Minnesota-based singer-songwriter Lee Henke has released a new single, "Take Me To The Movies." Driven by acoustic guitar, the song opens with Henke agonizing about being at the end of his tether, declaring, "I'm going mad / Running hungry on a death wish again."

But then the song takes an abrupt turn in the chorus, finding a ray of hope in cinema's power to relieve mental anguish and to provide escape. "So come on, baby, won't you take me to the movies," Henke sings. "Won't you show me something new / And help me off my mind /Tell me it's all gonna be all right." By the song's conclusion, its soaring chorus lets us know the song's protagonist is indeed going to be all right.

The single is a foretaste of Henke's forthcoming album, Captain of the Ship, anticipated for release in midsummer of this year. The album was recorded in Nashville, and it was engineered by Gena Johnson, a friend of Henke's from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Johnson is the lead engineer at RCA Studios has worked with artists including Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile. "I truly believe in this album and I can't wait to share it," Henke wrote in an email to Radio Heartland's Mike Pengra.

Henke also noted that he recently converted a Ford Econoline van into a camper, and he plans to be on tour and living on the road for the rest of 2019. "I will start on the East Coast and circle back to the Midwest then head out west and up to Alaska and all around the rest of the country before winter sets in again," Henke writes.

Longtime listeners to Radio Heartland may recognize Henke from his work with The Last Revel, a group from which he amicably departed in 2018. "I did some soul searching since I left The Last Revel in June of last year," Henke writes. "I didn't know if I still wanted to do music, but the more I wandered away from it, the worse I felt. I have always enjoyed playing and creating music, and after some bad news of family-health concerns this year, music provided the exact therapy I needed to cope with everything."

It was from that therapeutic music-making that Henke's new album emerged. "I poured my heart and soul into these songs," he relates, "and I think they tell an honest story of hardships, perseverance and hope."

We'll look forward to sharing more tracks from the album on Radio Heartland when the album releases. In the meantime, use the audio player above to listen to Lee Henke's "Take Me To The Movies," and listen for it on Radio Heartland.

External Link

Lee Henke - official site

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