Luke Winslow-King, ‘Domino Sugar’ — Exclusive Preview

Luke Winslow-King is giving The Boot readers an exclusive listen to 'Domino Sugar,' a track from his upcoming 'Everlasting Arms' album.

"'Domino Sugar' was written last spring," he tells The Boot. "I was sitting on my porch in Arabi, La., down the street from the Domino Sugar factory. I wanted to write a song that represented the time and place that I was in. Having just been married and living down the street from the factory, 'Domino Sugar' was it."

While the Michigan native is pleased with the end result, he says the tune isn't indicative of the rest of the record.

"'Domino Sugar' is a bit of an odd duck on the album," Winslow-King maintains of the uptempo, feel-good song. "The rest of the tracks are a little more layered as far as genre and style, while 'Domino Sugar' is straight-up-the-middle, classic rock 'n' roll. The song came together really naturally and was fun to record and listen to, so [I] didn't question my direction with the song. I tried to just let it live and see if it turned out to be anyone's favorite."

The eclectic musician, who counts classical, rock 'n' roll, delta folk and jazz among his influences, pulled from several different genres, as well as chapters of his own life, when writing for 'Everlasting Arms.'

"There is a little bit of all my life experiences here on 'Everlasting Arms,'" he says. "There is an homage to my hometown, Cadillac, Mich., in 'Cadillac Slim.' The sounds and traditions of New Orleans are always clearly represented on my albums, particularly with 'Levee Man' and 'Home Blues' on this effort."

The singer-songwriter also looked to two of his own musical heroes and former performance partners, Jack White and Taj Mahal, in finding direction for 'Everlasting Arms.'

"Jack White has definitely inspired me to dig deeper for the most 'evil' guitar tones possible, and to feed off of the drummer for rhythmic and dynamic intensity," he notes. "Taj Mahal is a great guy and always reminds me how wonderful it can be to create a musical atmosphere where listeners can exist and feel comfortable and welcome.

"Sometimes the music needs to push to the next resolution," Winslow-King adds. "But other times it is best to make a timeless place for the listener to relax."

'Everlasting Arms' will be released on Sept. 30 on Bloodshot Records. It is available for pre-order here.

Listen to Luke Winslow-King, 'Domino Sugar':