FIRST LISTEN: Rod Gator’s ‘For Louisiana’ Leads New Album

Life as an artist on the road is wearing on Rod Gator in his new song “For Louisiana,” and the “cyprus sunset and the cool, cool breeze” of home are calling to him. Press play below to hear the brand-new track, premiering exclusively on The Boot.

“”For Louisiana” is a song about self doubt and the ups and downs of being a touring musician. It’s about missing the places you grew up and the people that shaped your childhood,” Gator shares. “Even though it’s far from perfect, it’ll always be my home.”

In the new track, Gator is all alone after a show, pacing the parking lot and “asking myself is it worth it or not?” Suddenly, he’s daydreaming of packing up and road-tripping back to the Bayou State. But, as he realizes, “ain’t nothin’ changed” there in his more than three decades on this planet, and he’d have disappointed friends and family to answer to if he were to give up on his dreams.

“For Louisiana” is the title track of Gator’s forthcoming new album, his first as Rod Gator. Previously, he released four albums as Rod Melancon, his given name; “Gator” was his dad’s first choice for his son’s name, and a nod to the musician’s roots in the Louisiana backcountry.

Gator has also spent time living in Los Angeles, Calif., and Austin, Texas, but For Louisiana honors his home state’s good and bad bits. It’s “a product of where I grew up and where I’ve been since I left town,” the artist shares.

“It’s also a product of a group of players from different backgrounds, coming together to create,” says Gator, who worked with his longtime drummer, Adam Nurre, and Black Pumas keyboard player JaRon Marshall, and enlisted Will Walden and Black Pumas leader Adrian Quesada to co-produce. They recorded at Quesada’s new Electric Deluxe Recorders studio, located in South Austin.

“Any time you have a unique group of musicians from all kinds of cultures, the sound is going to be special,” Gator adds. “That’s emblematic of Louisiana, too. It’s emblematic of the Cajun people.”

For Louisiana is due out on Sept. 17. Full details are below, and fans can visit his official website for more details.

Rod Gator, For Louisiana Tracklist:

1. “Intro”
2. “August 29”
3. “Mermantau Bridge”
4. “Chickenhawk”
5. “Storm Comin’ (Interlude)”
6. “Out Here in Echo Park”
7. “Your Goodbye”
8. “For Louisiana”
9. “Idle Hands”
10. “Underwater (Interlude)”
11. “Staying in Time”