Dawn till dusk is a worker’s day, and some wouldn’t consider that a privilege. But for millions of Americans long, back-breaking hours bring an essential paycheck and the pride of a strong work ethic. The last few years have been terribly difficult for the working class – millions of people who just want to support their families have been left in the cold, with pensions gutted and homes in jeopardy. Tim Larson writes songs for them. Plainspoken protest songs dominate his new release with the Owner Operators, A New Deal.  A former member of the acclaimed Irish band The Drovers, Larson is a longtime asphalt worker with sharp powers of observation and classical music training. He draws from influences as diverse as John Lee Hooker, Waylon Jennings, Nick Cave and Siouxsie and the Banshees, combining the layered sonics of shoegaze with warm acoustic instruments to frame songs about the down and out.

The band settled in last year at the Belmont Distillery to record basic tracks before moving to BobDog Studios in Oak Park, IL for rhythm tracks, mixing and mastering. Larson produced, layering a plethora of tracks incorporating guitars, mandolins, slide guitar and lap steel to create a sound that is two-dimensional: at low volume the sound is Americana in spirit – crank it up, and the wall of sound kicks into gear and transforms it into a shoegaze affair. Larson explains, We tried to make the record bigger sounding without using a lot of effects. Layering the acoustic instruments and utilizing open tunings gave us the drone and harmonics that become more apparent the louder you listen, but make it a full listen even at a lower volume.”

“Merit Worker” tells the story of union workers forced to take non-union jobs in order to survive, putting themselves in the line of fire with their union brothers. “Panther #37” was inspired by an out of work carpenter Larson recognized, homeless and living under a bridge. “Gethsemane” and “Own To Rent” take on the human toll of the mortgage crisis. “Happy Time Coke Party” opens as a spaghetti western before building to a crescendo of guitars enhanced by Carrie Lilligan’s haunting backing vocals. “Putting together the songs for this record, I wanted to accurately represent what I was seeing at work every day. Every conversation became a potential verse or song idea, sometimes the lyrics are word for word from the people I was writing about,” recalled Larson.

Tim Larson was born and raised in Bridgeport, on the south side of Chicago. While attending parochial school he began playing guitar and studying music, eventually becoming proficient on guitar, bass, mandolin, violin and piano and earning a degree in music composition. After joining the Drovers in 1995, he spent his college years on tour, doing homework on the way and sharing the stage w/ acts like Elvis Costello, Yo La Tengo and Wilco. In 2002 he joined the family asphalt business and retired from the Drovers. He began performing solo and released an acoustic album, while playing with The Read Letter with current band mate Mikey Peterson and Drover Dave Callahan (an early incarnation also featured Mike Zelenko from Material Issue on drums).  Larson released No Weapons, No Allies as a solo album, assembling the Owner Operators in 2008. The band name refers to his membership in the Local 150 Operating Engineers Union, where he joined his father, uncle, cousin & brother. He is designated as an Owner/Operator.

Putting in twelve hour days on a steamroller or jackhammer takes a strong work ethic akin to the men he writes about. Instead of hardening his worldview, Larson’s empathy for the harsh realities of today’s workers compelled him to bear witness. While bad economic times come and go, it’s an American tradition to write songs about them that are instantly relatable to all (but the very rich). With A New Deal, Tim Larson and the Owner Operators contribute a slew of new anthems to the songbook.

For more information visit: http://www.theowneroperators.com/