Sierra Ferrell Releases New Single ‘Dollar Bill Bar,’ Announces Sophomore Album
Photo Credit: Bobby Rich
West Virginia native Sierra Ferrell plays her own style of country music, blending elements from folk, Americana and even at times jazz. The 35 year old singer/songwriter released her first official record, ‘A Long Time Coming,’ in 2021 under Rounder Records, and has since made waves in the genre- collaborating with huge artists like Billy Strings and Zach Bryan.
Ferrell had a big start to 2024 between announcing her follow-up album, ‘Trail of Flowers,’ releasing the second single and music video for the LP, and making her national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live, ushering in what fans are calling the “era of Sierra.”
The new track, titled ‘Dollar Bill Bar,’ tells the story of a woman in a bar with a man who’s interested in her. She tells the man as a sort of warning that her name is written on many of the dollar bills that adorn the walls of the bar, marking several past love interests who were not up to par.
The lyrics of the song are referencing a tradition of writing one's name on a dollar bill and pinning it to the ceiling of a bar. Some historians say this goes back to the miners of the California gold rush, who pinned their money to the walls and ceiling of taverns for safe-keeping.
The song starts slow and intimate, introducing the song with light and rhythmic acoustic guitar. The intro of the song could easily be mistaken for a late 90’s alt-pop song if it wasn’t masterfully accentuated by twang-y country guitar riffs.
The lyrics are romantic and poetic, with lines like, “we were spinnin’ ‘round so silly drunk/the green was just like rippling leaves/in a forest full of promises/a hundred-thousand broken down dreams.”
The chorus has a somewhat flirtatious tone, telling the could-be suitor that he’s only one of many to attempt courting the narrator.
“Guys like you are a dime a dozen/you should count your lucky stars/honey if I had a dollar/for every single sailor’s heart/I could break a hundred down at the dollar bill bar.”
The song closes by gradually slowing and becoming softer, ending with the warning, “And if I tell you that I love you/and I tell you that I wanna take you home/just turn around here and leave here/‘cause I’m tellin’ you you’re better off alone.”
Sonically the track seems to show some growth in Ferrell and her band’s songwriting. The song is guitar-driven and features some ripping harmonica.
‘Dollar Bill Bar’ is everything a good country song should be, and everything that should be expected from Ferrell. It’s simple, yet expressive. Although Ferrell draws clear inspiration from her predecessors, the song is full of character and individuality.
This is the second single off of her new record, following fiddle-driven tune ‘Fox Hunt,’ the title being a nod to John R. Miller and his band of the same name. The softer, more melodic nature of ‘Dollar Bill Bar’ in contrast to the previous single proves just how dynamic Ferell’s songwriting can be.
Photography By Bobbi Rich
Album Design By Bobbi Rich & Taylor Rushing
‘Trail of Flowers’ is scheduled for release on Mar. 22.
