Final Episode!
What road are we one? Where are we going? Is there a map? Who knows. Not me.
One Angel Wing is out today- you can stream it all the places you get music. I'll leave the OAW t-shirts up for as long as I have them, which won't be too much longer I think, and CDs and vinyl will, of course, be available.
The last song on the record, ‘The Road We’re On,' was written the longest ago. About ten years. Maybe more. I'm not sure. We've played it live on and off, and I've always kept it around. This was the opportunity to finally add it to the catalog.
I grew up outside of Minneapolis, MN, in the western suburbs. It was less suburban when I was a kid, but downtown Minneapolis wasn't that far away. St. Paul, on the other hand, always seemed much further away. Crossing a river can be like that. So that was the first line of the song. As songs do, it needed to be what it needed to be, and apparently it needed to be about chasing a dream of some sort. I guess that's a theme for all creative people. We're always wondering what's around the next bend.
Right now what's around the bend it we're gonna rock The Bricks in Longmont tonight. This is the fun part. The part where I can leave all the grunt work behind and go play with some of my favorite people. Chris Peterson will be drumming for us tonight- Chris is awesome. A bringer of positive energy! John and Derek rock- we're looking forward to this.
Release day is a good day to say some thank-you's -
Brian McRae played drums, engineered and mixed, offered a ton of good arrangement ideas, and is an awesome ski buddy.
John Bunzli and Derek Kirkman have stood on either side of me for the majority of our live shows for the last eight years now. They helped me conceive the sound of the record, and helped bring it into the world, and they are great pals. I have not had a bad night playing with those two and I look forward to many more.
Ryan Benthall and Scott Coulter played organ parts on this record and they brought a level of musicianship that is truly awe-inspiring. I hope to get to play with each of them again.
Finn O'Sullivan sang on ‘That’s How it Seems.' I've had the privilege of watching Finn grow up, and she is an amazing artist and performer, and a really excellent human being.
Mark Kranjecek mastered everything. He is the master!
My wife and daughter put up with a lot! They have listened to many rough mixes, heard most of these songs being written, and generally have to deal with me, which ain't easy. All my love and thanks to them both.
I don't have a full length video for the new songs yet (they're coming) but here I am playing ‘The Road We’re On some years ago at the Wildflower Pavilion at Planet Bluegrass with Joe Stevens and Brian Eyster.
See ya out there!- JS