Roots band Donna the Buffalo are premiering a brand-new song, "Top Shelf," exclusively for The Boot's readers. Press play below to hear the track.

Written by the band's vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Tara Nevins, "Top Shelf" is a reflection on what it takes to make it through life: "reveling in the things that bring us joy, laughter, inspiration and a renewed perspective," she says.

"You can't always be thinking / You've got something coming / Yeah, coming to you / Life is just what you make it," Nevins sings in the second verse of "Top Shelf." Adds the chorus, "Let's get together now / And step into the middle / Let's have a good laugh / Buy from the top shelf / Let's make this easier on ourselves."

"Life’s love and expectations have got us coming and going. Expectations breed disappointment; desire fuels frustration," Nevins explains. "For better or for worse, we can choose to reach for the things and people we love; one way or another we all get through it together."

"Top Shelf" is one of 12 tracks on Donna the Buffalo's forthcoming new studio album, Dance in the Street. Recorded at Texas' Sonic Ranch Studios, by producer and engineer Rob Fraboni, the project features songs written by Nevins and DTB's other vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Jeb Puryear. It's their first new album in five years.

“We feel the album provides an enjoyable ride between the general and the personal," Puryear says, "from both male and female perspectives."

Nevins and Puryear co-founded Donna the Buffalo after meeting at a fiddle convention. Their first gig together took place at a restaurant in Trumansburg, N.Y. -- a village in the Finger Lakes region, near Ithaca -- in 1989. The band also includes drummer Mark Raudabaugh, keyboard and organ player David McCracken and bassist Kyle Spark.

Dance in the Street is due out on Nov. 9; they're also on tour in support of the new project now. Fans can learn more at DonnaTheBuffalo.com.

Listen to Donna the Buffalo's "Top Shelf"

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