Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Recording with Michelle

This afternoon I met Michelle Kinney to record her playing cello on a number of songs for the new album at Ross Bonadonna's Wombat Studios in Brooklyn. Michelle flew in yesterday from her home in Minneapolis. When we met at the studio door I remembered that it's been 17 years since we began recording 'Bones'. It's been a decade since I recorded 'Prophecy' and most of the songs on this album were written since then. There are also two songs from before then that for some reason I'm only getting around to putting on an album now. In all, I know I have too many songs for the album so at some stage I'll have to figure out which ones end up on it.
On Sunday evening I was at the studio with Erik Della Penna, Lindsey Horner and Alli Miller rehearsing three songs that have yet to be recorded. While I still have to finish the lyrics, musically they're mostly there, and I performed one of them, 'Down By The Liffeyside', in New Mexico and Arizona a couple of weeks ago with Ryan McGiver and Jason Sypher.
I'm working on a couple of new songs which may make it on to the album yet, tentatively titled 'Star' and 'Patience'.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

My Favourite State


When Ryan McGiver and I flew into Dallas on Thursday our connecting flight to Albuquerque was delayed. Then we got on one which took us half way until the pilot had to turn back because of high winds. So we were delighted to get there on Friday in time for our performance at The Outpost Performance Space. We had a brilliant time there a year ago with Jason Sypher on the end of our tour for ‘Singing in the Dark’ and we hadn't performed together since so we were excited to play some of the new songs from the forthcoming album I've been working on. Tentatively titled ‘Belong’, it consists of songs I’ve written over the past decade and is the kind of album that follows on from ‘Prophecy’ (2002) and ‘Bones’ (1995), with some musical guests who previously appeared on either or both of those albums.

I've played in Albuquerque for many years so it was an audience familiar with the different kinds of music I've done in recent years and a good place to perform some of the new songs.

Then it was on to the lovely Flagstaff on Saturday. We had never been there but heard great things and our experience of it was wonderful. The interstate had been closed and there was heavy snow in the morning so we weren't sure we'd get in until our flight landed and the highway reopened and we made it just in time for soundcheck. We really got to know a lot of the audience in hanging out after the show and we have to go back there!

Currently post-sound check at the amazing Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix and RYan made the comment that you could love in the dressing room here. What a beautiful venue and a great home for an incredible collection of musical instruments from all over the world.