Pamela Hopkins
Squirrel Train
Pamela Hopkins is a native of Arkansas, a mom of three, wife of a Veteran, a member of the Recording Academy and a monster piano player (that’s what you become when you play in Dueling Piano bar settings for the better part of 10 years). No wonder she wrote a song about a distracted mind! ;) Ask any successful songwriter and they’ll tell you that you have to find your core truth, keep it simple and relatable, do your best to make it catchy, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. The best songs are ones where we really get to know the writers - even if they are laughing at themselves - and that’s exactly what she (and co-writers David T. Lenahan and Frank Scott Barrier) has done. Here’s our review of “Squirrel Train.”
It kicks off right away in the key of C, around 117 bpm, with all the trappings of a great live recording (thank you real drums - I’m looking at you Bro Country). It’s four bars of a 1 & 5, with solid tones, and killer Tele phrases that takes is right into the verse. Love it. The first line let’s you know exactly what you’re in for when you hear “I’m known in certain circles for my ADD.” A pulsing banjo riff drops into the right speaker just as she starts singing to amp it up just a touch while the drums move to a sidestick pattern to create some space - love those little details - it shows that she and her team know how to build a song. The backgrounds that drop in on the word “there” are absolutely on point - I’ve always love it when female singers use male BG’s to fatten up the production (and vice versa). Great first verse! To the point, not a wasted word, and we know exactly what the song’s about. ;)
As the chorus hits, it takes off on the 4 chord and gives us a great presentation. Note the backing vocals again - how they swoop like a train sound, and I love that major 2 (five of five) pull to bring it out. Love the addition of the fiddle to add ANOTHER layer of intensity and the Tele riffs are text book country. Vocally, Pamela’s tone and pronunciation are exceptional. It’s exactly what you want in country, and when you listen with cans on you can tell that her voice doesn’t need much from the board to make it sound great (a little compression, a little grease - perfect).
When the second verse comes, the level of intensity continues to build to help keep the song moving and it’s beautifully done. Love the riffs from the fiddle, and love the riffs from the Tele after the “flitter flied away” line - it makes a huge difference when the musicians try to make the music SOUND LIKE THE WORDS. As the second chorus hits we’re singing along - it’s a solid hook.
The guitar solo is one of those that will make you want to practice more, or quit playing, sell your equipment and go flip burgers. Love the way it takes off before we’re even out of the chorus. Special props to the bass player walking underneath with some textbook moves, and we really love how the chord progression changes slightly in this section to give some new dimensions to the song. That leads us into a slightly different third verse and altered chorus that holds out the five chord for a big finish. Surprisingly, the song tracks in at 2:37 - it feels much longer - it’s that well done. Kudos to Andy Wallace and Shane Thornton who produced it along with Pamela.
Looking over her writing credits and co-writing partners (as well as her resume), it’s pretty obvious that Pamela is a consummate professional who deserves more attention. As I write this, she’s on tour in Bahrain, supporting the US Troops - something she’s been actively involved with since her husband served (read her bio, I won’t give it away). Here’s hoping that this track gets her a boatload of radio play and stage time - it would be great to see her perform this live and tear it up on the piano. Great work, Pamela!