Cordovas Lead Freewheelin’ Alt-Country Adventure With Latest Singles On Upcoming Album ‘The Rose Of Aces’

All the roads from Memphis to Muscle Shoals lead to rock n’ roll revival. There, along the way, you may spot Joe Firstman singing his enchanting songs about salvation. 

Firstman is the frontman, songwriter, and mastermind behind his band Cordovas, who have recently released two singles, “Fallen Angels of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “High Roller,” to tease their upcoming fourth studio album, The Rose of Aces, dropping August 11th.

Branded as “freewheeling” and “timeless,” the band pieces together a psychedelic cosmic country ode to the heavy hitters of old: Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, and The Band. But, stoically apparent in “Fallen Angels of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “High Roller,” Firstman curtails the long, winding jams his predecessors are known for, and establishes himself as one of the more poignant, provocative, and profound storytellers in contemporary music. 

Firstman’s talents in storytelling through song are apparent in “High Roller,” a tale about two men finding salvation between dice rolls at the casino. And to further elevate the storytelling, one needs a rock-solid band, which he has behind him in spades.

Discussing the single, Firstman states, “Salvation is sought, but characters stumble into sordid corners. The narrator and his compatriot Stanley are having a chaotic bender at a casino but salvation is still on their minds.“

The son of a weed-peddling veteran, Firstman booked it to Los Angeles from Charlotte in the early 2000s where he quickly established himself as a passionate young songwriter, managing to open for Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson. He also had a stint with Atlantic Records before dropping out in a chaotic era Firstman describes as “a drunken nightmare.”     

Cordovas gave him solid ground, a safety net to capture his grand, fleeting ideas, and reminded him that the Earth is made of dirt and you’re supposed to stand on it. Guitarist Lucca Soria joined Cordovas in the ‘10s and helped launch the band’s second and third studio albums That Sante Fe Channel and Destiny Hotel in 2018 and 2020. 

Firstman, Soria and various others, operating out of a Nashville farm and an outpost in Todos Santos, capture their long, winding journey in “Fallen Angels of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” taking the listener on a trip through the land, filled with loss and fulfillment itself. 

Cordovas music ripples with rock and alt-country twang, and their lyrics are as if Joseph Campbell played a six-string with a tye-dye bandanna wrapped around his head. With “High Roller” and “Fallen Angels of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” we get a damn good taste of what’s to come on The Rose of Aces.

You can also catch the band’s radio show, Strange Roots Radio, on Nashville’s WMOT. The band will also be firing through tour dates which you can find below.

TOUR DATES:

Sat-Jul-15-23 – Roseberry, ID – The Summer Festival 2023

Thu-Jul-20-23 – Venice Beach, CA – Venice West

Sat-Jul-22-23 – San Diego, CA – Casbah

Mon-Jul-24-23 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall

Wed-Jul-26-23 – Sacramento, CA – Folsom Hotel

Thu-Jul-27-23 – Healdsburg, CA – Little Saint

Sat-Jul-29-23 – Camino, CA – Delfino Farms

Fri-Aug-11-23 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre  

Sat-Aug-12-23 – Denver, CO – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox

Sun-Aug-13-23 – Fort Collins, CO -The Aggie

Wed-Aug-16-23 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI

Thu-Aug-17-23 – Hamilton, OH – RiversEdge Amph.

Fri-Aug-18-23 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg Midtown Arts Ctr

Sun-Aug-20-23 – Morristown, NJ – The Homestead

Tue-Aug-22-23 – Port Chester, NY – Garcia’s

Fri-Aug-25-23 – Evanston, IL

Fri-Oct-13-23 – Roswell, GA – From the Earth

Sat-Oct-14-23 – Macon, GA – Capitol Theatre