Travis Meadows at Cottage In The Back

Meadows’ road to First Cigarette has been a winding one: “I’m an orphan who turned into a preacher, a preacher who turned into a songwriter, a songwriter who turned into a drunk, and a drunk that is learning to be a human being.” And in a career full of shockingly candid music, he says First Cigarette is the most vulnerable album he’s made. Meadows plays an acoustic guitar next to his longtime-sideman Whiskey Jack, whose reverb-loaded pedal steel seems to fill venues with night sky and smoke. The music is compelling enough sonically to hypnotize you, and paired with Meadows’ compassionate, weathered and cheeky storytelling, his performances are unforgettable balm for the weary soul.