October in the Railroad Earth

Tom Russell’s latest recording of original compositions, October in the Railroad Earth, is set for CD and vinyl release March 15, 2019, on Frontera Records in North America and Proper Records for the rest of the world. He describes the songs and sound as “Jack Kerouac meets Johnny Cash in Bakersfield.”
Bill Kirchen is featured on lead electric guitar, Eliza Gilkyson adds vocals, and the Grammy® Award-winning Texmaniacs appear on “Isadore Gonzalez,” about a Mexican cowboy who died in England during a performance of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. The record contains nine other originals, including the title song from the Irish film Small Engine Repair, and a cover of the traditional “Wreck of the Old 97.”
October in the Railroad Earth follows the acclaimed 2017 Frontera/Proper album Folk Hotel and Russell’s tribute to Ian & Sylvia on True North Records, Play One More, both receiving worldwide acclaim. Between major releases in 2018, Russell recorded the Bruce Springsteen track “Across The Border” for the three-disc Appleseed Records anniversary sampler, Roots and Branches, and issued a re-recording of early classics on Frontera, Old Songs Yet To Sing.

Russell’s previous album of new original material was the 2015 “folk opera” that Thom Jurek of allmusic.com hailed as Tom’s masterpiece, The Rose of Roscrae. Named “The top folk album of 2015” by Mojo magazine, Roscrae was also lauded as “maybe the most important Americana record of all time” by UK Folk. The album was included in top ten lists of dozens of publications, including the Los Angeles Times.

In 2007, on one of Russell’s five appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, he debuted the controversial “Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall?” which has since gone viral.

Tom Russell’s songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nanci Griffith, k.d. lang, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Dave Alvin, Iris DeMent, Dave Van Ronk, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Joe Ely, Tom Paxton, Ian Tyson, and Joe Ely, among many others.
Tom Russell graduated from the University of California with a Master’s degree in Criminology and taught Sociology in Nigeria during the Biafran War.
 Date     
 Nov 13, 2019 Holiday Newsletter
 Jul 11, 2017 Folk Hotel
 May 03, 2017 Spring 2017
 Aug 26, 2016 Gunpowder Sunsets
 Apr 26, 2016 Newsletter
 Apr 07, 2015 The Rose of Roscrae Released
 Jan 08, 2015 The Rose of Roscrae
 Aug 18, 2014 Fall Newsletter
 Mar 24, 2014 Upcoming News and Shows
 Jun 18, 2013 Aztec Jazz
 Dec 03, 2012 Songbook and Art Opening
 Mar 09, 2011 Spring News
 Nov 29, 2010 Christmas News
 Oct 10, 2010 Latest News
 Feb 13, 2010 T-Shirts now available
 Jan 10, 2010 New Train
 Nov 30, 2009 Tom Russell/Dave Alvin/Steve Young Train
 Nov 12, 2009 Tom Russell Breaking News:
 Oct 24, 2009 Tom on NPR Weekend Edition
 Sep 14, 2009 Amazon Sale
 Sep 12, 2009 Breaking News - Record Shipping
 Sep 03, 2009 Listen to a song on Entertainment Weekly Online
 Aug 27, 2009 Blood and Candle Smoke!
 Aug 18, 2009 Blood and Candle Smoke Released to Radio
 Jul 09, 2009 July News
 May 23, 2009 Quick News
 Apr 01, 2009 Blood and Candle Smoke
 Feb 27, 2009 Spring News
 Feb 05, 2009 New Art and News
 Jan 21, 2009 Breaking News! Tom Russell…The Great American West
 Jan 07, 2009 New Year`s News
 Dec 08, 2008 Recent Quotes on Veteran's Day
 Nov 04, 2008 Tom Russell: An Authentic American Treasure
 Nov 04, 2008 Southwest Train
 Oct 27, 2008 Breaking News
 Sep 07, 2008 Tom on NPR
 Aug 17, 2008 Breaking News
 Jul 24, 2008 Welcome!