I’ve been making noises since January of 2020 about getting to work on a new record. Well, we’re there. CD’s are being manufactured as we speak, we have official videos and several songs ready to be released as singles leading up to the release of a 7-song EP entitled “38 Degrees and Raining” on March 26th.
2020 will go down in the history books as one of the most challenging, frightening, deadly years we’ve experienced in modern times. All of that that impacted the process of making the EP. The fact that it ended up a very different record than the one we set out to make is a story I want to share.
The Covid pandemic and associated lock-downs had the most direct impact. From March of last year through today, we couldn’t safely gather as a group in the studio. I’ll describe the fantastical, spontaneous experience of recording with a band of world-class musicians, and of having to collaborate remotely in some circumstances (but with great results).
Fortunately, some songs were near completion, but half were not. As of today, those sit incomplete, awaiting a future project. I’ll try to explain why we set some songs aside and scrambled to get other ones in. And I’ll lay out how the evolution of one particular song made it the cornerstone of the record and set the project in an entirely different direction.
On top of a raging global health crisis, we as a nation were being tied in knots by political divisions and painful episodes of racial injustice. Mother Nature refused to be ignored any longer and showed us through massive fires, droughts, floods and hurricanes how she feels about our abuse of her planet. And as 2020 was nearing its end, we became consumed by a national election that pitted neighbor against neighbor. Both sides of the political divide felt that the America they believed in hung in the balance.
I’ll be sharing how all those things influenced the finished product. You may find the “making of” narratives to be interesting. If you’re so inclined, come along for the ride. Come back here from time to time, or sign up for the newsletter and we’ll keep you current. And if you’ve made it this far, I thank you for your interest in my music. I look forward to sharing it in person as soon as we get the green light from Dr. Fauci!
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