Blaze Foley’s classic, reborn with Dirt Road Opera’s heart and harmony.
Kelowna-based Americana band Dirt Road Opera is gearing up to release their latest single — a heartfelt cover of Blaze Foley’s beloved “Clay Pigeons” — on July 11th. Known for their signature vocal blend and laid-back, rootsy sound, the band brings a fresh yet respectful spin to this timeless Americana classic.
We sat down with Dirt Road Opera to chat about why they chose “Clay Pigeons,” how they approached making it their own, and what’s next on the horizon. Get ready to dive into the stories, influences, and creative process behind this beautiful new release.
First off, care to introduce Dirt Road Opera to our readers?
Rachel: We’re Dirt Road Opera, a four-piece alt-country/roots band out of Kelowna, BC. Between us, we’ve got two Juno-nominated lead singers, three BCCMA hall of fame inductees, a multi-instrumentalist who plays just about everything, and a drummer who can groove on a suitcase or a full kit. We’ve been creating music that blends three-part harmonies, award-winning songwriting, and solid musicianship for over a decade now.
What inspired you to cover Blaze Foley’s “Clay Pigeons” for your latest single?
Barry: I was walking my dog one morning, listening to a playlist, and “Clay Pigeons” came on. It was so beautiful I had to stop and see who it was. I’d heard of Blaze Foley before, but didn’t really know much about him, so I dug in and found out what a brilliant songwriter and crazy guy he was!
We began playing the song live, and it was going over so well that we decided to record it for our next single.
How did you approach making this iconic song your own while staying true to its roots?
Barry: Harmonies are a big part of our sound, so we decided both Rachel and I would sing it all the way through. The original sounds amazing with mainly just guitar and vocals, which is the sign of a great song, but we wanted to add a few more things to make it our own.
Can you walk us through the arrangement process for this track — what elements did you feel were essential to keep or change?
Barry: The guitar is a big part of the song, so we felt we couldn’t deviate too much from the original. Then it was a process of trying out different instruments to see what was going to work the best. A dobro fits in nicely with the acoustic, and a friend of ours suggested a Melodica, which is similar to an accordion but is played by blowing into a mouthpiece. We added an accordion and decided to make the intro a little more interesting by using the two together, along with just the vocals in the first verse.
After a fairly sparse drum track, we put in a little banjo and were done.
Looking back at your debut album, Nowheresville, how do you feel your sound has evolved?
Barry: We spent a lot of time recording Nowheresville, and there’s a lot going on in that record. We’re still really happy with the way it turned out, but I think our approach now is more roots-oriented. When you find what instruments sound best for a song, it doesn’t take a lot of production to make it work. The trick is playing the right parts as well as knowing what not to play;).
So, back to the question, the new record will be similar in terms of our writing but a little sparser on the production side.
Do you have any upcoming tour dates or live performances where fans can hear this track performed live?
Rachel: We sure do! We’re hitting some incredible stages this season following the release of Clay Pigeons, including the critically acclaimed Dream Café in Penticton, BC, Country Thunder Alberta, and the Ironwood Stage in Calgary, AB. We’re also looking forward to playing at the Rock Creek Fair for the first time. You can catch us performing at a few of our favourite hometown spots, too. Soma Cidery and Barn Owl Brewing Company (which is where the music video for Clay Pigeons was filmed). Whether you’ve been with us for a while or are just discovering our music, we hope to see you live music fans out at a show or two!
Finally, what does success look like to Dirt Road Opera in 2025 and beyond?
Rachel: For us, success is largely about connection—writing and performing songs that mean something to people and staying true to who we are. It’s playing shows that matter, recording albums that resonate with listeners, and growing our audience. If we’re making music we believe in and folks are listening, that’s success.