Head to Hills has been brewing for the last 10 years, actually my whole life, ha. I love writing, recording and filming music, and the art of creating this album has been a labour of love. A collection of tunes recorded the old fashioned way, live off the floor with a sweet rhythm section and with a little spice added in. It’s a folky sounding record like it was born from swingin’ parents at a weekend festival campout with John Prine, Stan Rogers , Dr Hook and Crash Test Dummies.
It was Labour Day 2021 and the business I worked so hard to create closed down. The Tractorgrease Cafe had a warm vibe, of fun tunes and friendly folks.
Losing all of that left a big hole and the energy flowed into creating and performing. After years of hosting shows, recording and filming other bands it was time to be a Great Creator for my own art.
It was recorded at various locations including:
50 yr old FMC motorhome
60 yr old Petrocan Gas Station
100 year old Kootenay barn
112 year old steep staired attic
an old internment camp house
and B Flats Studio with the help of a sweet cast of musical characters.
Geoff Eyre (Drums)
Hollywood James Badger (Drums)
Jennie Bice (Fiddle)
Kyle Axford (Trumpet)
Good Rempel (Keys)
Bill Fulton (Bass)
Niekitah Donnet (Whistlin’)
Quinn Patterson (Singin’ like a Monk)
Hannah Lisgo (Singin’
So what now? I love playing shows, and this Record was so much fun to make! Releasing an album in 2024 is gonna be a ride!
I filmed some videos, got the album thrown all over the streaming sites and here goes.
Big thx to author/journalist Art Joyce for his article on my new album "Head to Hills".
The Valley Voice in the Slocan Valley is a very cool community newspaper.
The Koots rubbed off on me!
and thx to ... Niekitah Donnet for the whistling and pics!
Here's the first single from my new record "Head to Hills" .
First Single "Old King Road"
I wrote "Old King Road" in Spring of 2023. This song is an account of my visits to my Grandparents house in Bolton Ont. As a military kid I moved all over. This house was the one familiar place growing up. A beautiful property that hugged the Humber River. It was sold to a conservationist group and is now grown over with nature trails running through it.
I visited years later to find the old fishing rods grown into the oak tree on the bank of the river. The house, lawn and gardens reclaimed by nature. However the memories remain intact.
My parents owned a 1970 green Caprice Classic station wagon and I remember where my brother and I were thrown in the back ( no seatbelts ) for the trip from CFB Borden to Bolton Ontario Canada on Highway 50.
Take a listen and help me share this tune to the vastness of the interweb.
big thx to Jennie Bice on Fiddle, Bill Fulton on Bass and Geoff Eyre on Drums.
Comentários