Kentucky pedal steel player Travis Talbert spends a massive chunk of his time touring and recording with roots stalwarts like Jeremy Pinnell and Arlo McKinley, or lending his playing to Cincinnati indie veterans Wussy and Frontier Folk Nebraska. Mavis Guitar is a different project entirely.

What began a decade ago as an instrumental tribute to Talbert’s beloved Boston terrier has morphed into a heavy, atmospheric power trio. Talbert drives the ship on pedal steel, backed by his brother Wil on drums and bassist Nick Vogelpohl (who brings plenty of weight from his time in Electric Citizen and Wolfmother). The three of them are dropping a new full-length record called ‘Pedal Steel Trio’ on April 17.

Today, we are honored to premiere a brand new cut from the album: ‘With Your Boots On.’

The band launched a Bandcamp preorder alongside the lead single ’88,’ but ‘With Your Boots On’ hits a far more intimate nerve.

Speaking about the personal inspiration behind the track, Talbert shares the full story:

“This song was written for our first born, Tobin Talbert. Tobin entered the world spinning and lived a gloriously simple, but frantic life. We think of him always and this song was a meditation on his seven months we shared with him. He taught us all more than he could ever have understood, and more than I am able to express in words. Hopefully you can feel the joy we still feel in spite of the loss.”

The track swells and breathes, leaning on Vogelpohl and Wil Talbert’s rock-solid rhythm section while the pedal steel cries and soars over the top. It honors the frantic beauty of Tobin’s brief life in a way words alone cannot.