John Calvin Abney is an Oklahoman musician who adeptly mixes classic Americana sounds with more modern genres like dream pop and indie folk. The result is a sound that is equal parts Elliot Smith and William Elliott Whitmore and we’ve got the premiere of a great example of this skill in “Sundowner.” The single shows off Abney’s Oklahoma vocal twang while showcasing a songwriter that is not satisfied with classic American songwriting practices.

“Sundowner” comes from Abney’s upcoming full-length release Coyote, which will be out May 18 on Black Mesa Records. He cut his teeth performing in bands, including as the lead guitarist of his fellow statesmen John Moreland. The name of the album is in part inspired by the nickname he has come to be known by in the music world.

“Moreland introduced me as ‘Coyote Trigger’ onstage a couple times, I thought it was hilarious—the idea of me as this wild pup running around with big hair and tight jeans and cowboy boots,” explains Abney. “But later, when I was thinking about what to call this new record, it hit me like a spark. To figure out how to deal with all these things I’d never dealt with, I had to think on my feet, to be scrappy and cunning—I was like a coyote out on the road, confused, wounded and fighting to figure out a way.”

Catch Abney on tour over the next few months in support of his new album. Check out the full list below:

John Calvin Abney tour dates

05/18 – Mercury Lounge – Tulsa, OK (album release show)
05/19 – The Blue Door – Oklahoma City, OK (album release show)
06/02 – Tower Theater – Oklahoma City, OK (w/ Horse Thief)
06/15 – Folk a Rock – Malmo, Sweden (opening for John Moreland)
06/19 – Tivolivredenburg – Utrecht, Netherlands (opening for John Moreland)
06/20 – Botanique – Brussels, Belgium (opening for John Moreland)
06/21 – Union Chapel – London, UK (opening for John Moreland)
06/23 – Black Deer Fest – East Sussex, UK (guitar for John Moreland)

Press Photo: Dylan Johnson Photography