The last time I interviewed Salim Nourallah was for a podcast episode in spring 2020. COVID lockdowns were in full swing and he’d just come out with the aptly named Let’s Be Miserable Together.
Having released a ton of new music since then. As a songwriter, he’s not only prolific but he’s also very honest. If I had to guess I’d say his sincerity is one of the reasons people connect with his music.
“There’s always been an element of self-therapy for me,” Nourallah says of his songwriting. “It makes me feel better, [having] an outlet to get these thoughts and feelings out.”
Nourallah’s latest full-length release, ANuclear Winter, is an easygoing record with catchy hooks and gems of lyrical wisdom, and songs that offer understanding and empathy for those enduring trying times.
Recorded primarily in Nashville and completed in Dallas, A Nuclear Winter has been several years in the making. It’s also the first album Nourallah has released with his full band, the Treefort 5—Joe Reyes (electric guitar), John Dufilho (drums), and Jason Garner (bass), and now, British guitarist/producer/songwriter Marty Willson-Piper (of legendary new wave band The Church)—in more than a decade.
“The plan was for the album to come out in 2018, or 2019 at the latest,” he says. “The world said, Nope!”
So, he waited. And he’s glad he did, because the result was worth it.
“In my 20s I felt like—through sheer force of will, or whatever—I could make the world bend to my desires,” Nourallah says. For this album, however, he was forced to wait, and eventually things fell into place at just the right time.
Still, pandemic notwithstanding, Nourallah says this record in particular had its own set of challenges. “There’s something that [rock and roll] bands do live that’s really hard to capture in a recording,” he says, citing his working with Old 97s as an example.
“I wanted this record to be the sound of this band, [where] every part/player is vital … and there’s no gratuitous overdubbing.”
A Nuclear Winter drops Friday, June 23 on all streaming platforms. Nourallah, along with his band the Treefort 5 and special guest Marty Willson-Piper, hit the road June 22 for a mini album release tour through Texas.
Joining them are San Antonio’s Buttercup (“They’re like The Beatles of San Antonio,” Nourallah says) and the Deathray Davies.
The tour begins at the Lonesome Rose in San Antonio, heads to The Parish in Austin, and culminates at the legendary Sons of Hermann Hall in Deep Ellum, a special place for both Nourallah and the neighborhood in which it sits.
“Probably my biggest and most memorable shows have been there,” Nourallah says of the 100-year-old venue. “And I might add, it’s supposed to be haunted.”
As an added bonus, Dallas’ own Ottoman Turks have also been added to the Sons of Hermann Hall bill, so they’ll be kicking things off at 7 p.m. Tour details, tickets, and set times below.
DALLAS RELEASE SHOW DETAILS
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023
Venue: Sons of Hermann Hall
Tickets: Go here
Lineup / Set Times:
6 p.m. — Doors open
7 p.m — Ottoman Turks
8 p.m— Buttercup
9 p.m. — Deathray Davies
10 p.m. — Salim Nourallah + Treefort 5 ft. Marty Willson Piper
