3 Pairs of Boots, the husband-and-wife duo of Andrew Stern and Laura Arias, are set to release their third album since 2019 in September. With its blend of fresh sounds and first-class instrumentation, Mighty Love is exactly what fans of the California-based group have come to expect. Theirs is a classic sound influenced by everyone from Fleetwood Mac, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Byrds, Johnny Cash, and Shania Twain. But the duo's sound has grown noticeably more developed this time around with the band citing some new inspirations.
For Mighty Love (SEPT 2nd) they've expanded their palette with new sounds, including B3 organ, horns, strings, banjo, and a Rhodes piano, among others - which blend together to elevate the songwriting and production. The album was primarily written by Stern who recorded it in his home studio, but he also invited a few folks to contribute, including friend and lyric poet Wren Winfield (who co-wrote three songs with Stern), former Ringo Starr drummer Randy Cooke, Nashville keys player Dave Cohen, who was the 2018 Music Row Musician of the Year, as well as a local string quartet.
While Stern worked on perfecting the music, it was Arias who spent time deciding what the songs would be about. For the title track, she ended up finding inspiration in a former member of The Beatles' song about the perceived notion of conflict due to religion. The connotations of which are not only overt but also present through its combination of Christian and Hinduism terminology and calls for peace between the two.
"One afternoon I was noodling on my guitar and the chords for this song came in quick succession, along with the phrase "mighty love." When I began thinking about filling in the verses I recalled George Harrison’s "My Sweet Lord" - this song informed "Mighty Love" for me because like "My Sweet Lord," the melody for "Mighty Love" is simple. And the subject matter is undeniably chronicling the unabashed human longing and human tenacity of a ‘seeker.’ However, where Harrison’s song is clearly his devotional prayer to God, "Mighty Love"’s devotional is unspecified. On the surface, it sounds like the protagonist is seeking to be reunited with a great romantic love, or soulmate but I left room for interpretation."
We're excited to share with you the new single, "Mighty Love," so that you may interpret it for yourself.
