Old Salt Union has announced the release of a new album, Where The Dogs Don’t Bite, out August 16th on Compass Records. For this follow-up to their self-titled Compass Records debut, the band once again enlisted GRAMMY-winning banjoist and Compass co-founder Alison Brown to produce. The resulting album, Where The Dogs Don’t Bite, finds this non-traditional stringband tapping into their varied musical backgrounds to deliver a wildly entertaining, eclectic batch of songs. The quintet – Ryan Murphey (banjo), Justin Wallace (lead vocals and mandolin), John Brighton (violin), Jesse Farrar (lead vocals and bassist) and newest member Graham Curry (guitar) continues to hone and develop its sound through relentless touring, cultivating a steadfast fanbase drawn to their high-energy shows. Old Salt Union’s collective melting pot of styles and musical vocabularies inform their fresh approach to modern acoustic roots music and has helped to carve a unique niche for this Belleville, Illinois outfit.

Farrar, the nephew of Son Volt’s Jay Farrar, kicks off the album with “God You Don’t Need,” a hook-laden ode to a relationship gone bad set against a tapestry of strings and an eerily compelling banjo melody. Bluegrass legend and labelmate Bobby “Rocky Top” Osborne guests on “Tell Me So,” a nod to the bluegrass side of the band’s musical sensibilities featuring lead vocals and songwriting by mandolinist Justin Wallace. Violinist Brighton delivers the gypsy-tinged instrumental “Johann’s Breakdown,” which pulls from jazz and classical progressions, and Wallace delivers the haunting title track, “Where The Dogs Don’t Bite.” The dark, but heartfelt song features triple-layered guitar harmonies, stacked vocals and a group sing-along that recalls the last call at a corner pub in the Rust Belt, a fitting closing to this musically diverse and compelling release.

Old Salt Union will be touring extensively throughout the rest of the year. They’ll be joining Son Volt on tour from June 18 through the 27 and is set to play several notable summer festivals including Blue Ox, Floyd Fest, and Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival.

TOUR DATES
6/7 – The Mishawaka | Bellvue, CO^
6/8-6/9 – Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass Festival | Pagosa Springs, CO
6/13-15 – Blue Ox Music Festival | Eau Claire, WI
6/18 – The Jones Assembly | Oklahoma City, OK*
6/19 – Historic Scoot Inn | Austin, TX*
6/20 – The Kessler Theater | Dallas, TX*
6/21 – The Heights Theater | Houston, TX*
6/22 – Red Stick Social | Baton Rouge, LA
6/23 – Saturn | Birmingham, AL*
6/25 – Variety Playhouse | Atlanta, GA*
6/26 – Lafayette’s Music Room | Memphis, TN*
6/27 – The Basement East | Nashville, TN*
6/28 – Red, White & Boom | London, KY
6/29 – Smoky Run Music Festival | Butler, OH
7/11 – Pickin’ On Picknic | Saint Francisville, MO
7/12 – Byrd’s Creek Music Festival | Crossville, TN
7/13 – Barage Concert Series House Concert | Chattanooga, TN
7/19 – Camp Euforia | Lone Tree, IA
7/20-7/21 – Hiawatha Music Festival | Hiawatha, MI
7/25 -7/26 – Floyd Fest | Floyd, VA
7/27 – Capital Ale House Richmond | Richmond, VA
7/28 – Purple Fiddle | Thomas, WB
7/30 – John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts | Washington, DC
8/3 – Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks | Bethlehem, PA
8/9 – Basin Spring Park | Eureka Springs, AR
8/10 – Lovegrass Music Festival | Sylvan Grove, KS
8/20 – Tuesday in the Garden | Rockford, IL
8/22 – Alive After Five | Mankato, MN
8/23 – Bend In The Road | Manchester, MN
8/24 – Riverside Park | La Crosse, WI
9/4 – The Bend Concert Series at Murphy Park | East Moline, IL
9/5 – Gabe’s – Iowa City, IA
9/7 – Hey Nonny | Arlington Heights, IL
9/8 – Black Swamp Arts Festival | Bowling Green, OH
9/19-9/21 – Walnut Valley Festival | Winfield, KS
9/27 – 9/29 – Roots N Blues N BBQ | Columbia, MO
10/19 – The Wander Down Music Festival | Makanda, IL

^w/ Jeff Austin Band, Tenth Mountain Division

• w/ Son Volt

All up to date tour info can be found at oldsaltunion.com.