage photographs) are rooted mostly in nature scenes, repeatedly bringing us back to a rustic ideal. The combined effect gives viewers plenty to contemplate against the backdrop of the song and the lyric interplays with the imagery.
Too Sad for the Public’s Vol. 2 – Yet and Still arrives from Story Sound Records on July 29. “Old Forty” is preceded by the prior singles, “Railroad Bill Pt. 2” and “G. Burns in the Bottom,” the latter of which also features a vocal from Egge with Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche on harmony vocals.
If you’re in the NYC area, come on out to the Jalopy Theatre in Brooklyn on Saturday, July 29th to celebrate the release of Vol. 2 Yet and Still. Dick Connette, Ana Egge, Ish Montgomery, Lorenzo Wolff, Bobby Hawk and Ethan Eubanks – all players on the album – will perform an early show. More info: here.
CQ Corral is an emerging feature at Country Queer that will bring you new music several times weekly, culminating every two weeks in the CQ Roundup our readers have come to expect. If you think your work could be a good fit for coverage at CQ, fill out our submission form!!
Christopher Treacy has been writing about music and the music industry for 20 years. He’s contributed to The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Herald, Nashville Scene, and Berklee College of Music’s quarterly journal, as well as myriad LGBTQ+ outlets including the Edge Media Network, Between the Lines/Pride Source, Bay Windows and In Newsweekly. He’s the Managing Editor for CQ and lives in Waitsfield, VT.