A Grammy-winning Southern music label based in Florence is turning ten years old. Single Lock Records is holding a series of one-time-only concerts to mark the milestone. Celebrations have been happening over the last several days and continue during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Reed Watson is the co-owner of Single Lock Records. He said the purpose of the label is to resonate with the community.
“We try to do all sorts of different things and represent our part of the world with class and grace and show the world what incredible, beautiful art comes out of Alabama,” Watson said.
The celebration starts at the Shoals Theater on Friday, November 24. It will be headlined by Grammy-winning gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama. Other performers include Billy Allen + The Pollies, Erin Rae, The Pine Hill Haints and more.
The concert on Saturday, November 25 is billed as a Rock N Roll “Free For All” at the Lava Room with performances by Caleb Elliott, The Prescriptions, Space Tyger, Thad Saajid, Duquette Johnston, Speckled Bird and Exotic Dangers and others.
Watson said there is no age restriction for the shows, and everyone is welcomed to attend. Tickets are currently $40 nut are expected to go quickly. Click here to make a purchase.
Watson said one of the key purposes of this label is to show the world what type of art comes out of Alabama.
“If you're a music fan in the state of Alabama, we really invite you to take a look at what we're doing at Single Lock. We don't really subscribe to a particular genre of music. We put out a lot of different things,” Watson said. “You might think: I just haven't heard anything new [that] I liked in a long time, or I don't really know where to get the music, or how I find out about new music. We are the company for you.”
Earlier this year, Single Lock returned to the Grammys where Blind Boys of Alabama performed and were nominated for Best Americana Performance. To date, Single Lock artists have earned five Grammy nominations, with Cedric Burnside’s ‘I Be Trying’ winning for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2021.
Watson said he’s excited about the upcoming show and appreciates the recognition from the Recording Academy. He acknowledged that the previous win was a huge moment for the label and opened doors to a larger audience.
Blind Boys of Alabama are currently nominated twice for the upcoming 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February.
