Austin-based Americana/bluegrass act Wood & Wire released their debut album in April. North of Despair earned the quartet numerous accolades as we raved that the songs “don’t romanticize Texas’ culture or its past, but focus on contemporary stories of the land and the struggles to make a living.” No Depression added that “virtuosic picking is abundant, the trade-offs and harmonies are impeccable.” Today we premiere the official video for “Kingpin.”

Wood & Wire’s Tony Kamel reflects on the creation of “Kingpin”: “After seeing an incredible set from Willie Nelson at his ranch in Luck, TX, we wrote this traveling tune. It’s motored by a heavy country/funk back-beat feel – which is something we love to do, and I think it sets our sound apart in the bluegrass / acoustic scene. Billy and Trevor’s work on mandolin and banjo really hammer home that country flavor. To me, this is the quintessential Wood & Wire tune – essentially a country tune expressed with our instrumentation, with Billy & Trevor taking up the telecaster or steel licks together on mandolin and banjo, and Dom on the high lonesome harmonies. The footage from the video is from a really rowdy show we had at one of our favorite venues in Austin called The Mohawk. It was a blast!”