Guitarist and singer Johnny Stachela of The Allman Betts Band has self-released a new single, “County Farm,” available across all digital platforms.
The song – a cover of “County Farm Blues” written and first recorded in 1930 by folk-blues icon Son House – recalls House’s time at Mississippi’s Parchman Prison Farm and the rigid prison driver, Captain Jack.
Recorded at Stachela’s home studio during quarantine, the moving and evocative tale seemed particularly poignant at this moment in history. “I was first attracted to the song ‘County Farm Blues’ because it felt very dangerous. Music like that is born out of oppression that still exists today, 90 years later,” says Stachela. “The haunting vocal and intricate slide guitar, it’s raw emotion. I’m so captivated by that sound, I feel somewhat responsible to carry it forward.”