Americana act Goodnight, Texas have shared a new one-off single “Runaways” featuring legendary Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett.
The track sees the band’s chief songwriters Patrick Dyer Wolf and Avi Vinocur trading their western wear and cowboys hats for black leather — and heavy-ing up their sound in the process. The tune’s burly blues riffs and chunky backbone are more in line with the Black Keys and Graveyard than the band’s typical folk-country fare.
While “Runaways” is a far cry from thrash metal, it’s still prime territory for one of Hammett’s signature wah-wah guitar solos. Here, he lays it down on his iconic Greeny axe, reciprocating Goodnight, Texas’ contribution (“Of Wolf and Man”) to The Metallica Blacklist cover project in 2021.
“This is the hardest we’ve ever rocked on a recording,” Wolf said of the new song in a press release. “That’s thanks in no small part to an actual and absolute vintage Kirk Hammett wah solo on his legendary Greeny guitar, about which I am self-pinching daily. The main riff of the song had been lurking in my drafts like a caged animal since our last album, and at some point in the past year we decided it was time to set it free.”
Goodnight, Texas fans need not worry: The single is merely a temporary sonic departure for the band.
“We’re not abandoning our banjos and mandolins, and in fact, there’s banjo in there; if you squint you can hear it,” Wolf continued. “For now though, we’re slinging double electrics, Scott traded brushes for drumsticks, Chris is grinding the low strings, and we have a metal legend coming in at the 2:25 mark.”
“Runaways” is set for an official release on streaming platforms on September 27th via 2 Cent Bank Check Records, but you can stream it early below.
