Vincent Neil Emerson

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Vincent Neil Emerson
BornVan Zandt County, Texas, U.S.
OriginFort Worth, Texas
Genrescountry, country rock, Western swing, singer-songwriter, folk, honky-tonk
Occupation(s)singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)guitar
Years active2019-present

Vincent Neil Emerson is an American country singer-songwriter and guitar player from Texas.[1] He has released three albums: 2019's Fried Chicken and Evil Women, 2021's Vincent Neil Emerson, and 2023's The Golden Crystal Kingdom.[2][3] The Golden Crystal Kingdom was produced by Shooter Jennings and released on La Honda Records/RCA Records, while Vincent Neil Emerson was produced by Rodney Crowell.

Personal life[edit]

Emerson was born and grew up in Van Zandt County, Texas, where he was raised by his mother after his father's suicide and also lived next to other members of his extended family.[1][3][4] On his mother's side he is also part of the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, whose history, and in particular the displacement of tribal members to build the Toledo Bend Reservoir, he described in his song "The Ballad of the Choctaw-Apache" on his album Vincent Neil Emerson.[5] He has described himself as "indigenous." He told Rolling Stone that he dealt with mental health issues, including depression, when he was a teenager. He later moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he spent time busking, sometimes while being homeless, but he also lived for a time in San Antonio.[6]

Music[edit]

Emerson, before releasing his debut album, served as an opening act for Turnpike Troubadours and American Aquarium.[2] In 2019, Charley Crockett also covered his song "7 come 11", featured on Emerson's album Fried Chicken and Evil Women. Emerson would also later cover Crockett's song "Time of the Cottonwood Trees" on his album The Golden Crystal Kingdom.[7]

The TV show Reservation Dogs, which is focused on the lives of Native American teenagers, featured multiple songs by Emerson.[1] This relationship began with a cover of the Leon Russell song "Manhattan Island Serenade", but it also included his song "25 and Wastin' Time." Emerson also made a music video for his song "Little Wolf's Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint" that was filmed in Wyoming and featured the bareback horse rider, Sharmaine Weed.[8] He has also had a song appear in the soundtrack for the TV show, Yellowstone.[6]

Emerson has cited the Texas songwriters Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and Guy Clark as major influences on his music, as well as Bob Dylan and Neil Young of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.[9][10][11] He also cited Jonny Fritz as a major influence on Fried Chicken and Evil Women in particular. In 2021, he told Rolling Stone that his favorite song was "Rex's Blues" by Townes van Zandt; in that interview he also expressed his admiration for Justin Townes Earle.[12] He has also described his album The Golden Crystal Kingdom as "less of a country album and more of a rock 'n' roll album."[6]

Emerson is managed by Travis Blankenship, who is also a co-founder of his record label La Honda Records along with Connie Collingsworth.[13] La Honda Records is named after a town where Ken Kesey once lived and hosted the Grateful Dead. Fried Chicken and Evil Women was the first album that La Honda released, and it has since gone on to release his other two albums. It has also released albums by Colter Wall, Riddy Arman, and The Local Honeys.[14]

Emerson has more recently served as an opening act for Colter Wall and Charley Crockett, as well as touring with the musician John R. Miller.[15]

Critical reception[edit]

Kyle "Trigger" Coroneos of Saving Country Music.com gave an 8/10 rating to his first and last albums, Fried Chicken and Evil Women and The Golden Crystal Kingdom, and an 8.5/10 rating to Vincent Neil Emerson.[16][3][2] The Golden Crystal Kingdom also got a mixed review from No Depression.[17]

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

Albums
Title Release Date Record Label Catalog Number Producer
Fried Chicken and Evil Women 2019[18] La Honda Records/Thirty Tigers LHR001
Vincent Neil Emerson June 25, 2021[19] La Honda Records/Thirty Tigers LHR007 Rodney Crowell[20]
The Golden Crystal Kingdom 2023 La Honda Records/RCA Records 19658854281 Shooter Jennings

Singles[edit]

Singles
Title Year Record Label Album
"Road Runner" (with Colter Wall)[18] 2020 La Honda Records Non-album single
"Manhattan Island Serenade" 2020 La Honda Records Non-album single
"Cowgirl in the Sand (Luck Mansion Sessions)" 2022 La Honda Records Non-album single
"Son of a Bitch" 2022 La Honda Records Non-album single
"Clover on the Hillside"[21] 2023 La Honda Records/RCA Records The Golden Crystal Kingdom
"Time of the Rambler" 2023 La Honda Records/RCA Records The Golden Crystal Kingdom
"Little Wolf's Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint" 2023 La Honda Records/RCA Records The Golden Crystal Kingdom

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Gage, Jeff (2023-11-24). "Vincent Neil Emerson Is Ready to Sing About His Indigenous Heritage". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  2. ^ a b c Trigger (2019-09-18). "Review – Vincent Neil Emerson's "Fried Chicken and Evil Women" - Saving Country Music". savingcountrymusic.com. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  3. ^ a b c Trigger (2021-06-25). "Album Review – Vincent Neil Emerson (Self-Titled) - Saving Country Music". savingcountrymusic.com. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  4. ^ Inbox, Don't Rock The (2023-11-08). "Issue #30: VINCENT NEIL EMERSON". Don't Rock The Inbox. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  5. ^ Hiltner, Justin (2022-01-06). "Texas Songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson Believes Indigenous Music Is Folk Music". The Bluegrass Situation. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  6. ^ a b c "Vincent Neil Emerson Enters The 'Golden Crystal Kingdom' Of Gut-Punching Country Music". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  7. ^ "Vincent Neil Emerson Releases The Golden Crystal Kingdom". County Line Magazine. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  8. ^ "Country artist Vincent Neil Emerson releases latest album about growing up in East Texas". Dallas News. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  9. ^ "For Vincent Neil Emerson, it's the songwriting that's most important". Texas Standard. 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  10. ^ Gomez-Misserian, Gabriela (2023-11-10). "In the Studio with Vincent Neil Emerson and Shooter Jennings". Garden & Gun. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  11. ^ "Country artist Vincent Neil Emerson releases latest album about growing up in East Texas". KERA News. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  12. ^ Hudak, Joseph (2021-07-15). "Vincent Neil Emerson Is Guided by the Spirit of Townes Van Zandt on Stark New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  13. ^ Moore, Addie (2022-04-12). "La Honda Records Aims Beyond Country Music's Vinyl Frontier". Wide Open Country. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  14. ^ "La Honda Records". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  15. ^ Trigger (2023-08-30). "Vincent Neil Emerson Announces Fall 2023 Tour - Saving Country Music". savingcountrymusic.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  16. ^ Trigger (2023-11-15). "Review – Vincent Neil Emerson's – "The Golden Crystal Kingdom" - Saving Country Music". savingcountrymusic.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  17. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: Vincent Neil Emerson Turns Tradition Up Full-Blast". No Depression. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  18. ^ a b "Vincent Neil Emerson". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  19. ^ "Vincent Neil Emerson". La Honda Records. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  20. ^ Leimkuehler, Matthew. "Vincent Neil Emerson, the Texas songwriter praised by Rodney Crowell for singing 'his brand of the truth'". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  21. ^ "Vincent Neil Emerson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
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