Ted Nunes and Richfield return to country roots with new single 'Green Flash'
Plus, the LA Times features Fatty Cakes the Puff Pastries and your weekly concerts list.
In a way, Ted Nunes’ new single is an exercise in marketing; a way to remind people, people he knows even, that he is indeed in a band (it’s called Richfield) and they do indeed make music.
And it’s worth hearing.
“Green Flash” is the kind of well crafted roots county tune Nunes and Richfield were known for in the mid 2010s — the last time they released new music. It borrows from that late ’80s/’90s alt county No Depression scene (think acoustic guitars and pedal steel with a bit of twang, but nothing overwrought).
It just pushes up against being Outlaw Country.
The track is one of several the band recorded with Nashville producer (and Valley ex-pat) Joe Costa at his farm house/studio tucked among orange fields outside Visalia. The songs are a mix of new material (“Green Flash,” for one) and reworked versions of tunes the band recorded in 2015 for a release that never materialized.
“I want to get these songs out,” Nunes says.
“I’m really proud of them all.”
But first, there’s the single.
“Green Flash” is getting all of the bells and whistles it needs to make sure it gets on people’s radar. Nunes spend an afternoon shooting photos and getting material for quick promo vids. He made sure the song got distributed on all the digital platforms and was available for pre-order (it officially dropped on Friday. You can hear it tonight on this week’s Homegrown).
Nunes created a linktr.ee for the songs and updated his website and started reaching out to media folk like myself.
“I did the thing,” he says.
“I’m going to do all the things.”
The band is also getting back into the live game and will perform Friday, Feb. 25 at Howling Wolf as a sort of follow up to the release.
There is also a documentary in the works from filmmaker Matt Mealer, which chronicles Nune’s songwriter process and follows him through the creation of an entire song. The film features candid moments with Nunes — hanging out at the Visalia park where he first learned to play guitar — intercut with live acoustic performances Nunes filmed at Fresno’s CMAC during the pandemic.
“It feels really lonely,” Nunes says.
“Subtle.”
‘Saying we’re from Fresno is both a bond — and a threat.’
I’m not one who necessarily believes outside affirmation is needed to prove one’s worth as a Fresno musician. But, it’s worth noting when it happens.
For instance, the feature on Fatty Cakes and the Puff Pastries that ran last week in the Los Angles Times. The story is worth reading in that it does a great job of framing the band’s history and its growth, while hitting all the things that make it great representation of Fresno out in the world.
I mean, check this quote from singer Amber Fargano: “Fresno breeds a very special kind of person,” they said. “Saying we’re from Fresno is both a bond — and a threat.”
Events list Feb. 13-19
Indie rock and hop hop night No. 2, Kalioner, RVE x Da Fly guys, Tragic Visions, The Service Call and The Stereo Hopeful, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, Strummer’s restaurant side. Free, 21 +
TobyMac, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, Save Mart Center. $22.75-$92.75.
Tacos, Brews and Jams, 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, Tioga Sequoia Beer Garden. Free. All ages.
ohn Pemberton, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, Full Circle Brewery District. Free. All ages.
Club Cypher Presents: Neon Night, 8:30 p.m. Friday Feb. 18, Fulton 55. $15-$20.
Dre Day, DJ night, 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, Strummer’s. $5.
Beaza, 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, Switch Lounge. $20.
The Artourage’s 9 Year Anniversary Party, with BIAS (ex KoRn), Society 1, Red Keep, Scoundrel, Severed One and Soul Catcher, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, Fulton 55. $15-$20.
Tito Torbellino Jr, Martin Castill, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, Rainbow Ballroom. $55.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com