“It’s pretty amazing what goes on in the middle of nowhere, isn’t it?”
The words with which country music artist Jeremy Pinnell ended the evening have stuck with me since that night in October of 2018.
Hours earlier I had walked up to the entrance of Bishop Hill Creative Commons, a unique live music and cultural venue that books word class talent from all over the world. I traveled 30 miles to Bishop Hill, Illinois to see Pinnell perform his distinctive style of country music.
Bishop Hill is a small village in rural Henry County, Illinois, 125 souls. A town that looks like a Grandma Moses painting, a perfect setting for the style of music Pinnell has mastered. As I stepped toward the door, Pinnell stepped out.
“Hey, I’m Jeremy,” he said, sticking out a paw.
The first thing that will clue you to Pinnell’s working-class roots isn’t the tattooed knuckles, it’s that his hands are sturdy and rough, like two Purington Pavers. Bricks.
I was a fan of Pinnell. The first time I heard his song “The Way Country Sounds” it hit me in the heart like hook from Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Click the pic for full interview.
