WINTER GRASS (2006)

I have tried to develop a different musical sensibility for each album. This time I was looking to forego some polish, leave some edges and let the musical journey wander a bit more. On Winter Grass, I had the good fortune to connect with the extraordinary Dave Draves — producer, engineer, musician and all-around musical experimentalist.

Dave did me a favor by passing on my 4 song demo to Jeremy Gara, whose career was just taking off (and is now in full propulsion) with The Arcade Fire. Jeremy volunteered to sit in on drums and the three of us laid down most of the bed tracks in a day or two. John Higney and Mike Shultz added some tasty touches some time later. Ana Muira graced the album with her lovely vocals, singing a duet and supplying lots of backgrounds. The background vocalists (Ana, Dave, Graham and an occasional me) had way too much fun. It’s wrong, really, to enjoy yourself that much on a serious artistic endeavor.

Influences here? Well I guess the Jayhawks, Wilco, Mark Knopfler, Paul Kelly, J. J. Cale and Blue Rodeo come to mind although I’m not sure any song sounds a whole lot like those mentioned.