MP3: Michael McGraw and the Butchers, “The Weight”

San Diego-based Michael McGraw has been one of the most rewarding discoveries here at Given and Taken in Ink.  Not only did he release an excellent EP in 2011, You Don't Know Nothin' and That's What Makes it Alright, he graciously offered to design our logo (check it out above!).  And now the talented singer/songwriter is back with a brand new band, the Butchers, and an intriguing new single, "The Weight."

Flexing his songwriting chops, McGraw eschews the traditional verse-chorus song structure entirely for lyrics that almost seem to spill out in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, with no chorus to be found at all.  And yet, it's still a song that demands to be repeated.  Showing off a new side of his sound, the band moves away from the fuzzy power pop of McGraw's previous EP by adding a beautifully melancholic piano accompaniment.

With McGraw on guitar and vocals, "The Weight" also features Chris Caudle (acoustic guitar), Patrick Archbold (piano), Mark Lane (bass), and Brad Filip (drums).  It was produced by Mike Butler, and recorded and mixed at the Lost Ark Studio for the third volume in its compilation series.

Stream or download below:

And be sure to check out more of Michael McGraw's illustrations at Inkhead Studio.