Written by Amanda Richards 

Steve Moore on banjo and harmonies. Andy Clapp on bass. 
Mark Powers on drums. 
Amanda Richards on acoustic and electric guitars, lead vocals and harmonies. 

Engineered by Justin Phelps at Cloud City Sound and Hallowed Halls in Portland, OR. 

Produced by Amanda Richards & Steve Moore 

Executive Producers: Amanda Richards & Joe Fox 


LYRICS
I was the first to arrive on the scene 
The scent of her perfume still lingering 
You drew the line in chalk around your heart 
‘cause you have to be dramatic when you’re suffering for art 

Chorus: 
O Fresh Kill 
The vultures start to circle when you’re standing still 
And prey on those with the weakness of will 
O Fresh Kill 

I’ll lick the salty tears right off your face 
It’s a bitter sadness but I’ve come to like the taste 
It’s as close as I could get to you, between the sheets 
But I’m not the one you love, just blood and bone and meat 

Chorus 

Pick it all apart, piece by piece bit by bit 
Don’t tell me that you love me and I wont expect you to mean it 
Just use me while you have me, throw the rest away 
A voluntary slaughter to morally decay 

Chorus x2 

Tough Ones to Love

Tough Ones to love

Fresh Kill

Rooted in the country tradition, but not confined to it, Tough Ones to Love ranges from country-soul to gritty roots-rock, all guided by Amanda’s smoky, commanding voice. Amanda Richards and the Good Long Whiles be celebrating the release of Tough Ones to Love November 4, 2016, at Portland’s historic Old Church.

Hanging On

Two Characters in Search of a Country Song

Nothing More Flammable Than Sentiment

Devastatingly

Cry of the Wild Goose

Cinderella's Waltz

Lame Tattoos

What I Mean to Say

First There Was

Another Temptation

Close to Me

Last Train

Oregon’s own Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, Amanda Richards, releases her fourth, highly anticipated studio album, Tough Ones to Love. Following her 2012 Independent Music Award-winning concept album, Play Dead, Amanda and her band, the Good Long Whiles, offer thirteen new songs of provocative, hard-hitting country and Americana. With Amanda on acoustic and electric guitars and lead vocals, Andy Clapp on bass, Mark Powers on drums, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore providing guitar, lap steel, banjo, and backing vocals, Tough Ones to Love further establishes Amanda’s place as “one of country music’s most important singers.” (Country Music People UK)
 
Amanda’s ten original compositions explore the boundaries of love, heartbreak, and temptation, while showcasing her natural gift for storytelling. Whether skewering former lovers, or rebuffing the Devil’s advances, Amanda holds nothing back. “Someday you might have some clout / When your teeth turn yellow and your hair falls out,” she sings on “Lame Tattoos.” “But there’ll be some things you’ll never lose / Like your battle scars and your lame tattoos.” On opening track, “Fresh Kill,” she sings, “I’ll lick the salty tears right off your face / It’s a bitter sadness, but I’ve come to like the taste.” Tough Ones to Love also includes a beautiful rendition of the Magnetic Fields song, “Two Characters in Search of a Country Song,” and Johnny Dowd’s badman ballad, “First There Was,” with Steve Moore taking over lead vocals. Paying homage to Amanda’s famous lineage, Tough Ones to Love includes Terry Gilkyson’s classic, “Cry of the Wild Goose,” previously recorded by Amanda’s grandfather, Rusty Richards, a long-time member of the Sons of the Pioneers.
 
Rooted in the country tradition, but not confined to it, Tough Ones to Love ranges from country-soul to gritty roots-rock, all guided by Amanda’s smoky, commanding voice. Amanda Richards and the Good Long Whiles be celebrating the release of Tough Ones to Love November 4, 2016, at Portland’s historic Old Church.

Amanda Richards & The Good Long Whiles

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