It’s difficult to talk about Porter and The Blue Bonnet Rattlesnakes without first mentioning the tragedy surrounding the project. Just shy of a year ago, Chris Porter and his bandmate, Mitchell Vandenberg, were killed in a van crash on their way to play a show in Baltimore. Before their untimely passing, Porter & The Blue Bonnet Rattlesnakes were poised for their big break, and the beautifully titled Don’t Go Baby It’s Gonna Get Weird Without You was to be their vessel. The album is packed to the brim full of blistering and summery Americana-infused southern rock that sounds like Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem doing a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers cover set.

Today, I’m excited to share the lead-single from the posthumous celebration of Chris Porter’s life and career, the summery and anthemic “East December.” The track is built around a driving drum-beat and swampy riffs that make Porter’s gritty vocals feel at home in their presence. The hook of the track is arguably the most bittersweet moment on “East December,” as lyrics like “I got hooked on being hooked/got high on being high” build up to the “sure ain’t feeling low, but we’re all dying slow” are bound to pull at the heartstrings of fans new and old.

You can stream East December below.

https://soundcloud.com/cornelius-chapel-all-of-it/east-december-1

Don’t Go Baby It’s Gonna Get Weird Without You is out October 20th on Cornelius Chapel Records. Pre-orders are available here.