We are thrilled to welcome Case Oats, the Chicago outfit led by Casey Gomez Walker, to the Merge Records family! The band—Gomez Walker (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Spencer Tweedy (drums), Max Subar (guitar, pedal steel), Scott Daniel (fiddle), and Jason Ashworth (bass)—is putting the finishing touches on their debut album and today share a first taste of things to come with a Robert Salazar–directed video for “Seventeen.” Watch the video below and listen to “Seventeen” wherever you stream music!
Case Oats began life seven years ago when Gomez Walker, a writer and poet with some experience in bands, met Tweedy, a seasoned drummer. Not long after meeting, they started writing songs together, and in the time since their formation, Case Oats have homed in on a lived-in sound that perfectly complements Gomez Walker’s wry, confessional lyrics. “Seventeen” is a perfect “hello” from the band, brooding and playful and pitched to the left of their country-rock cradle, a poem expressed like a 1 a.m. torch song on a long-lost iPod that strikes a riveting balance between Iris DeMent and Kimya Dawson.
Casey Gomez Walker on “Seventeen”:
When you’re seventeen years old, everything feels like the most important thing in the world, yourself included. And growing up in a small town [Eureka, Missouri], it’s even harder to see over the horizon. Every emotion feels big. This is a song about making it past that feeling.
There’s more to come from Case Oats soon, but if you want to hear more and happen to be around Austin, TX, this month, you’re in luck as the band will be playing a number of showcases during SXSW.
Case Oats at SXSW:
Mar 11, 8:45pm – High Road Touring Showcase @ Antone’s
Mar 13, 1:00pm – YETI Music Showcase @ Yeti Flagship Store
Mar 14, 4:00pm – South x San Jose @ Hotel San Jose
Mar 15, 1:00am – Line of Best Fit Showcase @ Swan Dive
