In Town: Sean Rowe at Iron City (July 20)

On Saturday, July 20, singer/songwriter Sean Rowe will take the stage at Iron City. Rowe just launched his tour of the South, and is eager to play at Birmingham’s new venue. “I haven’t been that way a lot,” he says, “but I’ve played in Birmingham before and happy to come back.”

Rowe is currently touring to support his new album, The Salesman and the Shark. The record is a collection of life, love, and lessons learned, often painted with vivid natural imagery. Nature plays a key role in Rowe’s writing, as he’s every bit a naturalist as he is a musician. His time spent in the wilderness spawned his first album, Magic, and his experiences are further reflected in his more recent music.

“I don’t see nature as separate from the rest of the world,” he says. “It’s still a part of life, and it continues to influence me.” Rowe will often use imagery of the wild to communicate his thoughts on life, as seen in “Lonely Maze” and “The Ballad of Buttermilk Falls.” “Often, I’ll approach similar themes from different angles,” he says. “People pick up on different parts or images and get their own meaning out of it. That’s just part of the process.”

In the up-tempo “Downwind,” Rowe relates the story of a fugitive escaping to the wilderness. “He has to survive on the run,” says Rowe. “When you’re living off the land, really becoming one with it, you truly are alive and in the moment. That’s what I got from living out there.”

Rowe delivers lyrics in a distinguished baritone. His deep voice often invites comparison to classic country and folk artists like Johnny Cash, but his sense of melody and accompaniment grant him some distance. Rowe offers a modern take on the lead folk baritone, not as course as Cash, and eager to explore the edges of his range.

Instrumentation on Salesman covers a variety of styles, from retro rock rhythms and country chords progressions, to the beautiful string accompaniment of “The Wall.” The album’s studio production allowed Rowe to include whatever he felt each song needed, but at no point does his music sound excessive. “You never want a song to be overcooked,” he says. “Give it what it needs. Sometimes, that can even be empty space.”

For his current tour, Rowe is sticking to the tried and true singer/songwriter format of vocal and guitar. His songs stand up well without the additional studio instrumentation, and his voice has plenty of space to resonate.

Local artist Jesse Payne will open the night. The show starts at 6 p.m.

Photo by Annelie Rosencrantz, courtesy of Anti- records.