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For over a decade now, Jake Xerxes Fussell’s records have been making traditional folk music come alive for modern ears. Today he’s announcing his latest, The Old Beloved Path<\/em>, set for release on Fat Possum this fall. The lead single is out now, a contemporary take on “Rock Island Line” that transforms the American traditional into a tender alt-country ballad.<\/p>\n “Rock Island Line” is covered often enough that Fussell had never considered performing it himself, but a recording of the song by Lonnie Donegan unlocked fresh inspiration for him. He offered this context:<\/p>\n The song struck me as very beautiful, but just singing the verses wasn\u2019t working for me. I couldn\u2019t relate. So, I wound up putting it together with an old English nursery rhyme that I had been kicking around. “Wire, briar, limberlock\/ How many geese is in our flock?” and “If you want to ride you got to ride it like you\u2019re flyin, get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line.” Marrying those two things, I felt like something worked, it felt like a song to me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Listen below, where you can also find The Old Beloved Path<\/em>‘s tracklist and Fussell’s tour dates, including some shows with Naima Bock and Dougie Poole.<\/p>\n\n