Origins is a recurring series that gives artists a space to break down everything that went into their latest release. Today, Old Crow Medicine Show dig into their new collaboration with Mavis Staples, “One Drop.”
Old Crow Medicine Show have shared “One Drop,” the latest single from their upcoming album, Jubilee. The spiritually rich, uplifting tune features legendary R&B and gospel singer Mavis Staples, who vocalist Ketch Secor credits as lifting the band’s sound to new heights.
“This is the latest in our canon of ‘songs of a spiritual persuasion,’ and, I think, one of our best, due in no small part to the presence of a legend of gospel music and more, the great Mavis Staples,” Secor explains. “Mavis epitomizes a life in roots music, and Old Crow can only hope that the next 25 years will bring us, like she is, closer to the true vine.”
The joyous, gospel-esque aspirations of “One Drop” are immediately apparent. With choir vocals, community-oriented lyrics, and spiritually-charged ad libs, the track falls somewhere in between a classic folk standard, a contemporary church staple, and a country anthem.
“I like songs that advocate for something. ‘One Drop’ advocates for unity,” Secor says of the song’s message. “We have an endless power as humans, if we can only join together in our shared humanity and pull together as one.”
Listen to Old Crow Medicine Show’s Mavis Staples collaboration, “One Drop,” below, followed by Ketch Secor’s breakdown of the song’s Origins.
Jubilee follows last year’s Paint This Town. It’s out this Friday, August 25th via ATO Records, and pre-orders are ongoing. Old Crow Medicine Show are currently on tour in support of the album; grab tickets here.
