From working factories to a deployment overseas in the Army, Kiefer Luttrell has taken his story to the studio with his brand new album, These Great Plains.
The self-taught songwriter had aspirations of starting a music career in Nashville out of high school, but financial hurdles took him elsewhere. He then took a far different path- enlisting in the Army. He ultimately earned the status of a Green Beret, and then took off to college to study English after an honorable discharge. While life took him elsewhere, his passion for music and song never ceased.
Luttrell ultimately made it to Nashville, and began fulfilling his initial dream of making music. These Great Plains is the songwriter’s first full-length release, and it hit streaming services earlier this spring.
The album woos the listener from the get go with resonating guitars and vibrant vocals, and is a testament to Luttrell’s dedication to his craft. It offers existential poetry about purpose, identity, and the absurd.
In “Living Hard,” Luttrell sings, “Thinking about all our sacrifice / To be living hard / For no damn reason at all.” It’s cutting lines like these that unearth strife from our core. There’s a juxtaposition between expressed pain and twangy, sweet sounding guitar. The album doesn’t over-complicate things instrumentally, and this compliments the authenticity of Luttrell’s words. His seamless melding of country, soul, folk, and even pop is impressive, and keeps the listener on board.
Whether you are “Stoned and Wishing” or “Living Hard”, Luttrell offers an array of quality Americana sounds on his new album, These Great Plains.
