California-based troubadour sings of skateboarders & lunch boxes. Freund’s intimate, heartfelt new solo album, East of Lincoln chronicles a personal journey along the path from self-doubt to enlightenment. The record is a potent reminder that life is measured not just by our successes, but by how we choose to grow from our failures. Chris Rattie blends country’s aching ethos with a keen eye to the future, and has risen to be one of today’s most riveting, astute storytellers. His Steve Earle-wrinkled voice tells tales of self-realization and wonder on his latest album Porch steeped in frothy Americana, burnt around the edges with honest, godforsaken songwriting. He wails over smoky guitar lines and a honky-tonk rumble. These experiences wrought invaluable wisdom, bestowing upon him the exact skills he needed to write, record and play the album he was destined to make. Through nine coarsely-delivered, poignant tracks, Rattie defies convention and situates himself as transcendent