May 14, 2025 Photography by Robby Klein
Akron, Ohio-based Americana outfit The Shootouts are set to share their new album Switchback later this month. The band debuted with their 2019 album Quick Draw, and followed with 2021’s Bullseye, and their 2023 album, Stampede, all of which pulled at different strains of country, bluegrass, and roots rock. Their latest album sees the band pairing with Dan Knobler to produce, mix, and co-engineer the record, expanding their style of Rust Belt Americana in new directions.
As lead vocalist Ryan Humbert explains, “Country music can come from anywhere. We just so happen to come from northeast Ohio. We’re rooted deep in the Rust Belt. I think that influence informed many of our choices on this record, more so than in the past.”
They’ve been teasing the album’s release this year with a handful of singles, “Trampoline” and “I’ll Be Damned,” and today they’re sharing an accompanying video for “Trampoline,” premiering with Under the Radar.
“Trampoline” offers a dose of bright and easygoing Americana charm, buoyed by Humbert’s crooned vocals, sharp grooves, and keening backing vocals from folk singer/songwriter Lindsay Lou. The lyrics meditate on themes of hope and forgiveness, comparing a second chance to the bounceback on a trampoline (“When will you come clean / From the trouble you’ve seen / And the painful nights / On this trampoline?). Similarly, the band bounces their way through the track, imbuing it with a warm and winsome energy and an infectious hook. The climactic highlight comes as the freewheeling guitar lines steadily build up momentum, eventually launching into a twangy solo from guitarist Brian Poston.
Humbert says of the track, “‘Trampoline’ is a song about second chances, redemption, and forgiveness. We can all relate in one form or another. I wrote it more than a decade ago. While working on songs for “Switchback,” I revisited it and played it for our lead guitarist, Brian Poston. We decided to give it a ‘fresh coat of paint’ with a new arrangement, an easygoing groove, and Brian’s memorable guitar hook.
He continues, saying of the record, “Our new album, ‘Switchback,’ feels like a turning point for us. It blends so many of our influences while showcasing our own sensibilities right up front this time. ‘Trampoline’ is a perfect example of that. It sounds familiar, yet it doesn’t feel derivative. A friend asked whom I might compare it to, and I didn’t have a solid answer. The more I think about it, the more I think that might be the best answer. I’m happy that this song is the first single from the album. It feels like a new day with an old friend.”
Check out the song and video below. Switchback is out on May 30th via Transoceanic Records.
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Feb 28, 2025 Issue #74 – The Protest Issue with Kathleen Hanna and Bartees Strange