One of the many positive things about playing western swing with Big Hat, No Cattle has been finding my songwriting muse headed not only west but back into my own past. I've found myself delving into memories of old records, long-ago girlfriends, old journeys, yard sale fiddles, and a homemade steel guitar. In New Hampshire back in the 1970s, barn dances still happened. I remember one in particular, a harvest dance. Between sets, outside, was a jug of hard cider. The more you drank from that jug, the more the autumn stars swirled....
This collection began as a simple gathering of solo demos intended for what might have been-- might still be someday--the second Big Hat, No Cattle record. Although Covid sent the band into total hiatus, I still wanted to document the songs in a more "finished" way. Over the spring and summer I worked alone at home, recording, layering parts, and mixing. The result is by nature stripped down and spacious. My goal was to write, sing, play, and record with a vintage vibe, making music that might sound like it came from 75 years ago.
