Music INSIGHT
How many roads:
Stephen Hartsfield
by Benjamin Nunnally
S
tephen Hartsfield can tell you a thing
or two about dark times.
me, and from that point forward I’m a servant of the song.”
When he sings his song, Sunset Limited, you hear a tale of hurt told with profound honesty, which Hartsfield agrees can
be a bit of a risk when sung in a small town
where gossip moves fast. Lyrics like “Whisky,
women, pills and cheap thrills, I just can't let
them be” tell a story of personal battles, but
for Stephen, the dark times are in the past.
The Alabama-born singer’s lyrics have their
fun, too, a mix that’s well suited to his blend
of Americana, alt-country and bluegrassy
Appalachia. Songs like Sunset Limited maintain a rustic style while working in modern
sensibilities and structure, while tunes like
Misty Morning Rain play around with funky
swagger, giving Hartsfield a versatility to his
stage persona and room to move around
thematically.
“I was on a dark path, I damn near killed myself, and I don’t know why I did it, but I did,”
said Hartsfield, reminiscing. “Music saved
Hartsfield has always been a roamer, though;
October 2015
INSIGHT