"Loveland" is a concept album in the sense that there is an intentional theme that all of the songs express in one way or another.
This came about when I realized that all the tracks are about some aspect of romantic love, from the sublime to the bittersweet. Further, these songs have a point of view that's a bit world weary and down to earth, not the intoxication of a crush or immature love, but more the emotions you feel after some of the experiences we all have looking for that connection.
That abstract concept is the theme of "Prelude", the track that sets the mood for the entire album. It's an aural flight through the void towards Loveland, One doesn't quite complete the trip. Instead it pauses at "Storm". "Storm" was first written over 20 years ago, inspired by a driving bass line, and has had several sets of lyrics as it evolved. It's one of those songs that never quite felt finished and now it's clear that it needed more time to find its full meaning. As much as any other song in "Loveland" it expresses the longing and desire for an overpowering experience; of love, spiritual and complete. The message of "Storm" is that longing to open oneself to infinite possibilities and be lifted up to find "the power of eternal love" through the turmoil of life. "If Everybody Loved" is also an older song that has gone through several iterations. Over the years it has become a song I always play when I perform and in that sense my theme song. I first recorded it as an acoustic folk song, then redid it as country, adding drums and electric guitar. At that point I decided to take it one step farther and enlisted Chris Bauer to add some pedal steel licks. It's followed by the mildly suggestive "Rockin' U", a track that takes me back to when I first heard a live rock band. The Fabulous Wailers were a popular regional act and they did a show at our local armory. I could hear the rumble of the bass from a block away, and I'll never forget the blast of sound that hit us when we walked in. "Rockin' U" is my homage to that experience. Next up is "Hold Me", that's about how our loved ones give us the strength to get through the struggles and disappointments of daily life. "Stowaway" was an unfinished song with a hook lyric and little else for a long time. It wasn't until I left Nashville and was in Oregon that the inspiration for the verses broke through a writer's block that also led to the next songs, "No Reason" and "Dead End Road", which are the newest in this collection. These tracks are highlighted by the contributions of Paul Sandberg on saxophone and Nicole Dahl and Tiffany Hilliker singing backup.
“No Reason” is a slightly different take on the age old dilemma of the newly single person finding the courage to take a chance on something new. This track features my friend and singing partner Nicole Dahl.
“Dead End Road”
True story? I ain’t sayin’. On my last record I had “Trouble Road” which paints a picture of the darker side of town, where people are up to no good, and this song is a sequel. It’s also in the vein of “Runnin’ Like Me” from the “Limited Edition” record, where life is reduced to a man, a fast car, and a long road with no certain destination. I’m joined by Nicole who plays the role of the femme fatale in the story.
Perhaps the most meaningful song for me is "Looking Back", which is a reminiscence of first love and how time changes our feelings about those left behind. It's also produced with a ear toward what I think of as classic production with a big sound and a soaring pedal steel solo by Chris. "Loveland" is the track that reflects the overall theme and is a bit different in style for me, with a R&B riff propelling the track as it builds to a finale with a driving sax solo from Paul. On a more abstract level, "Loveland" is a place, the destination of your journey, one that doesn't exist in physical space, but in another dimension beyond our senses. "Come along, someone is waiting for you" is the call that promises companionship for that journey. "Loveland" may be at the center of the Universe, or deep inside our souls. We may never reach it, or we may have been there all along. The last song, “Precious Days” is purposefully simple, just vocal and guitar. I wanted to end with something that reveals how a song begins, before making decisions about how to produce a recording and this song really lends itself to this approach.
Each of these tracks also reflects my interpretation of the Americana genre. I see it as music rooted in the tradition of folk music, which has at the core a simple structure and straightforward message. In this way the songs can stand alone as a solo acoustic performance, and in fact that's where each of them began, but from there they branch out and embrace several different genres and eras as well. For instance, "Rockn' U" has a 50's rockabilly feel, and "No Reason" and "Dead End Road" gives a nod to roadhouse blues rock. "Loveland" is the most contemporary track structurally, it even flirts with hip hop a little, but even as it does I hear 80s pop and r&b too. It wasn't a necessarily conscious choice on my part but I do hear each track in the context of a particular time and the influence that period had on my music, including my time in Nashville immersed in country music.
The image for "Loveland" reflects the idea of a journey and was taken on a road trip through the high desert in the Pacific Northwest near where I spent my childhood.
Credits:
"Loveland" is a self produced and recorded project except for the following stellar contributions:
and Duet vocals: Nicole Dahl (Storm, No Reason, Dead End Road)
Tiffany Hilliker (Stowaway)Lindsay Millward (Hold Me, Looking Back")Jamie White (Looking Back)
Pedal Steel : Chris Bauer (If Everybody Loved, Looking Back)
Saxophone: Paul Sandberg (Stowaway, Loveland)
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