Single Premiere: Mother Banjo, ‘Morning Train’
Get an exclusive first listen to this John Prine cover coming out 10/10/22—what would have been his 76th birthday.
Mother Banjo’s “Morning Train” single artwork.
Twin Cities folk artist Mother Banjo (aka Ellen Stanley) has been playing “Morning Train” in her live shows for about 14 years. That’s also about as long as she’s been organizing annual Big Fat Love John Prine tribute shows (annual except, of course, for 2020, thwarted by the virus that took the beloved songwriter and human being from us that same year).
Naturally it’s far from the only Prine song she covers. “The very first song I ever played live in front of an audience on the banjo was ‘Angel From Montgomery,’” Stanley tells us. “I never considered recording it because there are so many epic versions out there already. Honestly I’ve never thought about recording most of the Prine songs I play for the same reason.” That was one factor in choosing to cover “Morning Train,” which appeared on his 2005 album Fair and Square; it’s less ubiquitous and doesn’t have well-known covers.
Plus, she’s always been drawn to it. “Although not lyrically complex, there's something about the vibe of this song I connect to—at its heart, it's a breakup song, but it's wrapped up in playful words,” she says. “I always dug the country shuffle and the twangy harmonies that Mindy Smith provided. I played it at the first tribute show, which I put on with Brandon Henry of Art Vandalay at the 331 Club in 2008, and now it’s a Mother Banjo set staple, evolving with every new band member.”
Mother Banjo, aka Ellen Stanley. Photo by Elli Rader.
Stanley especially loves when guitarist Dan Gaarder and keyboardist Ben Cook-Feltz sit in on a set “to provide their groovy licks and three-part harmonies.” (They appear on the single, along with Andy Schuster on bass, so you can get a taste of it!) “‘Morning Train’ has a soulful groove that we really lean into,” she says. “I heard the original the other day and realized just how different ours is and how much it sounds like a tune I would write...if I was half the writer John Prine was.”
Mother Banjo’s rendition of “Morning Train” swings along the tracks like a slow-moving freight, laid-back, with a steady rhythm that keeps your body swaying in time. Those three-part harmonies on the refrain are the train whistle floating on the air in the early dawn light, melancholy but oh so sweet.
"Morning Train" comes out October 10, in celebration of what would’ve been Prine’s 76th birthday, but you can get a sneak preview below. And be sure to get tickets to the 13th Annual Big Fat Love tribute show Thursday, Oct 13, 2022, 6:30–10:30 p.m. at the Hook and Ladder Theater in Minneapolis! The event features a range of Minnesota’s top Americana acts, and all proceeds go to the Hello In There Foundation, established by John Prine’s family.
Song Credits
Written by John Prine & Pat McLaughlin
Recorded & mixed by Zachary Hollander at Pearl Recording Studio (Minneapolis, MN)
Mastered by Sam Hudson at Hudson Studio Productions
Ellen Stanley - vocals, banjo, boots & handclaps
Dan Gaarder - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
Ben Cook-Feltz - keyboards, vocals
Andy Schuster - electric bass
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Carol Roth is a full-time marketing copywriter and the primary music journalist and social media publicist for Adventures in Americana. In addition to studying the guitar and songwriting, Carol’s additional creative side hustle is writing self-proclaimed “trashy” novels under the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley!
