Cedric Burnside

released June 25, 2021

I Be Trying might be the title of the new record from two-time GRAMMY nominee Cedric Burnside, but it’s also a mission statement in an era when plenty of us have discovered what “the blues” really means. Recorded over three days at Royal Studios in Memphis (the home studio of Al Green and Hi Records in the 60s and 70s), this album is the ultimate statement of purpose for a critically acclaimed artist who has proudly carried the mantle of Mississippi Hill Country blues around the world.

Over thirteen tracks, Burnside delivers his bruised but unfettered truth over blistering guitar and deep pocket drums—a sound birthed in his soul but developed and perfected on the road. But no matter how far he travels, the righteous sound he makes could only come from one place. I Be Trying is the sound of modern Mississippi.

Produced by second-generation Memphis soul trailblazer Boo Mitchell (“Uptown Funk”) and featuring guest appearances from Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) and Zac Cockrell (Brittany Howard), I Be Trying takes the sound that Burnside learned from his grandfather, blues legend R.L. Burnside, and reinterprets it into a modern, bold Black American sound that expands the sonic landscape while respecting and honoring its roots.

Recorded and Mixed at Royal Studios, Memphis, TN
with additional recording at Single Lock Studios, Florence, AL

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Boo Mitchell
with Associate Producer and Assistant Engineer Ben Tanner
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound

Cedric Burnside: guitar and vocals on all, drums on 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12
Reed Watson: drums and percussion on 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13
Luther Dickinson: guitar on 2, 6
Zac Cockrell: bass on 8
Caleb Elliott: cello on 3, 13
Portrika Burnside: vocals on 3

Recording notes:
All guitar and vocals were run through 2 Coil Audio CA70S mic preamps.
Cedric used Al Green’s famed “Mic #9” on “The World Can Be So Cold.”
Drums were tracked “Willie Mitchell” style with a single Mono RCA 77DX overhead through our 536 MCI preamps.

All songs written by Cedric Burnside except:
“Bird Without a Feather” by R.L. Burnside
“Hands Off That Girl” by Junior Kimbrough

The Team:
Management: Reed Watson and Matthew Thompson
Label: Reed, Addy and Ben at Single Lock Records
US Booking: Josh Brinkman at Crossover Touring
UK Booking: Rupert Orton at PRB Booking
AUS Booking: Brian Taranto at Love Police
Financial: Lucia Turino and Pete Frostic at The Greenroom Resource
Publishing: Amy Patton at One Riot
Publicity: Matt Hanks and Max Lefkowitz at Shorefire Media
Transportation and Support: Chuck Duncan

Cover photography by Dale Gunnoe
Additional photography by Abraham Rowe
Album packaging by Joshua Hardman

C & P 2021 Single Lock Records
www.cedricburnside.net
www.singlelock.com