Grant-Lee Phillips Releases Ode to Peace, ‘Mourning Dove’

Grant-Lee Phillips has shared “Mourning Dove,” the latest offering from his upcoming album Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff, out September 4 via Yep Roc Records.

“One day I’m gonna lay my head/In the long cool shadow of the dogwood,” Phillips sings across subtle pedal steel guitar and drums. “Lay back and let the cotton clouds go by.”

“Of the entire album, ‘Mourning Dove’ is among the oldest songs,” Phillips said in a statement. “I lived with it for several years and it went through various stages before its completion. I began writing it in consideration for The Narrows. Like so much of that album, it’s a reflection of what we hold dear, what we value, ‘The things we chase that can’t be kept.’”

“It was one of the first things I wrote after moving to Tennessee,” he added. “The imagery of dogwood trees and wildflowers were inspired by my connection to this place. It’s also a vision of a world beyond strife or a rest after a long battle.”

“Mourning Dove” follows the singles “Lowest Low,” “Straight to the Ground” and “Gather Up.”  Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff was produced by Phillips and recorded and mixed by Pete Min at Lucy’s Meat Market in Los Angeles. The album features contributions by bassist Jennifer Condos, drummer Jay Bellerose, Eric Haywood on pedal steel guitar and horn player Danny T. Levin.