Alt-country outfit The Congress is happy to be back home in Richmond, Virginia; about a year ago, the band, living in Denver, Colorado, decided the time was right to return to their roots. “We miss it, but we go play out there so much, I don’t even think they know we’ve left,” declares Jonathan Meadows, bassist and a vocalist for The Congress. “Our music is Virginia. We were born and raised here, we learned to play here, and how to listen.”
These days, the Richmond music scene is exploding with talent, and rumor has it that open mic nights are the hottest tickets in town. “There are so many amazing musicians in this city, it’s really motivating to live here. You can get your ass handed to you if you’re not coming correct, you know what I mean?” explains Meadows. To be certain, The Congress’ relocation will only make Richmond rich-er (see what I did there), as evidenced by their newest album,The Game, set for release on September 9th via American Paradox Records.
At nine songs strong, The Game is a canvas painted with country bangers, rocking ramblers, and tender tunes tinted by the hues of country, soul, and good old rock n’ roll. “It’s our first full length in quite a while. We finished it over a year ago, and a lot of the songs are road-tested,” Meadows explains. “We’re so proud of it. We came into our own with this one; we’ve really learned how to play with each other and how to utilize the studio to our benefit. The songs are great. The performances are great. The production is…great,” he laughs. “We’re ready for it to infect some earholes.”
The band has recently wrapped tours with Lake Street Dive, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Leftover Salmon, Hard Working Americans, and recently announced their new album release tour beginning September 8th in Charlottesville. “If you like us and want us to visit your town, let us know,” says Meadows. “If you want us to come, we’ll come.”
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