Zach Bryan Releases Three-Song EP ‘Streets Of London’ – “Tunes That Didn’t Belong On The Record, So I’m Just Releasing Them”

Three new songs from the one and only… Zach Lane Bryan.

Zach Bryan just got off a whirlwind ride across the pond. First, he played in Ireland, where he headlined a run of shows at Phoenix Park in Dublin. And then he headlined BST at Hyde Park in London, becoming one of just five acts to sell out the two nights in a row.

But even amid the chaos of touring, ZB still managed to hit the studio.

“Releasing a song Monday, hope you guys don’t hate it. Recorded it at Bowie’s old studio across the pond with my best friends, took this photo three years ago at Islington Assembly Hall where I got to sing with Turnpike last night, full circle is a ***** understatement.”

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After sitting on the single for a little bit, ZB decided that one was not enough and fans needed more. The release was delayed by two days due to the addition of two other songs, “River Washed Hair” and “Song for You.”  ZB decided to release the other tunes because he loved them and wanted fans to enjoy them, but he felt like they did not have a home on any upcoming records or EPs he is working on.

“They are kind of just tunes that didn’t belong on the record, and they didn’t fit on an EP either, so I’m just releasing them to get them out into the world cause I love them. Hope you guys enjoy them. I love each one of ya!! Even the folks who talked mad s**t all year.” 

When ZB announced “Streets of London,” there was some speculation that it could be a cover of the 1969 song by English folk singer Ralph McTell. However, ZB did not cover that tune and instead shared a heartbreaking ballad with fans about how he adores visiting other countries, and he misses his “paradise” of Oklahoma.

“The boys are breaking bottles out here on the streets of London
The women here, they look like movie stars
Things I’d do to be back in Oklahoma
Kickin’ around at a hometown bar”

As for the other two songs, Zach Bryan is engaging in self-reflection, particularly on “Song for You.” It appears that he’s digging deep and addressing the fact that some people have opinions about him that he feels do not accurately reflect his true nature. He touches on how he’s just an Oklahoma boy who got swept up in the music industry, but deep down, he’s still a person who wants folks to inquire about his personal life and get to know who he is beyond how he’s portrayed in the media.

In the tune, it appears that ZB is reminiscing about a woman who saw him as Zach Lane Bryan, not the mega star Zach Bryan. While he knows that it might not be a love match, he appreciates the time they share together and feels seen by this woman.

“Deep within my lower spine, I see you drinkin’ summer wine
At a venue out in Dublin, back when I said nothing
Wish I’d said then the things I’m thinkin’ now
I wrote a song for you
And all these people tellin’ me I ain’t what I used to be
But you’ve known me since I was naive and twenty-three
I could give a sh*t about what these people say I am
I wrote a song for you
And I feel like a kid again when you start askin’ questions
About my mama, Oklahoma or the way I’m sleepin’
When they took the boy you knew, sold him for profit
I had you in my arms last night, but I lost it”

In “River Washed Hair,” ZB again reflects on moments from his past that he wishes he could revisit and change. The focal point of the tune is another love interest, perhaps the same woman from “Song for You.” As the moan from the steel guitar coats your ears, Zach Bryan delivers lyrics of how he did wrong in this relationship, and at times, he wishes he could go back and say sorry to her. He reflects on numerous good memories, knowing that they are now tarnished for her, but in his mind, he protects the good and is growing from the bad parts of this relationship.

Each of these songs follows the formula for a Zach Bryan hit, but it appears that we are seeing a more mature side of Bryan in these songs. We see the homegrown Oklahoma boy who is proud of his roots, is trying to right his wrongs, and as always, thankful for the crazy life he lives.

If ZB felt that these songs didn’t belong on another project he was working on, I’m eager to hear the caliber of that music.

The post Zach Bryan Releases Three-Song EP ‘Streets Of London’ – “Tunes That Didn’t Belong On The Record, So I’m Just Releasing Them” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.