Last year Corduroy Brown told us he was doin’ his best and that best he was doin’ earned him the best song of 2024. Now the “Doin’ My Best” songwriter has returned with a new song, “Cross Your Mind” featuring a collab with Kindred Valley that is a very early contender in that same category for 2025.
The song is a testament to the talent of both groups with Kindred’s folk inclinations driving the front half of the song while Brown’s alt rock tendency’s take over for the latter half. While that sentence may seem odd on its face, this blend creates a beautiful contrast that ends up having the two work in perfect harmony.
Of the team up Corduroy Brown (Alan Brown) said “Collaborating with Kindred Valley is a no brainer. First off, they’re incredibly kind humans. Thatalways goes beyond talent, but they bring an immense amount of that as well to any musical
endeavor.”
“I remember writing this sort of love song and I kept imagining it with really sweet harmonies and even some banjo. Rachael, Blake and Noah really brought what they do best to
this song.”
“ It was so fun hearing them build the harmonies and spend time in the studio with
them. Kindred Valley is a name that everyone should know and I truly believe they are going to
make major waves for a really long time.”
Kindred front man, Blake Lacy espoused the bands desire to work with someone as creative as Brown. “We love Alan and have been fans of Corduroy Brown for a long time. Since getting involved in the WV music scene we have been able to get to know Alan and love to see what he is up to. Getting by to be a part of his creativity was a huge honor for us and a wonderfully fun time.“
“This song means a lot to us with its themes of mental health that are incredibly important for Appalachia. Alan writes super catchy and meaningful songs and we are very grateful to be a part of this one!”
The track begins with a lone electric guitar playing a hook that leads into Corduroy’s vocals setting the table for what’s to come. Two stanzas of just his voice and guitar carry the opening of the song before the drums and other folk instruments kick in on a perfectly crafted first verse. The music is pulled back on the pre-chorus as Rachael Hayes delivers her aptly crafted line “Time has its way, of pulling you back” before leading into the chorus that delivers the pay off of the KV harmonies blended with Browns vocals.
The entire song is best described as a Sunday drive mixed with a roller coaster. If you want to feel a lot of emotions in five minutes listen to “Cross Your Mind” below, so it can be as stuck in your head as it is ours.
