There’s many types of Southern art. For too many people, there’s the more obvious corn(y)bread slant. The kind that relies on worn-out cliches that signal Southerness. Yes, there’s some nod towards truth, but it’s exaggerated and predictable. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, is the type of Southern art that challenges convention with the deep realism arrived at from lived experience. Invariably, I find myself drawn to the latter.

The songwriting venture of Matthew Pendrick, Slow Parade represents the caliber of artist that reveals something essential in the simplest of moments. In the same way that a sculptor uses a chisel, Pendrick carves extraordinary melodies from his cowboy chords, infusing them with his own hard-won wisdom. With echoes of Harvest-era Neil Young or the Band’s more clear-eyed moments on Music From Big Pink, the group’s latest single is a tense yet laid-back saunter through Pendrick’s youthful misadventures.

Co-written with David Kirslis of Cicada Rhythm, “Quick Buck” features a relaxed pace that’s nicely complemented by Pendrick’s auctioneer-style vocals. His unique touch turns a trip to the junkyard into an adventure with vivid detail. Sure, there may be nothing new under the sun, but Pendrick reminds us how rich any moment can be to the right eye. Unsurprisingly, it was such a detail that helped breathe life into “Quick Buck.”

“The tune came together quickly in the studio after my friend Matt ‘Pistol’ Stoessel (Faye Webster, Cracker, T Hardy Morris) busted out his phaser pedal,” Pendrick says. “It took it to this different place. A little more Jerry and a little less Keith.”

Shot by Kris Sampson, the video centers around Pendrick driving around in an El Camino and sourcing scrap metal. Sporting a pale blue tuxedo, he scores some deals and enjoys the lazy pleasure of his off-the-beaten-path life. One man’s trash is another person’s leisure, after all. For Pendrick, the narrative was an obvious choice, one that helps visualize the song’s links to his past.

“For the video, there was nothing else to do but borrow my buddy Robert’s old El Camino and do some scrapping,” he explains. “‘Quick Buck’ reminds me a bit of life in Dave and I’s early twenties. Bumming around, hopping trains, trying to scrounge some money, work out some kinda deal, but not really knowing fuss about spit.”

Watch/listen above.

“Quick Buck” is now streaming on all platforms.

Slow Parade will perform on Sat., May 29 at 529 alongside the Titos, Cody Bolden, and y’all. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $12 in advance or $15 DOS. 18+ to enter.

More Info
Bandcamp: slowparademusic.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @slowparadeatl
Instagram: @slowparade1
SoundCloud: @SlowParademusic