John Moreland

Some days, being John Moreland has to hurt. As others bury experiences and stifle regrets, Moreland pokes old wounds until you’re sure they’ve got to be bleeding again. It’s painful. But in Moreland’s care, it’s also breathtakingly beautiful. With the release of his highly anticipated third solo album High on Tulsa Heat (out April 21st via Thirty tigers), he offers another round of the lyrics-first, gorgeously plaintive songs that have earned him devoted listeners across the country.

When Moreland released In the Throes in June of 2013, the album didn’t just charm listeners—it stunned them. American Songwriter proclaimed that “[t]hose not familiar with the Oklahoma City singer-songwriter should remedy that pronto,” while No Depression declared the collection “isn’t so much songwriting as alchemy with words and music.” MSNBC host Rachel Maddow heard his songs and joined the chorus, tweeting: “If the American music business made any sense, guys like John Moreland would be household names.”

High on Tulsa Heat is a triumphant sequel, pulsing with the sharply drawn imagery and cutting vulnerability that his listeners have come to expect.

What Critics Are Saying:
"…Moreland sings in the gritty, emotive style of the new greats and with the wit and force of the old veterans." - American Songwriter
“I saw John Moreland open for Austin Lucas last October. From the first song, the crowd was riveted, you could hear a pin drop. The last time I experienced such a room vibe was seeing Townes Van Zandt in 1984.” – Jim Manion – Music Director WFHB Bloomington, IN
“Take a good, working rock and roll musician, strip him down to the basics, give him an acoustic guitar and say, ‘tell me what life’s taught you so far, seriously’ and in this perfect world you would get John Moreland “ – Rick Reilly – No Depression

“With the soul of a poet and the look of a Sons of Anarchy extra, Tulsa’s John Moreland has been gifted the sort of gravely, booming voice that does Bruce Springsteen proud and a similar understanding of the universal human experience. It’s made for some fantastic records — both as a solo artist and with his dissolved Black Gold Band — and In the Throes is his best yet.” – Joshua Boydston – Oklahoma Gazette
“In the Throes is immersive. The commitment and engagement are so strong, at times it feels like the songs are coming out of you, not John. Moreland puts every drop of blood on the page and every tear in the song. This, my friends, is what songs are for.”– Farce the Music
“With the ten songs on In The Throes, John Moreland has shown himself to be the closest thing to the ghost of Townes Van Zandt walking the earth.” -Charles Hale – Nine Bullets